Pope ordains 11 on World Day of Prayer for Vocations
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis celebrated the World Day of Prayer for Vocations by ordaining eleven men to the priesthood at St Peter’s Basilica on Sunday.
In his homily, based on the sermon for ordinations found in the Italian edition of the Roman Pontifical, the Holy Father asked the new priests to “remember your history, the gift of the Word of the Lord given to you by your mothers, your grandmothers – as Saint Paul says – by the catechists and by the whole Church.”
He called them “to bear within” themselves “the death of Christ, to walk with Christ in newness of life,” and he reminded them that “without the Cross you will never find the true Jesus; and a Cross without Jesus makes no sense.” The Pope implored the new priests, “in the name of that same Jesus Christ, the Lord, and in the name of the Church… to be merciful, so very merciful.”
Finally, Pope Francis reminded the priests that they are chosen. “Chosen, don’t forget this. Chosen! And the Lord has called you, one by one.”
Later, following the Regina Coeli prayer in St Peter’s Square, Pope Francis once again called to mind the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, in which “we are invited to pray for vocations to the priesthood and to consecrated life.” Once again he greeted the newly-ordained and their families and friends, and he invited all priests and seminarians to take part in their upcoming Jubilee during the first three days of June.
And he called on young people, both young men and young women, to consider whether they are being called by the Lord to consecrate their lives “to His service, whether in the priesthood, or in the consecrated life.”