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Some advice to all in the name of Jesus Christ…I would like to
ask each one of you: What will you do with your life? What are your plans?
Have you ever thought of committing your existence totally to Christ? Do you
think that there can be anything greater than to bring Jesus to people and
people to Jesus? (Rome, Italy; May 13, 1984)
Our interior gaze extends to the limitless horizons of our hopes and
aspirations. And in the midst of all life's contradictions, we search for
life's true meaning. We wonder and ask, Why? Why am I here? Why am I alive
at all? What must I do? None of you is alone in posing these
questions. Humanity as a whole feels the pressing need to give sense and
purpose to a world which is increasingly complicated and difficult to be
happy in. (Denver, USA; August 14, 1993)
Ask yourselves, young people, about the love of Christ. Acknowledge His
voice resounding in the temple of your heart. Return His bright and
penetrating glance which opens the paths of your life to the horizons of the
Church’s mission. It is a taxing mission, today more than ever, to teach men
the truth about themselves, about their end, their destiny, and to show
faithful souls the unspeakable riches of the love of Christ. Do not be
afraid of the radicalness of His demands, because Jesus, who loved us first,
is prepared to give Himself to you, as well as asking of you. If He asks
much of you, it is because He knows you can give much. (Rome, Italy;
September 8, 1992)
From All of Eternity
Every vocation is part of a divine plan. This means that in God’s
creative initiative there enters a particular act of love for those called
not only to salvation but also to the ministry of salvation. Therefore from
all eternity, since we began to exist in the plans of the Creator, and He
willed us to be creatures, He also willed us to be “called”, preparing in us
the gifts and conditions for the personal, conscious, and opportune response
to the call of Christ and of the Church. God who loves us, who is Love, is
also “He who calls” (Rom 9:11). (Porto Alegre, Brazil; July 5, 1980)
Vocation is, therefore, a mystery that man accepts and lives in the
depths of his being. A gift and a grace, it depends on supreme divine
freedom and, in its total reality, it escapes our understanding. We cannot
demand explanations from the Giver of all goods—“Why have you made me thus?”
(Rom 9:20) because He who calls is also “He who Is” (cf. EX 3:14).
Therefore, in the presence of a vocation we adore the mystery, we respond
lovingly to the initiative of love, we say yes to the call.
You Are Chosen by Christ
He has chosen you, in a mysterious but r eal way, to make you saviors with
Him and like Him. Yes, Christ calls you, but He calls you in truth. His call
is demanding, because He invites you to let yourselves be “captured” by Him
completely, so that your whole lives will be seen in a different light. Let
yourselves be seized by Jesus and try to live just for Him! (Rome, Italy;
October 13, 1993)
As we reflect together on the life which Jesus gives, I ask you to have
the courage to commit yourselves to the truth. Have the courage to believe
the good news about life which Jesus teaches in the Gospel. Open your minds
and hearts to the beauty of all that God has made and to His special,
personal love for each one of you.
Young people of the world, hear His voice! Hear His voice and follow
Him!” (Denver, USA; August 1993)
Pray for Clarity
There is a wonderful way of experiencing love in life: it is the vocation
to follow Christ in the celibate state freely chosen or in the state of
virginity for the love of the Kingdom of Heaven. I ask each one of you to
question yourselves seriously about whether God may not be calling you to
one of these paths. And to all of those who suspect that they have this
personal vocation, I say: pray insistently to receive the needed clarity,
but then reply with a joyful yes. (Cordoba, Argentina; September 8, 1985)
God Calls in Truth
How many young people do not possess the truth, and drift along without a
'reason why'; how many, unfortunately, after empty and exhausting searches,
disappointed and embittered, have given and still give themselves up to
despair. And how many have succeeded in reaching the truth only after years
of tormented questioning and painful experiences! Just think, for example,
of St. Augustine's dramatic path to arrive at the light of truth and at the
price of regained innocence! What a sigh he heaved when at last he arrived
at the light! And he exclaimed with nostalgia: "Late have I loved Thee!"
Just think of the effort of Cardinal Newman had to make to arrive with
the force of logic at Catholicism! What a long and painful spiritual agony!
It is really a great thing to know that one possesses Truth.
 He has chosen you, in a mysterious way, to make you saviors with Him and
like Him. Yes, Christ calls you, but He calls you in truth. His call is
demanding, because He invites you to let yourselves be 'captured' by Him
completely, so that your whole lives will be seen in a different light. Let
yourselves be seized by Jesus and try to live just for Him. (Rome, Italy;
October 13, 1979)
Take Courage
You understand that I am speaking to you of very important matters. It is
a question of dedicating one's life to the service of God and of the Church,
of doing so with unshakable faith, with mature judgment and a free decision,
generously - regardless of the price. Open your heart to a joyful meeting
with Christ. Ask for advice. The Church of Jesus must continue its mission
in the world. In speaking to you about vocation and in urging you to follow
along this path, I am the humble servant of that love that moved Christ when
He called the disciples to follow Him. (Rome, Italy; April 20, 1980) 
Be certain that, if you listen to His call and follow Him, you will find
great joy and happiness. Be generous, take courage, and remember His
promise: “My yoke is easy and My burden light” (Mt. 11:30). (Manchester,
England; May 31, 1982)
How to Make a Decision
You are at the great crossroads of your lives and you must decide how
your future can be lived happily, accepting the responsibilities which you
hope will be placed squarely on your shoulders, playing an active role in
the world around you. You ask me for encouragement and guidance, and
most willingly I offer some words of advice to all of you in the name of
Jesus Christ. In the first place I say this: You must never think that you
are alone in deciding your future! And second: When deciding your future,
you must not decide for yourself alone! (Edinburgh, Scotland; May 31, 1982)
The conviction which we must share and spread is that the call to
holiness is directed to all Christians (Lumen Gentium, ch.5). This is not a
question of privilege or spiritual elitism. It is not a matter of some
persons feeling inclined to heroic daring. Still less it is a question of
seeking a quiet refuge adapted to certain forms of piety or certain natural
temperaments. It is a question of a grace offered to all baptized, but in
varying ways. (Rome, Italy; June 6, 1986)
Listening to His Voice
Young people of the world, hear His voice! Hear His voice and follow Him!
(Denver, USA; August 14, 1993)
 During the years of youth each person develops his own personality. The
future already begins to be present, and it is right beyond your arms reach.
It is the period in which life is seen as a promising plan to be fulfilled
in which each one is, and wants to be, involved. It is also the right time
for discerning and becoming more radically aware that life cannot develop
without God and others. It is a time for facing the great questions, the
choice between selfishness and generosity. (Asuncion, Paraguay; May 18,
1988)
A Process
From the human point of view, a vocation in the Church begins with a
discovery, with finding the pearl of great price. You discover Jesus: His
person, His message, His call. After the initial discovery, a dialogue in
prayer ensues, a dialogue between Jesus and the one called, a dialogue which
goes beyond words and expresses itself in love. (San Antonio, USA; September
13, 1987)
The experience of a vocation is unique and indescribable, and is only
perceived as a gentle breeze of the clarifying touch of grace. The vocation
is a breathing of the Holy Spirit, Who, at the same time as He genuinely
shapes our fragile human reality, shines a new light into our hearts. He
instills an extraordinary power that merges our existence into the divine
enterprise. (Rome, Italy; March 17, 1982)
A Gift
If someone among you hears Christ’s call to a complete gift of self in
the religious life, do not reject such a noble, though demanding , proposal.
Have the courage to say yes generously and firmly; this can give an
incomparable depth of meaning to your whole life. (Rome, Italy; March 18,
1989)
 A religious vocation is a gift, freely given and received. It is a
profound expression of the love of God for you, and, on your part, it
requires in turn a total love for Christ. The whole life of a religious
is aimed at strengthening the bond of love which was first forged in the
Sacrament of Baptism. You are called to do this in religious consecration
through the profession of the evangelical counsels of chastity, poverty and
obedience. (San Antonio, USA; September 13, 1987)
Instruments for God's Call
God calls whomever He wills through free initiative of His love. But He
wants to call through other persons. This is the way the lord Jesus wants to
call us. It was Andrew who called his brother Peter. Jesus called Phillip,
but Phillip called Nathaniel. We should not be afraid to directly suggest to
a young or not so young person that the Lord may be calling them. It is an
act of esteem and confidence. It can be a moment of light and of grace.
(Rome, Italy; April 13, 1983)
 Consistency and the Cross
Unfortunately, we live in an age in which sin has even become an industry
which produces money, inspires economic plans, bestows prosperity. The
situation is certainly striking and terrible. Yet we must not let ourselves
be frightened or oppressed: Any age demands consistency from the Christian.
(Aquila, Italy; August 30, 1980)
It is easy to be consistent for a day or two. It is difficult and
important to be consistent for one's whole life. It is easy to be consistent in
the hour of enthusiasm; it is difficult to be so in the hour of tribulation.
And only a consistency that lasts throughout the whole of life can be called
faithfulness. (Mexico City, Mexico; January 27, 1979)
His calling is a declaration of love. Your response is commitment,
friendship, love manifested in the gift of one’s own life as a definitive
following. Being faithful to Christ is loving Him with all of one’s soul and
all of one’s heart in such a way that this love becomes the standard and
motive of all our actions.
Christ’s fidelity achieves its fullest and highest expression on the Cross.
As a result, renunciation and mortification are indispensable. Without a
demanding asceticism and without a disposition to serve Him deeply rooted in
your heart, without habitual self-forgetfulness, it becomes impossible to
truly love and to be concerned solely with the interests of Christ.
(Valencia, Spain; November 8, 1982)
"Act
Like Those Fishermen…"
Take heart, young people! Christ is calling you and the world awaits you!
Remember that the kingdom of God needs your generosity and complete
dedication. Do not act like the rich young man who, invited by Christ, was
unable to choose and kept his possessions and sadness, he who had been
looked upon with a loving gaze. Act like those fishermen who, called by
Jesus, immediately left everything behind and became fishers of men. (Rome,
Italy; February 2, 1989)
The Rich Young Man
Faith and love are not just words or vague feelings. Believing and loving
God means a consistent life, lived wholly in light of the Gospel…this is not
easy. It often calls for great courage in going against the trends of
fashion and the opinions of our world. But, this - I repeat - is the one
requirement for a truly successful and happy life.
If, in spite of your personal effort to follow Christ you are sometimes
weak and do not live in conformity to the law of love, to the commandments,
do not be discouraged. Christ continues to wait for you. He, Jesus, is the
Good Shepherd Who searches for the lost sheep and Who tenderly bears it on
his shoulder. Christ is the Friend Who never lets you down.
In the Gospel story we see that the young man, having affirmed that he
has kept the commandments, adds: "What do I still lack?" (Mt 19:20) That
young heart, moved by God's grace, felt a desire for a greater generosity,
more commitment, greater love. This desire for more is characteristic of
youth; a heart that is in love does not calculate, does not begrudge; it
wants to give of itself without measure. "Jesus, looking at him, loved him
and said to him, 'Come, follow Me'" (Mk 10:21).
 To those who entered the path of life by observing the commandments…the
Lord proposes new horizons: The Lord proposes to them means that are loftier
and calls them to commit themselves to His love without reserve. To discover
this call, this vocation, is to realize that Christ is looking on you and
inviting you by His glance to give yourself totally in love. Before this
glance, before His love, the heart opens its doors gradually and is capable
of saying yes.
If some of you hear the call to follow Christ more closely, to dedicate
your entire heart to Him, like the apostles John and Paul, be generous, do
not be afraid, because you have nothing to fear when the prize that you
await is God himself, for Whom, sometimes without ever knowing it, all young
people are searching. (Asuncion, Paraguay; May 18, 1988)
 "There is one thing you lack; come, follow me" (Mk 10:21). Is Jesus
perhaps repeating to some of you today: There is one thing you lack"? Is
He perhaps asking for even more love, more generosity, more sacrifice? Yes,
the love of Christ involves generosity and sacrifice. To follow Christ and
to
serve the world in His name requires courage and strength. There is no place
for selfishness - and no place for fear! Do not be afraid, then, when love
makes demands. Do not be afraid when love requires sacrifice. (Auckland, New
Zealand; November 22, 1986)
Young people: Christ needs you and calls you to help millions of your
brothers and sisters achieve their salvation. Open your heart to Christ, to
His law of love. Place no conditions on God’s accessibility to you, have no
fear to respond definitively, because love and friendship never fade.
(Javier, Spain; November 6, 1982)
 Mary, Mother and Guide
Look to Mary to see how to respond to Jesus' call. First, she kept all
things [concerning that call], pondering them, in her heart. She also went
in haste to serve her cousin Elizabeth. Both attitudes are essential parts
of our response to the Lord: prayer and action. That is what the Church
expects of young people. That is what I have come to ask of you. Mary,
Mother of the Church and our mother, will help us hear her Divine Son.
(Manila, Philippines; January 14, 1995)
What does Mary, our Mother and teacher, have to tell us? In the Gospel we
find a statement in which Mary certainly shows herself to be a teacher. It
is the statement she makes at the wedding feast of Cana. After having said
to her Son: “They have no wine,” she says to the waiters: “Do whatever He
tells you.”
“Do whatever He tells you.” In these words Mary expresses, above all, the
deepest secret of her life. The whole of her person is in these words. Her
life, in fact, has been a total yes to the Lord. A yes filled with joy and
trust. And these words enclose a very important message, relevant to every
man of every age. This “do whatever He tells you” means: listen to Jesus, my
Son, act on His word and put your trust in Him. Learn to say yes to the Lord
in every situation of your life. This message of great comfort is one of
which we all have need. (Rome, Italy; December 13, 1987)
You must welcome Mary into your young lives as the apostle John took her
“to his home.” May you allow her to be your mother. May you open your hearts
and consciences to her. May she always help you find Christ, to “follow
Him”, on all the paths of your lives. (Rome, Italy; March 23, 1986) |
