A message from the Bishop of Rome

In its plenary session, the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life dealt with an important topic - Pope Francis says: being faithful to and leaving one’s vocation, perseverance is put to the test…

....Vocation, like faith itself, is a treasure we carry in clay vessels (cf. 2 Cor 4: 7); That is why we must take care of it, as we take care of the most precious things, so that no one will steal this treasure from us, and that this treasure does not lose its beauty over time. This care is a duty that is above all for us personally, who have been called to follow Christ more closely, with faith, hope and charity, cultivated daily in prayer and reinforced by a good theological and spiritual formation that protects us against passing fashions and cultural fads and allows us to progress by being strong in faith. Only on this basis is it possible to practice evangelical counsels and have « the same feelings as Christ » (Phil 2: 5). Vocation is a gift that we have received from the Lord, who has « looked at us and loved us » (cf. Mk 10:21), calling us to follow him in the consecrated life. But it also implies a responsibility for the one who has received this gift. With the grace of the Lord, each of us is called to assume responsibly a personal commitment for his own human, spiritual and intellectual growth, and at the same time to maintain the flame of his vocation. This implies that in turn we always have our eyes fixed on the Lord, always paying attention to walking according to the logic of the Gospel, without succumbing to the criteria of worldliness. So many times, great infidelities begin from small diversions or distractions. In this light too, it is important to hear St. Paul’s exhortation: « now is the time for you to awake from sleep» (Rom 13:11) [...]

From the speech of Pope Francis
on Saturday 28 January 2017