An Open Heart

“The love of God sometimes follows paths one could never have imagined, but it always reaches those who are willing to be found.” These words of Pope Benedict XVI for the 50th World Day of Prayer for Vocations reveal that a vocation is a gift so great that it often reaches beyond our ordinary, self-made plans—a gift that requires an open heart in order to be received. Here Pope Benedict explains what is means to experience the beauty and fullness of a life with Christ:

“[Jesus] lives now among the community of disciples that is the Church, and still today calls people to follow him. The call can come at any moment. Today too, Jesus continues to say, ‘Come, follow me’ (Mk 10:21). Accepting his invitation means no longer choosing our own path.

Following him means immersing our own will in the will of Jesus, truly giving him priority, giving him pride of place in every area of our lives: in the family, at work, in our personal interests, in ourselves. It means handing over our very lives to Him, living in profound intimacy with Him, entering through Him into communion with the Father in the Holy Spirit, and consequently with our brothers and sisters. This communion of life with Jesus is the privileged “setting” in which we can experience hope and in which life will be full and free.”