Pope asks adults to support young people's prayers about vocations

Published: 2005-01-10

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Many of the young people Pope John Paul II met and encouraged to follow God's call in the early days of his pontificate are priests, nuns and parents today, he said. After having prayed about their own vocations 20 or 25 years ago, he said, it is time for them to support a new generation in discovering God's plan for their lives. In his message for the 2005 World Day of Prayer for Vocations, the pope said that throughout his 26-year pontificate he has met young people filled with happiness and enthusiasm, "but also thoughtful, because they were conscious of a desire to give full meaning to their lives." "Young people need Christ, but they also know that Christ chose to be in need of them," he said in the message released Jan. 8 at the Vatican. The theme for the 2005 day of prayer, to be observed April 17 in most countries, is "Called to Put Out Into the Deep." The theme is taken from Jesus' words to St. Peter and the disciples, encouraging them to set out again and cast their nets after a night of unsuccessful fishing.

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