Search
-
May 1, 2023Abu Dhabi.
During his pastoral visit to St. John the Baptist Church at Ruwais, Bishop Paolo celebrated the Holy mass for the Fourth Sunday of Easter which is also celebrated as the Vocations Sunday.
Below is the full text of his homily.
First, I express my joy of being with you for this pastoral visit. This is my first pastoral visit to your parish. For you, I am a bishop, but with you, I am a brother.
I am delighted to meet you. The Christian life is made up of encounters. Two thousand years ago, Jesus met his disciples, and today we meet here in the name of Jesus, and we know that he is present among us, in the sacraments, in the Eucharist, in his proclaimed word, and in the unity of all believers.
The liturgical season we live in – the Easter season - helps us experience the presence of the risen Jesus in our midst. Have you ever noticed that the time of Easter is longer than the time of Lent? Lent lasts 40 days. Easter season lasts 50 days until Pentecost when we celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit.
This indicates that penance must lead to the joy of the resurrection, and the joy that comes to us from Easter is forever. The purpose of penance is not penance itself or sadness but conversion and joy forever. God created us in Christ Jesus to be happy and live in joy, love, and fellowship with one another. This is the vocation to holiness to which baptism calls us all.
Indeed, the pastoral visit is also an encounter. It is a particular encounter with the bishop, the successor of the apostles, and a sign of unity of the Church. The Gospel we have just heard helps us understand the meaning of the pastoral visit because it speaks to us of Jesus the Good Shepherd, who gives his life for his sheep. Jesus came not to bring fear and threat but life and life in abundance. The bishop comes here for a pastoral visit and reminds us that Jesus is the good shepherd and gave his life to make us new creatures. Even Saint Peter, in his letter, reminds us that Jesus took upon himself all our sins and freed us from evil. “You had gone astray like sheep, but now you have come back to the shepherd and guardian of your souls”.
The same apostle Peter asks those who hear his announcement to convert, to change their lives, to open themselves to the grace of the resurrection, and to walk in a new life to enter into the joy of the children of God. Christians are called to live life every day differently and to understand life differently. We are called to have in us the same feelings that were in Christ Jesus. We must look at daily reality with the eyes and heart of Jesus.
Dear brothers and sisters, I want to invite you to the joy of the resurrection in this pastoral visit. You are called to be the community of the resurrected. The resurrection does not only concern the afterlife. We are called to live a resurrected life right now. With baptism, we were united to the death and resurrection of Jesus, we are children of God, and we belong to the Church, to the holy people of God.
So, we must ask ourselves: can we see the joy of the resurrection on our faces? Is our community a joyful community, and does it live in hope? Do we live among ourselves, especially in our families, the peace Jesus gives us? Are we open to all our baptized brothers and sisters, even if they don't attend Church?
Like all the parishes of our vicariate, this parish has the great gift of having many faithful who come from different countries, cultures, and spiritualities. Among us, we have various languages and different rites. But we are called to form one family in Christ Jesus. We are different and united at the same time. Many are the gifts, but unique is baptism and our faith. The most vital sign that the risen Jesus is among us is unity among Christians.
Finally, I remind you that Today we celebrate the 60th World Day of Prayer for Vocations. We are called to understand our life as vocation, as a gift from Heaven. Above all, for the call to exist so that we can know how to live life every day as a gift we receive from God, and we are called to live as a response to love. Please, never throw life away! We are all made for great things! For this, I invite you to pray for all vocations.
Let us pray today, especially for young people who must make critical decisions for their future. God calls us to the fullness of love and happiness through marriage, as husband and wife, through consecrated life, as brothers and sisters, or by becoming priests. We pray for every young person that he may be able to choose the path that the Lord has prepared for them. We pray that everyone is faithful to their vocation to reach the fullness of life in Christ.
May this parish be a place to meet Jesus and welcome his love so that we can live our life as a vocation and follow Jesus every day.