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POPE-VOCATIONS Mar-30-2006 (270 words) xxxi
Pope says people do not need to be perfect to be called to a vocation
By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- One does not have to be perfect to be called to a vocation in the priesthood or religious life, but one must recognize that God calls each person to repentance and holiness, Pope Benedict XVI said.
"Human frailties and limits do not represent an obstacle" to having a vocation, "as long as they contribute to making us more aware of the fact that we need the redeeming grace of Christ," the pope said in his message for the 2006 World Day of Prayer for Vocations.
The day dedicated to praying for vocations to the priesthood and religious life will be celebrated May 7 in most countries; the pope's message for the day was released March 30 in Italian.
From Jesus' time, Pope Benedict said, God has called individuals to dedicate their lives totally to serving God and their brothers and sisters.
God's call is not addressed to the perfect, but to those open to God's love, which changes human hearts and makes them capable of communicating the love of God to others, the pope said.
"The church is holy even if its members need to be purified so that holiness, a gift of God, can shine through them in all its brightness," he said.
Pope Benedict asked for special prayers for vocations to the priesthood, a ministry that is essential for the celebration of the sacraments and, therefore, for the ongoing life of the church.
"It is not surprising that where people pray with fervor vocations flourish," he said.
END
Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service/USCCB. All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed.
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