{"id":1347,"date":"2010-11-21T23:23:36","date_gmt":"2010-11-22T05:23:36","guid":{"rendered":"In this address for the 2001 World Day of Prayer<\/a>, Pope John Paul II describes \u201cvocation\u201d as both calli"},"modified":"2011-08-21T00:08:47","modified_gmt":"2011-08-21T05:08:47","slug":"the-pope-on-vocation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/cornerstonef13\/the-pope-on-vocation\/","title":{"rendered":"The Pope on Vocation"},"content":{"rendered":"

In this address for the 2001 World Day of Prayer<\/a>, Pope John Paul II describes \u201cvocation\u201d as both calling and relationship. The term \u201cvocation\u201d is often used in the Catholic, Lutheran and other mainline Protestant churches to describe a life of religious service, such as being a priest, nun, or lay-minister in a congregation. Here, the Holy Father reminds us that \u201cat the root of every vocational journey there is the Emmanuel, the God-with-us.\u201d<\/p>\n

As you read through this brief address, notice that he moves from general observations applicable to everyone to more specific ones about calling to a religious order. Pay close attention to statements No. 2 and 3 (whose scope is to all Christians). The mention of Gaudium et spes (\u201cJoy and Hope\u201d) is a reference to the principal document of the Second Vatican Council, the most important meeting of the Catholic Church in the 20th Century, and at which major changes were enacted to position the church to become more engaged with modern (and post-modern) humanity.<\/p>\n