Living in Him and for Him

The joy of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus is the foundation of Christian life; men and women, as disciples of the Risen Lord, freely choose in joy to live daily in Him and for Him.  

In this Paschal joy, I bring to memory that beautiful and sublime moment we recently celebrated: The Lord’s Supper, the celebration of Holy Thursday. That holy and magnificent night in which the Lord announces the most intimate aspect of His mission: His Death and Resurrection, and it is in this context that He precisely institutes the precious gift of the Priesthood.

It is a holy gift that God has given to His Church, through which Jesus Christ continues His redemptive mission in the world. The joy of living in Him and for Him is the reason for every young man who feels called to the priesthood. The first and ultimate motive that the candidate seeks in his discernment is the free will to live for his Master, united to Him, ready to consecrate his life for Jesus Christ, serving His Church.

For this reason, the grace of the resurrection, offered in the Holy Night where the ministerial priesthood finds meaning, constitutes the most perfect incentive for the candidate in his path of discernment towards the priesthood. It is through prayer that the young man opens his heart to this living encounter with the One who has conquered death and sin. Likewise, he must let himself be captivated by His love and go out to embark on the mission to which he is being invited.

The candidate to the priesthood, abandoned to His mandate, “Come and follow me,” and captivated by His words, “Do this in memory of me,” guides his heart and life to radically follow and join Jesus Christ, who calls him to serve his brothers in such a unique vocation, that is, the priesthood.

Thus, I invite all young people discerning their vocation, attracted by His words that resonate in their hearts, to be generous and not to fear giving their lives, consecrating them in Him and for Him.