2024-04-19 10:09:42
The newspaper L’Osservatore Romano in an interview with the Dean of Clergy on the occasion of the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, celebrated on April 21.
On the occasion of the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, next Sunday April 21, L’Osservatore Romano asked a few questions to the dean of the clergy, Cardinal Lazzaro Yu Hyung-sik.
In response to a question regarding what a vocation is, Cardinal Yu said: “Before thinking regarding any religious or spiritual aspect, I would like to say the following: a vocation is fundamentally a call to be happy and to take the control of our lives, to realize them fully and not waste them. This is God’s first desire for every man and woman, and for each of us: that our lives not fade away, that our lives not be wasted, and that they shine at their best. This is why he drew near to us in his Son Jesus and wants to draw us into the arms of his love. Thus, thanks to Baptism, we become an active part of this love story, and when we feel loved and accompanied, our life becomes a journey towards happiness, towards a life without end. A journey that is embodied and then realized in a life choice, in a specific mission and in numerous daily situations.
The Dean of the Department of Clergy added, answering the question on how to recognize a vocation and what is its relationship with desires, and declared on this subject that the rich tradition of the Church and the wisdom of Christian spirituality can teach us a lot. To be happy – and happiness is the first vocation shared by all human beings – it is necessary that we make no mistakes in our life choices, at least in fundamental choices. The first signs of the path we must follow are precisely our desires, what we feel in our heart can be useful to us and, through us, to the world around us. However, we see every day how wrong we are, because our desires do not always correspond to the truth of who we are; They may be the result of partial vision, or arise from hurts or frustrations, or be dictated by a selfish search for our own well-being, or, as we sometimes call desires, in fact, illusions. There is therefore a need for discernment, which is the in-depth art of understanding spiritually, with the grace of God, what we must choose in our life. Discernment is only possible if we listen to ourselves, listen to the presence of God within us and overcome the temptation to bring our feelings into conformity with absolute truth. It is for this reason that Pope Francis, at the beginning of Wednesday’s catechesis of discernment, called us to face the effort of deepening ourselves and, at the same time, not to forget the presence of God in our lives. In this way, we can recognize vocation when we put our deepest desires into dialogue with the work that God’s grace accomplishes in us; Thanks to this comparison, the night of doubts dissipates, the questions become clearer little by little and the Lord makes us understand the path we must take.
Cardinal Yu continued by answering a question regarding the dialogue between the human and spiritual dimensions, which is central to the formation of priests. He said that this dialogue is necessary and that we have perhaps sometimes neglected it. We should not risk thinking that the spiritual side can develop independently of the human side, attributing a sort of “magical power” to the grace of God. God became incarnate and this is why the vocation to which he calls us is always incarnated in our human nature. The world, society and the Church need priests who are deeply human, whose spiritual characteristics are embodied in the style of Jesus himself: not a spirituality that separates us from others or that makes us cold teachers of ‘an abstract truth, but the capacity to embody God’s closeness to humanity, his love for every creature and his compassion for anyone marked by the wounds of life. This is why we need people who, although fragile like others, have sufficient psychological maturity, inner serenity and emotional balance in their fragility.
In response to a question regarding his opinion on many priests who experience difficult and painful situations, the dean of the clergy added: “I have devoted almost my entire life to caring for priestly formation, to accompanying priests and to being close two. » Today, as dean of the clergy, I feel closer to the priests, their hopes and their efforts. Elements of anxiety are never absent, because in many parts of the world there is real anxiety in the lives of priests. There are many aspects to the crisis, but I believe we first need ecclesiastical reflection on two fronts. First: we must rethink the way in which we are a Church and live the Christian mission, in effective cooperation with all the baptized, because priests are often charged with work or the same tasks. As for the second point: we must reconsider the personality of the diocesan priest because, even if he is not called to monastic life, he must rediscover the sacramental value of fraternity and the feeling of being at home in the priesthood, with the bishop and his fellow priests and believers, because this Belonging, especially in today’s difficulties, can support him in pastoral service and accompany him when solitude becomes exhausting. But a new mentality and new training paths are necessary, because the priest is often raised as a solitary leader, which is not good. We are small and limited, but we are disciples of the Master. When he moves us, we can do a lot of things. Not individually, but together, in a synodal way, as the Holy Father repeats: “We can only be missionary disciples together”.
Cardinal Yu then responded to the question of whether priests are “equipped” to deal with today’s culture and said that this is one of the main challenges we face today, both in initial training and in continuing training. We cannot remain locked into sacred forms and make the priest the simple director of religious rituals; Today we live in an era marked by many global crises, with certain risks associated with rising violence, war, environmental pollution and economic crisis, all of which impact lives people in terms of insecurity, pain, violence. and fear of the future. There is therefore an urgent need for priests and lay people capable of bringing to all the joy of the Gospel, as a prophecy for a new world and a directional compass on the path of life. We always remain disciples, even when we have been deacons, priests or bishops for many years. The disciple must always learn from the only teacher who is Jesus.
The dean of the clergy concluded his speech to the newspaper L’Osservatore Romano by answering the question of whether it is still worth becoming a priest today and saying that despite everything, it is still worth following the Lord on this path and allow Him to draw us and give our lives for His project. We can look to Mary, the little girl of Nazareth, who, although troubled by the angel’s announcement, chose to risk the marvelous adventure of her vocation, to become the Mother of God and the Mother of humanity. . With the Lord we never lose anything! I would like to say a word to all priests, especially to those who feel frustrated or suffering at this time: the Lord never breaks his promise. And if He calls you, He will not leave you in need of the tenderness of His love, the light of the Holy Spirit and the joy of the heart. This will appear in many ways in your life as a priest. This is why I hope that this hope will reach priests, deacons and seminarians throughout the world, to comfort and encourage them. We are not alone, the Lord is always with us! He wants us to be happy!
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