PART THREE

THE PASTORAL CARE OF VOCATIONS

"...Each one heard them speaking in his own language" (Acts 2, 6)

The concrete guidelines for the pastoral care of vocations do not come only from a correct theology of vocation, but by means of certain operational principles, in which the vocational perspective is the soul and the unifying criterion of all pastoral work.

Then the faith journeys and the concrete places are indicated where the vocational proposal must become the daily commitment of every pastor and educator.

In part one the analysis of the situation provided us with the framework of the present day vocational reality in Europe; part two proposed a theological reflection on the meaning and the mystery of vocation, coming from the reality of the Trinity to understanding its meaning in the life of the Church.

It is precisely this second aspect that we now wish to deepen, especially from the point of view of its pastoral application.

In the audience granted to participants in the Congress, John Paul II affirmed: "Changed historical and cultural conditions demand that the pastoral care of vocations be perceived as one of the primary objectives of the whole Christian Community".(⁵⁴)