21/04/25 [담화] 2021년 제58차 성소 주일 교황 담화 - 성 요셉: 부르심의 꿈

[성기화 요셉]

프란치스코 교황 성하의 
제58차 성소 주일 담화

(2021년 4월 25일)

성 요셉: 부르심의 꿈

사랑하는 형제자매 여러분, 

지난해 12월 8일, 요셉 성인이 보편 교회의 수호자로 선포된 지 150주년을 기념하여 성인께 바치는 특별한 해를 시작하였습니다(교황청 내사원 교령, 2020.12.8. 참조). 저는 “이 위대한 성인에 대한 우리의 사랑을 키우고자” 교황 교서 「아버지의 마음으로」(Patris Corde)를 썼습니다. 요셉 성인은 특별한 인물이지만 동시에 “우리 저마다의 인간적 상황과 매우 밀접한” 인물입니다. 성인은 딱히 놀라운 일을 한 것도, 고유한 은사를 받은 것도, 만나는 사람들의 시선을 잡아끌 만한 특별함을 드러낸 것도 아니었습니다. 그는 유명하지도 않았고 주목할 만한 사람도 아니었습니다. 복음서들은 그의 말을 단 한 마디도 전하지 않았습니다. 그렇지만 그는 평범한 일상을 통하여 하느님의 눈에 특별해 보이는 무엇인가를 성취했습니다.

하느님께서는 마음을 보십니다(1사무 16,7 참조). 그리고 요셉 성인에게서 일상 속에서 생명을 나누어 주고 일으킬 수 있는 아버지의 마음을 발견하셨습니다. 부르심 또한 이와 같은 목적을 지닙니다. 날마다 생명을 일으키고 새롭게 하는 것입니다. 주님께서는 아버지와 어머니의 마음을 만들고자 하십니다. 부모의 마음은 열려 있고 위대한 계획을 이룰 수 있으며, 관대하게 자기 자신을 내어주고, 불안을 어루만지는 연민을 지니며, 희망을 굳건히 다지는 데 한결같은 마음입니다. 감염병의 세계적 유행으로 위태롭고 고통받는 시기인 오늘날 사제직과 축성 생활에는 이러한 자질들이 절실히 필요합니다. 미래에 대한 그리고 삶의 절대적 의미에 대한 불안과 두려움이 생겨났기 때문입니다. 요셉 성인은 ‘평범한 성인들’ 가운데 한 명으로서 온유하게 우리를 만나러 오십니다. 동시에, 그분의 굳센 증언은 여정 가운데 있는 우리를 이끌어 줄 수 있습니다.

요셉 성인은 우리 저마다의 부르심에 있어 세 가지 핵심 단어를 제시합니다. 첫 번째 단어는 꿈입니다. 모든 사람은 삶에서 완성을 추구하는 꿈을 꿉니다. 우리는 성공, 돈, 유흥과 같은 덧없는 목적들이 만족시킬 수 없는, 위대한 희망과 고귀한 열망을 마땅히 품어 키웁니다. 사람들에게 그들 삶의 꿈을 한마디로 표현해 보라고 할 때에, ‘사랑받는 것’이라는 대답을 상상하는 일은 어렵지 않을 것입니다. 삶에 의미를 부여하는 것이 바로 사랑입니다. 사랑이 삶의 신비를 드러내기 때문입니다. 사실 우리가 삶을 내어 줄 때 비로소 삶은 우리 자신의 것이 됩니다. 우리가 아낌없이 삶을 내어 줄 때만 우리는 진정으로 삶을 소유합니다. 이러한 관점에서 요셉 성인은 우리에게 많은 이야기를 해 주실 것입니다. 하느님께서 그에게 불어넣어 주셨던 꿈들로 자신의 삶을 선물이 되게 하였기 때문입니다. 

복음서는 우리에게 네 가지 꿈들을 보여 줍니다(마태 1,20; 2,13; 19,22 참조). 그 꿈들은 하느님의 부르심이었지만 받아들이기 쉬운 꿈들은 아니었습니다. 꿈을 꿀 때마다 요셉은 자신의 계획을 변경하고 위험을 감수해야 했습니다. 온전하게 신뢰하였던 하느님의 신비로운 계획들을 따르고자 그 자신의 계획들을 희생하였습니다. 우리는 자문해볼 수 있습니다. “밤중에 꾼 꿈에 왜 그렇게 큰 신뢰를 두었을까?” 고대 시대에 꿈이 아주 중요하게 여겨졌다고 하지만, 삶의 구체적인 현실 앞에서 그것은 여전히 아주 작은 것이었습니다. 그러나 요셉 성인은 망설임 없이 자신의 꿈이 안내하는 대로 따랐습니다. 왜 그랬을까요? 성인의 마음이 하느님을 향했기 때문입니다. 이미 그 마음이 하느님께 기울어져 있었기 때문입니다. 성인이 지닌 예리한 ‘마음의 귀’ 덕분에 하느님의 소리를 깨닫는 데에 작은 암시 하나로도 충분했습니다. 우리를 향한 부르심도 마찬가지입니다. 하느님께서는 우리의 자유를 억누르면서 호화찬란하게 당신을 드러내는 것을 즐기지 않으십니다. 하느님께서는 온유한 모습으로 당신의 계획을 우리에게 전하십니다. 우리를 눈부신 전망으로 들뜨게 하지 않으시고, 다만 우리 마음 깊은 곳에서 잔잔하게 말씀을 건네십니다. 우리 곁에 가까이 오시어 우리의 생각과 감정을 통하여 말씀하십니다. 이렇게 하느님께서는 당신이 요셉 성인에게 하셨던 것처럼 우리 앞에 심오하고 예상할 수 없는 지평들을 펼치십니다. 

사실, 요셉의 꿈들은 그가 상상조차 할 수 없었던 경험들로 그를 이끌었습니다. 첫 번째 꿈은 그의 약혼을 혼란에 빠뜨렸지만, 그가 메시아의 아버지가 되게 해 주었습니다. 두 번째 꿈은 그를 이집트로 피신하게 하였지만, 가족들의 생명을 지키게 하였습니다. 고향으로 돌아갈 것을 예언한 세 번째 꿈 이후, 네 번째 꿈은 다시 한번 그의 계획을 변경하게 하여 나자렛으로, 곧 예수님께서 하느님 나라를 선포하기 시작하실 곳으로 그를 이끌었습니다. 이러한 온갖 출렁이는 파도 속에서도 그는 하느님의 뜻을 따르는 용기를 찾았습니다. 부르심도 이와 같습니다. 하느님의 부르심은 언제나 우리가 첫걸음을 내딛게 하고, 우리 자신을 내어 주게 하며, 앞으로 나아가라고 재촉합니다. 위험을 감수하지 않고서 신앙이 있을 수 없습니다. 은총에 우리 자신을 대담하게 내어 맡길 때만, 우리의 계획과 안락을 한 켠으로 치워 둘 때만, 우리는 하느님께 진정한 마음으로 “예.” 하고 대답할 수 있습니다. 그리고 모든 “예.”는 결실을 맺습니다. 우리는 단지 일부분만 볼 수 있지만, 모든 삶을 작품으로 만드시는 거룩한 예술가께서 알고 계시고 그려 나가시는 더 큰 계획의 일부가 되기 때문입니다. 이러한 관점에서 요셉 성인은 하느님 계획을 받아들이는 데에 뛰어난 모범을 보여 줍니다. 성인의 받아들임은 능동적 수용이었습니다. 성인은 단 한번도 마지못해서, 체념해서 받아들이지 않았습니다. 요셉은 “분명 수동적으로 굴복하는 사람이 아니라, 용기 있게 굳건한 의지로 상황을 주도하는 사람입니다”(「아버지의 마음으로」, 4항). 성인께서 모든 이들, 특히 자신을 위한 하느님의 꿈이 실현되도록 식별 가운데 있는 젊은이들을 도우시기를 빕니다. 또한 언제나 놀라움을 주시며, 절대 실망시키지 않으시는 주님께 “예.”라고 대답할 용기를 그들 안에 불러일으켜 주시기를 빕니다.

두 번째 단어는 섬김입니다. 이는 요셉 성인의 여정과 성소의 여정을 특징짓는 말입니다. 복음서들은 요셉이 어떻게 자기 자신이 아니라 전적으로 다른 이를 위한 삶을 살았는지를 보여 줍니다. 하느님의 거룩한 백성은 요셉 성인을 지극히 정결한 배필이라고 부르며, 아낌없이 사랑하는 그 능력을 조명합니다. 참으로 요셉 성인은 온갖 소유에서 자유로운 사랑을 함으로써 더욱더 풍성한 열매를 맺는 봉사에 열린 마음을 지니게 되었습니다. 애정 어린 그의 보살핌은 세세대대로 이어졌고, 사려 깊은 보호를 통하여 그는 교회의 수호자가 되었습니다. 내어 주는 삶의 의미를 구현하는 법을 아는 사람이었던 요셉 성인은 복된 죽음을 위한 수호자이기도 합니다. 그런데 그의 섬김과 희생은 오직 더 큰 사랑으로 지탱되었기에 가능한 것이었습니다. “모든 참된 성소는 자기 자신을 기꺼이 내어 주는 것, 곧 성숙한 희생의 결과로 생겨납니다. 마찬가지로 이러한 성숙함은 사제직과 축성 생활에서도 필요합니다. 우리의 성소가 혼인이든지 독신이든지 동정이든지 상관없이 희생에서 그친다면, 우리 자신을 기꺼이 내어 주는 것은 실현될 수 없을 것입니다. 그런 경우 우리 자신을 기꺼이 내어 주는 것은, 사랑의 아름다움과 기쁨의 표징이 되는 것이 아니라, 불행과 슬픔과 좌절을 보여 주는 위험에 빠지게 됩니다”(「아버지의 마음으로」, 7항).

자기 증여의 구체적인 표현인 섬김은 요셉 성인에게 그저 고결한 이상에 그치는 것이 아니라 일상생활을 위한 하나의 규칙이 되었습니다. 그는 예수님께서 탄생하실 보금자리를 찾고 준비하는 데에 온 힘을 기울였습니다. 또한 그는 헤로데의 분노에서 예수님을 보호하고자 때를 놓치지 않고 최선을 다하여 이집트로 피신할 채비를 갖추었습니다. 잃어버린 예수님을 찾으러 지체 없이 예루살렘으로 돌아갔습니다. 타향살이에서조차 노동으로 가정을 일구어 나갔습니다. 한 마디로 그는, 삶이 바라는 방향으로 흘러가지 않더라도 낙심하지 않는 사람의 자세로 다양한 상황에 적응했습니다. 섬김의 삶을 살아가는 이들의 전형인 기꺼이 내어 주는 마음을 보여 주었던 것입니다. 요셉 성인은 삶의 빈번하고 예기치 못한 여정을 기꺼이 받아들였습니다. 호적 등록을 하러 나자렛에서 베들레헴으로, 그런 다음에 이집트로, 다시 나자렛으로, 그리고 해마다 예루살렘으로 갔던 것입니다. 그때마다 그는 불평 없이 새로운 상황을 얼마든지 수용하고 상황 해결을 위하여 언제라도 도움을 줄 준비가 되어 있었습니다. 우리는 이를 하느님 아버지께서 지상에 계신 당신 아드님을 향하여 내밀어 주신 손이었다고 말할 수 있습니다. 그렇기에 요셉 성인은 모든 부르심, 곧 당신 아들딸들을 위하여 일하시는 아버지의 손이 되라고 부름받은 모든 성소의 모범이 되지 않을 수 없습니다. 

그렇기에 예수님의 보호자요 교회의 보호자인 요셉 성인을 성소의 보호자로 여기게 되어 기쁩니다. 실제로 기꺼이 섬기려는 마음에서 그분의 보호하는 마음이 나왔습니다. “요셉은 일어나 밤에 아기와 그 어머니를 데리고 갔다.”(마태 2,14)라고 하는 복음서의 말씀은 가족의 선익을 위하여 요셉 성인이 민첩하고도 헌신적이었음을 보여 줍니다. 요셉 성인은 여의치 않은 일에 조바심내느라 시간을 허투루 쓰지 않고, 자신의 보살핌에 맡겨진 이들에게 그 시간을 남김없이 쏟고자 했습니다. 이러한 사려 깊고 배려하는 보살핌이 참다운 성소의 징표이며 하느님 사랑으로 감도된 삶의 증거입니다. 우리가 자신의 야망을 고집스레 좇거나 향수에 젖어 무기력해 있는 대신에 주님께서 교회를 통하여 우리에게 맡기신 것들을 돌본다면, 그 얼마나 아름다운 그리스도인 삶의 모범을 보여 주는 것이겠습니까! 그러면 하느님께서는 당신 성령과 창조의 힘을 우리에게 부어 주시어, 요셉에게 하셨던 것처럼 우리에게도 놀라운 일을 이루어 주실 것입니다. 

우리의 위대한 꿈들을 실현시켜 주는 하느님의 부르심이 있고, 관대한 섬김과 배려 어린 보살핌으로 이루어진 우리의 응답이 있습니다. 이에 더하여, 요셉 성인의 삶과 우리 그리스도인의 성소를 관통하는 세 번째 특징인 성실성이 있습니다. 요셉은 “의로운 사람”(마태 1,19)입니다. 요셉은 날마다 조용히 일하는 가운데 하느님께 그리고 하느님 계획에 인내로이 따랐습니다. 삶에서 특히 어려운 순간에도 그는 모든 것을 심사숙고합니다(마태 1,20 참조). 묵상하고 깊이 생각합니다. 조바심이 자신을 갉아먹도록 내버려 두지 않습니다. 성급한 결정을 내리려는 유혹에 빠지지 않고, 본능을 따르지도 않으며, 찰나만을 살아가지도 않습니다. 모든 것은 인내에서 길러집니다. 삶은 위대한 선택들을 계속 성실히 지켜나가는 데에 기초해야만 이루어진다는 사실을 그는 알고 있습니다. 이러한 인식은 목수 일을 겸손하게 이어나간 요셉 성인의 온유함과 꾸준한 근면성과 부합됩니다(마태 13,55 참조). 이는 당대에 기록된 것은 아니었지만 시대를 아울러 모든 아버지, 모든 노동자, 모든 그리스도인의 일상에 영감을 주었습니다. 삶이 그러하듯이 성소는 하루하루 성실히 살아갈 때에만 무르익는 것이기 때문입니다. 

이러한 성실성은 어떻게 길러집니까? 하느님의 성실성에 비추어 봅시다. 요셉 성인이 꿈에서 들었던 첫 번째 말씀은 두려워하지 말라는 초대였습니다. 하느님께서는 언제나 당신 약속에 충실하시기 때문입니다. “다윗의 자손 요셉아, 두려워하지 말아라”(마태 1,20). 두려워하지 말아라. 이는 주님께서 사랑하시는 형제자매 여러분에게 건네시는 말씀입니다. 여러분이 확신하지 못하고 주저하면서도 그분께 여러분 삶을 바치고자 하는 열망을 더 이상 미루어 둘 수 없다고 느끼는 모든 순간에 주님께서는 이 말씀을 건네십니다. 여러분이 어떤 자리에 있든, 시련과 오해 가운데에 놓여 있다 할지라도 날마다 주님 뜻을 따르고자 할 때에 주님께서는 또다시 말씀하십니다. 이는 여러분이 부르심의 여정을 나아가며 처음 지녔던 그 사랑으로 되돌아갈 때에 재발견하게 될 말씀입니다. 이는 요셉 성인처럼 자신의 삶으로 날마다 성실하게 하느님께 “예.” 하고 대답하는 이들을 따르는 후렴구와도 같은 말씀입니다. 

이러한 성실성이 기쁨의 비결입니다. 나자렛 가정에는 ‘순수한 기쁨’이 있었다고 전례 성가는 노래합니다. 이는 소박함에서 나오는 일상의 순수한 기쁨입니다. 이는 참으로 중요한 것, 곧 성실하게 하느님과 맺는 친교 그리고 이웃과 맺는 친교를 지켜나가는 이들이 증거하는 기쁨입니다. 이처럼 소박하고 빛나며 절제와 희망에 찬 분위기가 신학교, 수도원, 사제관에 스며 있다면 얼마나 아름답겠습니까! 사랑하는 형제자매 여러분, 저는 여러분이 바로 이러한 기쁨을 누리기를 기도합니다. 너그럽게도 여러분은 하느님을 여러분 삶의 꿈으로 택하였습니다. 순간의 기쁨만을 가져오는 덧없는 선택과 감상의 시대에 강력한 증거가 되는 성실성을 통하여, 자신에게 맡겨진 형제자매들 안에서 하느님을 섬기려 하는 것입니다. 성소의 보호자이신 성 요셉께서 아버지의 마음으로 여러분의 길에 함께해 주시기를 빕니다!  

로마 성 요한 라테라노 대성전에서
2021년 3월 19일
복되신 동정 마리아의 배필 성 요셉 대축일 

프란치스코

<원문 Messaggio del Santo Padre Francesco per la 58a Giornata Mondiale di Preghiera per le Vocazioni, San Giuseppe: il sogno della vocazione, 2021.3.19., 영어와 이탈리아어>

영어:
http://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/messages/vocations/documents/papa-francesco_20210319_58-messaggio-giornata-mondiale-vocazioni.html

MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS 
FOR THE 2021 WORLD DAY OF VOCATIONS 

25 April 2021

Saint Joseph: The Dream of Vocation

Dear brothers and sisters,

8 December last, the one hundred fiftieth anniversary of the declaration of Saint Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church, marked the beginning of a special year devoted to him (cf. Decree of the Apostolic Penitentiary, 8 December 2020). For my part, I wrote the Apostolic Letter Patris Corde, whose aim was “to increase our love for this great saint”. Saint Joseph is an extraordinary figure, yet at the same time one “so close to our own human experience”. He did not do astonishing things, he had no unique charisms, nor did he appear special in the eyes of those who met him. He was not famous or even noteworthy: the Gospels do not report even a single word of his. Still, through his ordinary life, he accomplished something extraordinary in the eyes of God.

God looks on the heart (cf. 1 Sam 16:7), and in Saint Joseph he recognized the heart of a father, able to give and generate life in the midst of daily routines. Vocations have this same goal: to beget and renew lives every day. The Lord desires to shape the hearts of fathers and mothers: hearts that are open, capable of great initiatives, generous in self-giving, compassionate in comforting anxieties and steadfast in strengthening hopes. The priesthood and the consecrated life greatly need these qualities nowadays, in times marked by fragility but also by the sufferings due to the pandemic, which has spawned uncertainties and fears about the future and the very meaning of life. Saint Joseph comes to meet us in his gentle way, as one of “the saints next door”. At the same time, his strong witness can guide us on the journey.

Saint Joseph suggests to us three key words for each individual’s vocation. The first is dream. Everyone dreams of finding fulfilment in life. We rightly nurture great hopes, lofty aspirations that ephemeral goals – like success, money and entertainment – cannot satisfy. If we were to ask people to express in one word their life’s dream, it would not be difficult to imagine the answer: “to be loved”. It is love that gives meaning to life, because it reveals life’s mystery. Indeed, we only have life if we giveit; we truly possess it only if we generously give it away. Saint Joseph has much to tell us in this regard, because, through the dreams that God inspired in him, he made of his life a gift.

The Gospels tell us of four dreams (cf. Mt 1:20; 2:13.19.22). They were calls from God, but they were not easy to accept. After each dream, Joseph had to change his plans and take a risk, sacrificing his own plans in order to follow the mysterious designs of God, whom he trusted completely. We may ask ourselves, “Why put so much trust in a dream in the night?”

Although a dream was considered very important in ancient times, it was still a small thing in the face of the concrete reality of life. Yet Saint Joseph let himself be guided by his dreams without hesitation. Why? Because his heart was directed to God; it was already inclined towards him. A small indication was enough for his watchful “inner ear” to recognize God’s voice. This applies also to our calling: God does not like to reveal himself in a spectacular way, pressuring our freedom. He conveys his plans to us with gentleness. He does not overwhelm us with dazzling visions but quietly speaks in the depths of our heart, drawing near to us and speaking to us through our thoughts and feelings. In this way, as he did with Saint Joseph, he sets before us profound and unexpected horizons.

Indeed, Joseph’s dreams led him into experiences he would never have imagined. The first of these upended his betrothal, but made him the father of the Messiah; the second caused him to flee to Egypt, but saved the life of his family. After the third, which foretold his return to his native land, a fourth dream made him change plans once again, bringing him to Nazareth, the place where Jesus would begin his preaching of the Kingdom of God. Amid all these upheavals, he found the courage to follow God’s will. So too in a vocation: God’s call always urges us to take a first step, to give ourselves, to press forward. There can be no faith without risk. Only by abandoning ourselves confidently to grace, setting aside our own programmes and comforts, can we truly say “yes” to God. And every “yes” bears fruit because it becomes part of a larger design, of which we glimpse only details, but which the divine Artist knows and carries out, making of every life a masterpiece. In this regard, Saint Joseph is an outstanding example of acceptance of God’s plans. Yet his was an active acceptance: never reluctant or resigned. Joseph was “certainly not passively resigned, but courageously and firmly proactive” (Patris Corde, 4). May he help everyone, especially young people who are discerning, to make God’s dreams for them come true. May he inspire in them the courage to say “yes” to the Lord who always surprises and never disappoints.

A second word marks the journey of Saint Joseph and that of vocation: service. The Gospels show how Joseph lived entirely for others and never for himself. The holy people of God invoke him as the most chaste spouse, based on his ability to love unreservedly. By freeing love from all possessiveness, he became open to an even more fruitful service. His loving care has spanned generations; his attentive guardianship has made him patron of the Church. As one who knew how to embody the meaning of self-giving in life, Joseph is also the patron of a happy death. His service and sacrifices were only possible, however, because they were sustained by a greater love: “Every true vocation is born of the gift of oneself, which is the fruit of mature sacrifice. The priesthood and consecrated life likewise require this kind of maturity. Whatever our vocation, whether to marriage, celibacy or virginity, our gift of self will not come to fulfilment if it stops at sacrifice; were that the case, instead of becoming a sign of the beauty and joy of love, the gift of self would risk being an expression‎ of unhappiness, sadness and frustration” (ibid., 7).

For Saint Joseph, service – as a concrete expression‎ of the gift of self – did not remain simply a high ideal, but became a rule for daily life. He strove to find and prepare a place where Jesus could be born; he did his utmost to protect him from Herod’s wrath by arranging a hasty journey into Egypt; he immediately returned to Jerusalem when Jesus was lost; he supported his family by his work, even in a foreign land. In short, he adapted to different circumstances with the attitude of those who do not grow discouraged when life does not turn out as they wished; he showed the willingness typical of those who live to serve. In this way, Joseph welcomed life’s frequent and often unexpected journeys: from Nazareth to Bethlehem for the census, then to Egypt and again to Nazareth, and every year to Jerusalem. Each time he was willing to face new circumstances without complaining, ever ready to give a hand to help resolve situations. We could say that this was the outstretched hand of our heavenly Father reaching out to his Son on earth. Joseph cannot fail to be a model for all vocations, called to be the ever-active hands of the Father, outstretched to his children.

I like to think, then, of Saint Joseph, the protector of Jesus and of the Church, as the protector of vocations. In fact, from his willingness to serve comes his concern to protect. The Gospel tells us that “Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night” (Mt 2:14), thus revealing his prompt concern for the good of his family. He wasted no time fretting over things he could not control, in order to give full attention to those entrusted to his care. Such thoughtful concern is the sign of a true vocation, the testimony of a life touched by the love of God. What a beautiful example of Christian life we give when we refuse to pursue our ambitions or indulge in our illusions, but instead care for what the Lord has entrusted to us through the Church! God then pours out his Spirit and creativity upon us; he works wonders in us, as he did in Joseph.

Together with God’s call, which makes our greatest dreams come true, and our response, which is made up of generous serviceand attentive care, there is a third characteristic of Saint Joseph’s daily life and our Christian vocation, namely fidelity.

Joseph is the “righteous man” (Mt 1:19) who daily perseveres in quietly serving God and his plans. At a particularly difficult moment in his life, he thoughtfully considered what to do (cf. v. 20). He did not let himself be hastily pressured. He did not yield to the temptation to act rashly, simply following his instincts or living for the moment. Instead, he pondered things patiently. He knew that success in life is built on constant fidelity to important decisions. This was reflected in his perseverance in plying the trade of a humble carpenter (cf. Mt 13:55), a quiet perseverance that made no news in his own time, yet has inspired the daily lives of countless fathers, labourers and Christians ever since. For a vocation – like life itself – matures only through daily fidelity.

How is such fidelity nurtured? In the light of God’s own faithfulness. The first words that Saint Joseph heard in a dream were an invitation not to be afraid, because God remains ever faithful to his promises: “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid” (Mt 1:20). Do not be afraid: these words the Lord also addresses to you, dear sister, and to you, dear brother, whenever you feel that, even amid uncertainty and hesitation, you can no longer delay your desire to give your life to him. He repeats these words when, perhaps amid trials and misunderstandings, you seek to follow his will every day, wherever you find yourself. They are words you will hear anew, at every step of your vocation, as you return to your first love. They are a refrain accompanying all those who – like Saint Joseph – say yes to God with their lives, through their fidelity each day.

This fidelity is the secret of joy. A hymn in the liturgy speaks of the “transparent joy” present in the home of Nazareth. It the joy of simplicity, the joy experienced daily by those who care for what truly matters: faithful closeness to God and to our neighbour. How good it would be if the same atmosphere, simple and radiant, sober and hopeful, were to pervade our seminaries, religious houses and presbyteries! I pray that you will experience this same joy, dear brothers and sisters who have generously made God the dream of your lives, serving him in your brothers and sisters through a fidelity that is a powerful testimony in an age of ephemeral choices and emotions that bring no lasting joy. May Saint Joseph, protector of vocations, accompany you with his fatherly heart!

Rome, from Saint John Lateran, 19 March 2021, Feast of Saint Joseph

Francis

이탈리아어: 
http://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/it/messages/vocations/documents/papa-francesco_20210319_58-messaggio-giornata-mondiale-vocazioni.html