My Superior was recently going through the belongings of our Sr. Mary Dolores who died September 8, 2015. She liked to collect articles and had one from the December 1992 issue of L'Osservatore Romano. This article was St. Pope John Paul II's Message for World Day of Prayer for Vocations on May 2, 1993. I thought his prayer at the end of the article would be appropriate to share with you as we conclude the Year of Consecrated Life (February 2).

Lord, Jesus Christ, Good Shepherd of our souls, you who know your sheep and know how to reach man's heart, open the minds and hearts of those young people who search for and await a word of truth for their lives; let them understand that only in the mystery of your Incarnation do they find full light; arouse the courage of those who know where to seek the truth, but fear that what you ask will be too demanding; stir the heart of those young people who would follow you, but who cannot overcome doubts and fears, and who in the end follow other voices and other paths which lead nowhere. You who are the Word of the Father, the Word which creates and saves, the Word which enlightens and sustains hearts, conquer with your Spirit the resistance and delays of indecisive hearts; arouse in those whom you call the courage of love's answer: "Here I am, send me!" (Isaiah 6:8)

Virgin Mary, young daughter of Israel, support with your motherly love those youths to whom the Father will grant that they hear his voice; protect those who are already consecrated. Let them repeat with you the yes of a joyful and irrevocable gift of self. Amen.