Pastoral Letter
D . ZAMORA VICENTE JIMÉNEZ
Bishop of Santander
occasion of Seminar Day
19 and March 20, 2011
"The priest is a gift from the heart of Christ
a gift for Church and the world
(Benedict XVI, Angelus 13/06/2010)
dear priests, deacons, members
consecrated life,
seminarians and lay faithful:
The March 19 is the feast of San José, "husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary, a just man, born of the lineage of David, who acted as father to the Son of God, Christ Jesus, who wanted to be called the son of Joseph, and he was subjected as a child to his father. The Church venerates with special honor as an employer, to whom the Lord was on his family "(Praise the Roman Martyrology).
On this solemnity of so much popular support in most of the English diocese is celebrating the Day of the Seminar. A day to thank God for the gift of the priests and to pray for vocations to the priesthood: "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of harvest to send laborers into his harvest "(Mt 9, 38).
Seminar Day is a call that invites us to ask God for our Monte Corban Seminar, Major and Minor, by trainers and teachers, for the seminarians, for the people at your service, for families students and benefactors of the seminary.
Seminar value
"Jesus went up the mountain and summoned those whom he wanted and went with him. E instituted twelve to be with him and send them to preach "(Mk 3: 13-14). The seminar rather than a place or a material space is an environment spiritual, a journey of life, an atmosphere that promotes and ensures the training process, so that has been called by God to the priesthood may become, with the sacrament of Order, a living image of Jesus Christ the Head and Shepherd of the Church. Living in the seminary, school of the Gospel, to live in the following of Christ and the apostles (cf. PDV, 42).
The text above refers directly to the Seminary, but even today we highlight the value of the Minor Seminary, as it reaffirms the Church: "The Church, through the institution of the minor seminaries, provided special care, discernment initial and follow these seeds of vocation sown in the hearts of the boys. In several parts of the world these seminars continue to make a beautiful work of education aimed at safeguarding and developing the seeds of a priestly vocation, so that the students can more easily recognize and become more capable of responding to it. Its educational approach tends to encourage timely and gradually that human, cultural and spiritual lead the young to enter the path in the seminary with a sound and reliable basis "(PDV, 63).
diocesan All we value and love the Seminary of Mount Corban as our own, because the seminary is the heart of the Diocese (OT, 5). The Seminar is up and home of all: the seminarians, trainers and teachers with the bishop, the parents of the seminarians, service people, the parishes from which they originate and the seminarians who will go where they are priests, consecrated offer their prayers and support. In short, every one must take the Seminar in the minds and hearts, because that form future priests to serve the Church and society. Hence, the seminar is the hope of the Diocese and one of the most precious assets.
Seminar Our heartfelt affection to be expressed also through financial support for their work and support by voluntary and donations.
The priest, a man of God to men
The slogan of this year, the priest, God's gift to the world, says the origin and destination of the priesthood. In answering God's call to follow him and be with him, leaving everything, the priest takes to the effectiveness of the sacrament of Orders, a new condition, a new way of being and living in the world, from God and for all men. Evangelization and the apostolate are an essential part of his ministerial identity, which acquire a special relevance in a world marked by secularism and unbelief.
The Curé of Ars said: "a good shepherd, a pastor after God's heart is the greatest treasure the good Lord can give to a parish, and one of the most precious gifts of divine mercy .
Our priests, through the testimony of a simple life and delivered, although subject to the inherent fragility of the human condition are the loving presence of God among men of our time. "Your priests, O Lord, to give his life for you and for the salvation of the brethren, are configured to Christ and thus must give constant witness of fidelity and love" (Preface of the Mass of Christ, Eternal High Priest).
Therefore, from these lines I thank God for the gift of our diocesan priests, I warmly thank their faithful service to God and men and offer them the assurance of my prayers.
Call to Youth
This part of my pastoral letter, once again I am writing directly to you, young man from our Diocese of Santander, before the day of the seminar and on the horizon preparation for the World Youth Day in Madrid, in August 2011, I say:
attitude * Please listen to the voice of God and say as young Samuel: "Speak Lord, your servant is listening" (1 Sam 3, 9). And if you talk, answer quickly: "Here I am, you called me" (1 Sam 3, 5).
* Ask the Lord generosity and courage not to look down before Jesus, as the young man spoken of in the Gospel, who had the courage to leave the property (cf. Mt 19, 16-22 .)
* Be brave to not to get entangled in the allure of easy pleasures of the world and leave on the beach in your life all your projects and hopes that until now has been dreaming.
What difficult to leave everything, but at the same time, what joy you feel in your heart the call of love and preference of Jesus, who is your best friend! Christ will then a true treasure of your life that you are worth to quit! (Cf. Mt 13, 44).
Promoting vocations in the Diocese
The priestly vocation is a gift to the addressee, but also a gift for the whole Church, a fine for his life and mission. So the whole diocese is called to keep the gift, to rectify and love.
is urgent, especially today, to be broadcast and deeply felt conviction that all members of the diocesan Church, without exception, are responsible for priestly vocations, but the obligation to renew and complete the diocesan priests own special way affects the bishop and priests.
Pope Benedict XVI has published his Message for World Day of Prayer for Vocations, to be held on May 15, Fourth Sunday of Easter, with the slogan: "Proposing vocations in the local church" . It is a beautiful text, clear and challenging, which invites all Christians to consciously assume the commitment to promote vocations. Transcribe a long paragraph significant: "Also today, following Christ is hard, it means learning to have the look of Jesus, to know intimately, to hear the Word and find in the sacraments means learning to shape their will with his [...] Especially in our time that the voice of the Lord seems drowned out by "other voices" and the proposal to follow, giving one's life can seem too difficult, the whole Christian community of the faithful, should be a commitment to promote vocations. It is important to encourage and support those that show clear signs of the call to the priesthood and religious consecration, to feel the heat of the whole community to say "yes" to God and the Church. I encourage myself, as I have with those who already decided to enter the seminary, who wrote: "You have done well. For men, even in the age of technological dominance in the world and globalization, will continue to need God, the God revealed in Jesus Christ and that you meet in the universal Church, to learn from him and through him the true life and be present and operational criteria for a true humanity "(Letter to the seminarians, October 18, 2010).
Call hope
view important and urgent task of priestly vocations, strongly urge all diocesan to keep alive the flame of hope in the midst of difficulties and concerns, to put trust in God: "Hope does not disappoint" (Rom 5, 5). Hope is not wishful thinking. It relies on the fulfillment of the promise of Jesus: "Know that I am with you always, until the end of time" (Mt 28, 20).
aware of the constant action of the Holy Spirit in the Church, we firmly believe that there will always be priests in the Church and God will give us shepherds after His own heart (cf. Jer 3, 15).
The patriarch St. Joseph, who cared for Jesus, the eternal High Priest, and the Virgin Mary La Bien Aparecida so loved and revered in our land, we entrust our Workshop Monte Corban and work of priestly vocations.
With my love and blessing,
† Vicente Jiménez Zamora
Bishop of Santander
Santander, March 1, 2011
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