Aboard the papal plane, 17 July, 2023 / 1:32 pm (ACI Africa).
On the occasion marking the gift of vocations among the people of God in Mauritius (feast of vocations) celebrated Sunday, July 16, Maurice Cardinal Piat has called upon parents in the Indian Ocean Island nation to be “wise gardeners.”
In his homily during the July 16 Eucharistic celebration that also marked his 32nd Episcopal anniversary, Cardinal Piat said, “When we pray for vocations, we mustn't forget to also pray for those whom Christ calls to be spouses and parents. This too is an important vocation in the Church.”
He explained, “The family is the garden in which all the different vocations germinate. And parents are called to be wise gardeners who prepare the ground so that the word of the Lord, the call he makes to each person, can germinate in the hearts of their children and bear fruit, whether they choose to become priests or nuns, fathers or mothers.”
The member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans) said, “Today at this feast, we give thanks for all those parents who discreetly accompany their children on their journey of faith.”
“Let us pray for them, that they may find joy in this great service to the Church and the world,” he added, and implored for “young people as they enter adulthood.”