Vatican City, May 2, 2004 / 22:00 pm
Last Sunday, the 4th of Easter and also the World Day of Vocations, the Pope ordained 26 deacons of the diocese of Rome to the priesthood, exhorting them to make Jesus the center of their lives in order to be “true apostles of the new evangelization.”
"I ordain you priests," said the Holy Father, "at a time in which, also here in Rome, strong cultural tendencies seem to want to make people, especially young people and families, forget God.”
“But do not be afraid,” he continued, “God will always be with you! With His help you will be able to take up the paths that lead to the heart of every man and to announce to him that the Good Shepherd gave His life for him and that He wants him to participate in His mystery of love and salvation.”
“In order to carry out this task Jesus must be the center of your life and you must be in intimate union with Him in prayer, daily personal meditation, faithfulness to the Liturgy of the Hours and above all in daily celebration of the Eucharist. If you are filled with God, you will be true apostles of the new evangelization because no one gives what his heart does not contain."