10 euro – Pontificate of Pope Francis

The various Christian communities all over the world gather each year on the Fourth Sunday of Easter united in prayer to ask from God the gift of holy vocations and to propose once again, for the reflection of all, the urgent need to respond to the divine call. The theme for the 50th World Day of Prayer for Vocations (2013), “Vocations as a sign of hope founded in faith”, fits well in the context of the reflections taking place during the Year of Faith, which concludes on 24 November 2013, and during the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council. In order to carry out her mission of evangelization, the Church has constant need of new workers and it is a responsibility of priests to accompany young people on life’s often tortuous and difficult path to recognize Christ, the Way, the Truth and the Life, telling them with Gospel courage how beautiful it is to serve God and the Christian community. Benedict XVI has expressed his hope that young people, who are presented with so many superfi cial and ephemeral options, will be able to cultivate a desire for what is truly worthy, for lofty objectives, radical choices, and service to others in imitation of Jesus. He writes: “Dear young people, do not be afraid to follow him and to walk the demanding and courageous paths of charity and generous commitment! In that way you will be happy to serve, you will be witnesses of a joy that the world cannot give, you will be living l ames of an infi nite and eternal love”. On the ten euro silver coin there is a symbolic representation of the passage in the Gospel of Matthew: “Then he said to his disciples, The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest”. (Mt 9:37-38).