“Dear brothers and sisters, dear young people, do not be afraid to answer God’s call. Even if at the beginning our response is not perfect, we are on the right path. With confidence, let us put our calling in the hands of the Virgin Mary”. This is an excerpt from the letter that Bishop David Tencer of Reykjavik addressed to the Icelandic faithful to mark the World Day of Prayer for Vocations yesterday. The Bishop, who had just returned from a meeting in Fatima, drew attention to the similarities between the Fatima events and vocations. Similarly to what happened to the three shepherd children before the Virgin Mary, “the person who is called does not always understand how the calling works”; “we need someone we can talk to about it”; then “the seed of the calling begins to grow in our hearts”, even if at the beginning we are not strong enough to do what is required of us”. “We need to allow time for it to develop, and then we will understand that it is not a fleeting idea, but a call to offer our entire lives”. And at difficult times, “God always finds a way to protect our vocation”. Mgr. Tencer, who always signs himself as “Bishop David” when he writes to the faithful, also referred to “an old adage” which reads: “The best start is to begin. Do not be afraid to start, even if we do not know whether it is right or not, whether it is God’s call or not. Let us get started with confidence, and God will help us to follow our calling”.