In bringing the results of the 1987 Synod of Bishops on The Vocation and Mission of the Lay Faithful to the whole Church, Pope John Paul II used two related Gospel symbols: the vineyard and the vine. The vineyard represents the world into which Christ, the owner of the vineyard, sends the faithful to work, that is, to live and proclaim the Gospel. The symbol of the vine expresses the intimate relationship between Christ who sends and those who are sent to work in the vineyard: "I am the vine, you are the branches" (Jn 15:5). Christ's call and his sending, "You too go into my vineyard' (Mt 20:4) continues throughout the whole of history and will continue until the end of time. The call is addressed to the whole Church: lay people, men and women religious, deacons, priests and bishops. What the Synod and the Pope particularly wished to stress, is that the call is addressed directly to the laity, too, a fact that has often been neglected. Lay people are personally called by the Lord, and are sent by him to go into the vineyard of the world to proclaim the Gospel. The Pope's exhortation explains the foundation of the call, its meaning, obligations and consequences.