Prayer For Vocations To Religious Life
Good and gracious God,
you have called us through Baptism to
discipleship with your Son, Jesus Christ,
and have sent us to bring the Good News of
salvation to all peoples.
We pray you to grant us more priests and
religious to build up your Church here within
the Archdiocese of _________________.
Inspire our young men and women by
the example of Blessed Junipero Serra to give
themselves totally to the work of Christ and
His Church.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.
Amen!
Thank you, Lord, for all the many great and
wonderful gifts you give to our family.
Help us to live each day with joy and humility.
Keep us totally dedicated to serving you.
Teach us to recognize the many ways you
make your Spirit known.
Then help each of us to accept your gift - the
grace to answer your call to form, strengthen
and expand the Body of Christ.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Father, hear the prayers of your people,
and bring to maturity the seeds you have sown
in the field of your Church.
May many of your people choose to serve you
by devoting themselves to the service
of their brothers and sisters.
Raise up worthy ministers for your altars
and ardent but gentle servants of the Gospel.
May those who follow in the footsteps of Christ your Son
grow, and provide by their way of life
a convincing sign of your kingdom
for the Church and the whole world.
May all the ministers of your Church
increase in numbers,
and persevering in their prayer,
perform their ministry with gentleness and concern
for others.
Father, keep them all faithful to the call of the Gospel
that the world may see in them
the living image of your Son, Jesus Christ,
who is Lord for ever and ever.
Amen.
Lord Jesus, we pray to you for the Catholic priesthood.
Give us more priests, but most especially we ask you
to give us holy priests. Messengers of a truth
that is all-encompassing and eternal, holy priests
who know how to offer this truth
to the people of their own time and place.
Holy men for today, priests firmly rooted in the tradition,
yet imbued with the spirit of this age.
They have undertaken a mission in your name, Lord.
May the reflection of your power in them always make it clear
that they are your witnesses.
Grant that they may conform their lives to the paschal mystery
that they celebrate each day in the Eucharist.
May they sense in this mystery the anxious hunger of the world
and of their own brothers and sisters for salvation.
May they know, despite this hunger,
how to respect the spiritual freedom of others;
for it is your word which has given the world a taste for this freedom.
May they understand and speak the language of their own time.
And may they be careful never to compromise,
with opinions that come and go, the imperishable newness of your Gospel.
May they always keep through the dark wintry night of the soul
an obstinate hope for the springtime to come.
And when they meet those who persecute you,
may they always remember the road to Damascus
and the hidden ways of your providence.
Lord Jesus Christ,
You are the Savior of the world.
Please manifest in Your Church
the Spirit whom You also abundantly
bestowed on Your apostles.
Call very many to Your priesthood
and Your religious life.
May zeal for Your glory
and for the salvation of the world
inflame those You have chosen.
May they be saints in Your likeness.
May Your Holy Spirit strengthen them.
May they be priests and religious according to Your own heart!
Amen.
O Lord, help me know your will
for me
Let your light shine in the depths
of my heart
that I may know what you want
me to do with my life.
Help me believe that you have
a special plan for me.
Lord, I know I pass through this
life only once;
help me decide how you want
me to make a difference.
Like our Blessed Mother, give me
the wisdom to hear your voice
and the courage to answer
your call.
Above all give me peace
of mind and heart.
I offer this prayer in the name of
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
God our Father,
you will all men and women to be saved
and come to the knowledge of your Truth.
Send workers into your great harvest
that the Gospel may be preached
to every creature
and your people, gathered together
by the word of life
and strengthened by
the power of the sacraments,
may advance in the way
of salvation and love.
I ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
LORD, JESUS,
we ask you
to send more servants to your people.
Choose from our parishes,
from our homes,
from our schools and colleges,
an abundant harvest
of apostles for your Kingdom: priests,
sisters, brothers, deacons and lay ministers.
We pray that those you call
may never lose awareness of the
dignity and need of their vocation.
O Virgin Mary,
Mother of the Church,
teach to all those the Master calls
to say a joyful "yes"
as you did at the Annunciation
Amen.