Collection of Prayers for Vocations

The Lord's Prayer for Vocations

Leader:  

Our Father Who art in heaven,

All:

You have promised not to leave us orphans. Send Your holy ministers of salvation to give us the Spirit's life through the food of faith and charity.

Leader:

Hallowed be Thy name,

All:

Through Your chosen ministers filled with Your Holy Spirit, may You be made known and loved by all people on earth.

Leader:

Thy kingdom come,

All:

And may it be built by Your faithful ministers through the sanctity of their lives, their burning zeal for Your glory, and the salvation of all.

Leader:

Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.

All:

Eternal Father, do not cease to provide Your Church with Your holy ministers who teach all people Your holy law.

Leader:

Give us this day our daily bread,

All:

The bread of grace which nourishes us through Your sacraments. Enrich Your Church with chosen ministers who bring Your sanctifying grace to all men and women.

Leader:

And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.

All:

Send Your people, Lord, chosen and faithful priests, who by the sacrament of reconciliation bring back to You numerous hearts in need of Your forgiveness.

Leader:

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

All:

Lord, if our sins have deprived us of Your friendship, we ask You: send your ministers of mercy among us, with personal zeal and sacrifice. May they keep our souls from sin, and lead us to sanctification and eternal salvation. Amen.

Leader:

Let us ask Mary, Mother of God, for priestly and religious vocations.

All:

O Mother, awaken among the young generation a willingness to serve God alone. Implore for us numerous vocations for the priesthood and religious life. O Mother, confirm the faith of all our lay brothers and sisters that in every area of social, professional, cultural and political life, they may work according to the truth. Bless us all and assist us by Your prayers, that we might live effectively the vocation to which we have been called.

AMEN

Prayer Before the Blessed Sacrament for Vocations

O God, Our Father, You have called us in Baptism, to follow Your Son through lives of living service to You and to one another.

Grant us Your assistance as we seek to live out our vocation in life. We pray especially for those who have answered Your call as priests, brothers, sisters, and deacons.

Keep them faithful in following Your Son, and dedicated in serving You, in their brothers and sisters.

Grant that many more men and women will be open to the challenge of dedicating their lives in the ministry of building Your Kingdom.

Jesus, High priest and Redeemer, we ask You to call men and women to Your service as priests and religious. May they be inspired by the lives of dedicated priests, brothers and sisters.

Holy Spirit, give to parents the grace of generosity and trust toward You and their Child, so that their sons and daughters may be helped to choose their vocation in life with wisdom and freedom.

We ask all of this through Christ, Our Lord.

AMEN

Prayer for My Vocation

Almighty Father, You send the gift of Your Holy Spirit for the building of Your Kingdom. With the help of this Spirit, give me the grace to listen to Your call in my life. Give me strength and courage to do Your will. Grant me wisdom and humility to choose Your way even when I find it most difficult. Lord, bless all the faithful in Your Church who are seeking holiness. But in a special way, watch over priests, brothers, and sisters.

Help them to give then- lives in joyful service that they may be signs of Your presence among us. We beg you, Father, to fill our hearts with a burning desire to follow Jesus. May there be many, who offer their lives for the service of Your Church, that all may come to know and love You. We ask this through Christ our Lord. AMEN

Prayer for Vocations

Lord, You told us that "The harvest indeed is great but the laborers are few. Pray, therefore, the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into His harvest." We ask You to strengthen us as we follow the vocation to which You have called us. We pray particularly for those called to serve as priests, sisters, brothers and deacons:

Those whom You have called,

Those You are calling now,

Those You will call in the future.

May they be open and responsive to the call of serving Your people. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for Vocations

0 Jesus, Good and Gentle Shepherd grant that the men and women from our community, may have the grace and the courage to hear and answer Your call to priesthood and religious life. Give them the wisdom to realize that life is a gift. Let them realize their life is part of YOUR plan. Call forth those You have chosen to spread the gospel message, and help them to freely respond to a life of service in the church. May the parents and families of our parish, support and encourage our young men and women to search for, follow and answer the call of God in their lives. AMEN

Prayer for Vocations for the Homebound

Loving Father, I thank You for Your eternal love for me. I thank You for the gifts of Your sacraments — Eucharist which feeds me, Reconciliation which renews me, and the Sacrament of the Sick which strengthens me and gives me courage. Thank You for our Church and its ministers who bring me Your gifts.

I ask You for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and religious life. I ask You too, if someone from my own family is called to serve You in this way, that they will hear and generously respond to the call. Let families throughout our Church support them in their answering You.

Lord Jesus, I unite my illness and sufferings to Your suffering and death for me on the Cross. I offer all to You for my salvation and the salvation of my loved ones.

AMEN

Litany for Vocations

God, our Father, Creator who calls us to life: Have mercy on us.

God the Son, Faithful Servant: Have mercy on us.

God the Holy Spirit, Life-Force of Courage: Have mercy on us.

Mary, Mother of Jesus, our High Priest: Pray for us.

St. Joseph, her spouse: Pray for us.

St. Peter and St. Paul, First Apostles: Pray for us.

St. Benedict and St. Scholastica: Pray for us.

St. Dominic, St. Francis, St. Ignatius: Pray for us.

St. John Vianney: Pray for us.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton: Pray for us.

All holy men and women of God: Pray for us.

Lord, give the gift of a generous heart to parents and those called to priesthood and religious life. 

We ask this through Christ, Our Lord. AMEN

Rosary for Vocations

JOYFUL MYSTERIES

The Annunciation

The Angel Gabriel announces to Mary, a virgin, that she will become the Mother of God, Word made Flesh. For all centuries to come, Jesus will become flesh in the Holy Eucharist to nourish us in a most intimate union with Him.

We pray for all priests and religious who daily, through the words of the consecration at Mass, and through Holy Communion, bring us the Body and Blood of Christ.

We pray for all future priests and religious now being formed in the wombs of their mothers, that they may be safe from physical and spiritual harm, and come to Life as God intends.

We pray for all future generations of priests and religious.

We pray also that they may treasure the gift of celibacy.

The Visitation

Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth, who recognizes Mary as the living tabernacle/or their Divine Lord.

We pray especially for priests and religious who bring Holy Communion to the sick, the shut-ins, and Viaticum to the dying.

We pray for all who minister to the sick in other ways, counsel, comfort and console them.

The Nativity of Jesus

Jesus is born in Bethlehem. The angels announce His birth; kings and shepherds come to adore Him.

We pray that all seminarians and novices grow in knowledge and love of God to become holy priests and religious.

We pray especially for those who will be ordained and professed soon, that they may remain faithful all their lives to the sublime privilege of being "other Christs" among us.

We pray that everyone will come to value the Eucharistic Feast as among God's greatest gift to us. We pray that every servant will consider himself a member of the Holy Family, a true son of Mary and Joseph, and brother of Jesus, the great High Priest.

The Presentation in the Temple

Mary and Joseph, in obedience to the Law, bring Jesus to the temple to be dedicated to God. Simeon expresses his gratitude to God for revealing the Messiah to him before be dies.

We thank God for all priests and religious who, like Simeon, have given us decades of faithful service. We pray that they may be rewarded for their generosity and self-sacrifice.

We pray also for all whose hearts are pierced by loneliness, depression and rejection.

Finding Jesus in the Temple

Jesus is found, among the teachers in the temple; He returns home and is obedient to Mary and Joseph.

We pray that priests and religious will always be found going about their Father's business, and will be obedient to the teaching magisterium of the Church, our Holy Father, and the bishops in communion with Him.

We pray for all that the love and dedication they experience in the first years of their service may increase with time.

We pray for all who teach the Faith to children and adults.

SORROWFUL MYSTERIES

The Agony in the Garden

The Apostles fall asleep; Jesus sweats blood at the thought of His coming passion and death; angels come to comfort Him.

We pray that all priests and religious who are suffering and on the way to Calvary, may be comforted by God's presence; those who have betray or denied the Faith through weakness may repent and return to the warmth of God's love.

We pray that all may live only to do our Father's will, as Jesus always did.

Jesus is Scourged

Jesus is cruelly scourged and beaten by the soldiers.

We pray for priests and religious who are persecuted, physically or mentally abused; those who are imprisoned or prevented from serving the Lord.

We pray for those living under Communist oppression.

Jesus is Crowned with Thorns

Jesus is mocked as king and His precious Head is cruelly pierced by thorns.

We pray for priests and religious who suffer for defending authentic Catholic doctrine.

We pray that all leaders will uphold the true teachings of the Catholic Church, and resist temptations to compromise doctrine in the face of cultural and social pressures.

Jesus Carries His Cross

Bruised, bleeding, and exhausted, Jesus is forced to drag Himself and His cross up the hill of Calvary.

We pray for all with heavy crosses; those who are weak, lonely, or have fallen from God's grace in some way.

We pray for the Holy Father, who perhaps has the heaviest of crosses: the widespread persecution and abandonment of the Church from within and without.

Jesus Dies on the Cross

Jesus sheds His last drops of Precious Blood to redeem us from sin and death.

We pray for all priests and religious who are in their last agony and those who will die today. We pray for those who thirst for the salvation of souls.

We pray that the crucifixion of their wills may accomplish God's designs for the salvation of the whole world.

We pray that they may take Mary into their hearts, as St. John the Apostle, one of the first priests, took Mary into his home.

THE GLORIOUS MYSTERIES

The Resurrection

Jesus arises from the dead and appears to the Apostles.

At times, priests and religious may suffer from depression and despair that plague them when they see so little from their labors.

We pray that they will remember the Crucifixion is followed by the Resurrection; darkness is always followed by Light.

We pray that all may share the joy of the Risen Christ.

The Ascension

Jesus instructs His Apostles and returns to His Father in Heaven.

We pray that priests and religious may carry out Jesus' instructions to evangelize the whole world, instructing and baptizing countless souls. We pray for missionaries who live lives of utter poverty and deprivation to bring the Gospel to all the people.

The Descent of the Holy Ghost

The Holy Ghost comes down upon the Apostles, who are gathered with Mary.

We pray that priests and religious may be open to the graces of the Holy Ghost, to strengthen them for the task of bringing souls to God and God to souls.

We pray that they be on fire to convert the most hardened sinners, and to bring God's love to the whole world.

The Assumption

The Angel Gabriel announces to Mary, a virgin; that she will become the Mother of God, Word made Flesh. For all centuries to come, Jesus will become flesh in the Holy Eucharist, to nourish us in a most intimate union with Him.

We pray that priests and religious will be devoted to Mary, and find in her the love and comfort of a mother, the most powerful intercession of our greatest Saint, and the surest refuge against Satan and his cohorts who seek destruction of their service.

The Coronation

Mary is crowned Queen of Heaven and earth; she is rewarded for her faithfulness to God.

We pray that Mary, Queen of the Clergy and Religious, will be their model of faith and joy, and constant guide until they reach Heaven where a crown, jeweled with the many souls entrusted to them on the day of their commitment, will be their reward for faithful and loving service.