Prayers for Priests & Religious Vocations

A PRAYER FOR PRIESTS

By John Cardinal O’Connor (March 1995)

Lord Jesus, we your people pray to You for our priests. You have given them to us for OUR needs. We pray for them in THEIR needs.

We know that You have made them priests in the likeness of your own priesthood. You have consecrated them, set them aside, annointed them, filled them with the Holy Spirit, appointed them to teach, to preach, to minister, to console, to forgive, and to feed us with Your Body and Blood.

Yet we know, too, that they are one with us and share our human weaknesses. We know too that they are tempted to sin and discouragement as are we, needing to be ministered to, as do we, to be consoled and forgiven, as do we. Indeed, we thank You for choosing them from among us, so that they understand us as we understand them, suffer with us and rejoice with us, worry with us and trust with us, share our beings, our lives, our faith.

We ask that You give them this day the gift You gave Your chosen ones on the way to Emmaus: Your presence in their hearts, Your holiness in their souls, Your joy in their spirits. And let them see You face to face in the breaking of the Eucharistic bread.

We pray to You, O Lord, through Mary the mother of all priests, for Your priests and for ours. Amen.


Prayer of John Paul II for Vocations
Lord Jesus, as You once called the first disciples to make them fishers of men, let your sweet invitation continue to resound: Come follow Me!

Give young men and women the grace of responding quickly to your voice. Support our bishops, priests and consecrated people in their apostolic labor.

Grant perseverance to our seminarians and to all those who are carrying out the ideal of a life totally consecrated to your service.

Awaken in our community a missionary eagerness. Lord, SEND WORKERS TO YOUR HARVEST and do not allow humanity to be lost for the lack of pastors, missionaries and people dedicated to the cause of the Gospel.

Mary, Mother of the Church, the model of every vocation, help us to say “yes” to the Lord who calls us to cooperate in the divine plan of salvation.

Amen


A Prayer for Vocations through the intercession of St. John Vianney
O God our Father, You promised “I will appoint shepherds for My sheep who will shepherd them so that they need no longer fear and tremble: an none shall be missing.” (Jer. 23:4-5). Hear the prayers of Your flock. Through the intercession of Your beloved priest, Saint John Vianney, we beg You to call to the sacramental priesthood generous men who will desire nothing more than to serve You in imitation of Your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, our High Priest.

And after You call them, we pray that You sustain the doubtful, console the discouraged, and strengthen the weak as they start the long and demanding preparation for the priesthood.

Mary, Mother of priests, and example of faithful, humble, and joyful acceptance of God’s will, help all those who are called to the priesthood to open their ears and hearts to the gentle call of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.


Prayer for Seminarians
O Lord Jesus Christ, great High Priest, I pray that You call many worthy souls to Your holy priesthood. Enlighten the Bishop in the choice of candidates, the Spiritual Director in molding them, and the professors in instructing them. Lead the seminarians daily in Your unerring footsteps; so that they may become priests who are models of purity, possessors of wisdom and heroes of sacrifice; steeped in humility and aflame with love for God and man; apostles of Your glory and sanctifiers of souls.

Amen.

Mary, Queen of the Clergy, pray for us.

– Diocese of Corpus Christi


Litany for Vocations
Mother of the Word Incarnate, help us to become more aware of the need for vocations…

O, Mary, intercede for us!

Mother of God, grant that others, like yourself, may say “yes” to your Son’s call to the religious life…

O, Mary, intercede for us!

Mother of the Church, may many workers be added to the service of your Son’s Church…

O, Mary, intercede for us!

Lady of Mercy, enlighten our minds so we may respond to our responsibility as parents to foster vocations in our own homes…

O, Mary, intercede for us!

Hail Mary, help our children to bind themselves closer to God, through a vocation in the Church…

O, Mary, intercede for us!

Queen of Angels, give our Church true disciples who will serve as priests, sisters and brothers…

O, Mary, intercede for us!

Dearest Mother, keep our young open to hear God’s call…

O, Mary, intercede for us!

Mother of Love, make us more open to the love our priests and religious have for us…

O, Mary, intercede for us!

Our Lady Queen of Heaven, help us to recognize that God alone does not call…

O, Mary, intercede for us!

Holy Family, help the families in this parish to discuss vocations to the religious life in a positive, encouraging manner…

O, Mary, intercede for us!

Queen of the Rosary, remind us to pray for our religious, and those studying for the religious life, that they will remain zealous and dedicated to their call…

O, Mary, intercede for us!

Our Lady of Lourdes, we ask for happiness among priests, seminarians and all those engaged in a special Christian vocation to service…

O, Mary, intercede for us!

O Mother, help us to be a sign of that which we believe; and thereby, be an inspiration to a young man and woman to become a priest or sister or brother…

O, Mary, intercede for us!

Our Lady of Fatima, bring an increase in missionary vocations so that the Christian message will be heard by all nations…

O, Mary, intercede for us!

Mother of Courage, be with the young man or woman, priest or sister who needs our help in a special way today…

O, Mary, intercede for us!

Mother of God, may we recognize our own vocation and the importance of religious vocations to ours…

O, Mary, intercede for us!

Our Lady of Mercy, let us as parishioners become aware of the needs of our own priests and respond to them out of love…

O, Mary, intercede for us!

Mother of our Savior, may more young men and women go from this parish as priests, brothers and sisters to bring the truths of our Catholic faith to all others, so that they may know and love your Son…

O, Mary, intercede for us!


A Prayer for One’s Own Vocation
God our Father, life is your gift to me. Through baptism, you invite me to share in the gift of my life in service to others. Be with me as I choose each day to show your presence in our world. Give me the courage and generosity to respond to your love, to your call. I pray especially for those who serve you as priests, brothers, sisters, deacons and lay ministers. Keep them close to you. Open the minds and hearts of many other men and women that they may accept your challenge to build the Kingdom. Amen.