Vocations Are Everybody’s Business
Vocations do not grow on trees. Vocations come from God. For that reason, prayers for vocations are necessary. When we pray for future priests, deacons, sisters and brothers, God listens. More than that, God may plant a vocation seed in the families of your parish who are praying.
On this page, there are prayers for each day of the week to help you to pray for vocations. The prayers may be said at any time throughout the day.
THE PRIESTHOOD
St. Bernard tells us that everything has come to us through Mary: and we may also say that everything has come to us through the priest; yes, all happiness, all graces, all heavenly gifts. If we had not the Sacrament of Orders, we should not have Our Lord. Who placed Him there, in the tabernacle? It was the priest. Who was it that received your soul, on the entrance into life? The priest. Who nourishes it, to give it strength to make the pilgrimage? The priest. Who will prepare it to appear before God, by washing that soul, for the last time, in the blood of Jesus Christ? The priest – always the priest. And if that soul comes to the point of death, who will raise it up, who will restore it to calmness and peace? Again the priest. You cannot recall one single blessing from God without finding, side by side with recollection, the image of the priest.
-St. Jean Marie Baptiste Vianney, the Curé of Ars
SUNDAY
Leader: In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen
Dear Jesus, thank You for giving Your life for us. Please help more young people to follow Your example by giving their lives in service as priests, deacons and consecrated religious. If You are calling someone in our parish to the priesthood, diaconate, or religious life, please help them to say, “Yes.” Amen.
Reading: Luke 10:1-3
After this, Jesus appointed seventy-two others and sent them ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place he intended to visit. He said to them: “The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few; pray therefore to the Master of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Intercessory Prayers:
Leader: That dedicated men and women may respond generously to the call of the Holy Spirit to serve Christ’s Church in the priesthood, diaconate or consecrated religious life, we pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
Leader: That the people of our parish may joyfully undertake Christ’s command to pray to the Father, the Lord of the harvest, to send more laborers into the harvest, we pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
Leader: In thanksgiving for those priests, deacons, and religious men and women who inspire and strengthen us by the witness of their commitment, we pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
All: Our Father…Hail Mary… Glory Be….
Prayer for Vocations
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, forever and ever. Amen.
Leader: May Almighty God bless us, protect us, and bring us to everlasting life.
All: Amen.
MONDAY
Leader: In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen.
Dear Jesus, thank You for giving Your life for us. Please help more young people to follow Your example by giving their lives in service as priests, deacons and consecrated religious. If You are calling someone in our parish to the priesthood, diaconate, or consecrated religious life, please help them to say, “Yes.” Amen.
Reading: Mark 1:16-18
As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Then they abandoned their nets and followed him.
Intercessory Prayers:
Leader: For each of us, for our family and our friends, that we respond fully to the
call of our baptism, and accept the grace to remain open to God’s call to serve, we pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
Leader: That our parish may be a place where children can hear God call them by name, we pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
Leader: For those priests or deacons who baptized us and our children, we pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
All: Our Father…Hail Mary…Glory Be…
Prayer for Vocations
O Jesus, You called the Apostles to be fishers of men. Move now the ardent and generous hearts of our youth and make them your followers and ministers. Let them share Your thirst of universal redemption for which You renew Your sacrifice on the altar every day. Lord Jesus, always interceding for us, extend our vision to the entire world where so many brothers and sisters silently pray for the light and warmth of love. By answering Your call, may many generous souls continue Your mission on earth, build Your Mystical Body, the Church, and become the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Amen.
Leader: May Almighty God bless us, protect us, and bring us to everlasting life.
All: Amen.
TUESDAY
Leader: In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen.
Dear Jesus, thank You for giving Your life for us. Please help more young people to follow Your example by giving their lives in service as priests, deacons and consecrated religious. If You are calling someone in our parish to the priesthood, diaconate, or consecrated religious life, please help them to say, “Yes.” Amen.
Reading: Acts 20:28
Keep watch over yourselves and over the whole flock of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, in which you tend the Church of God that he acquired with his own blood.
Intercessory Prayers:
Leader: For our Holy Father Pope Francis, our Bishop Donald Hying, the priests, deacons, and consecrated religious of the Diocese of Gary who continue to minister in humility and faithful service to Christ and His Church, we pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
Leader: That young men and women will listen to the Spirit in their hearts and will respond to the cry from deep within, we pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
Leader: For the bishop or priest who anointed us with the Sacrament of Confirmation, we pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
All: Our Father…Hail Mary…Glory Be…
Prayer for Vocations
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 priesthood, diaconate, and 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 our Holy Spirit strengthen them. May they be priests, deacons, and consecrated religious according to Your own heart. Amen.
Leader: May Almighty God bless us, protect us, and bring us to everlasting life.
All: Amen.
WEDNESDAY
Leader: In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen.
Dear Jesus, thank You for giving Your life for us. Please help more young people to follow Your example by giving their lives in service as priests, deacons and consecrated religious. If You are calling someone in our parish to the priesthood, diaconate, or consecrated religious life, please help them to say, “Yes.” Amen.
Reading: Matthew 16:18-19
And so I say to you, you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build by church, and the gates of the nether world shall not prevail against it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Intercessory Prayer:
Leader: For those priests, deacons, and consecrated religious who are responsible for guiding the spiritual growth of students in our seminaries, colleges, high schools and grammar schools, that they will rely on the wisdom of the Spirit in their ministry, we pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
Leader: For the priests, deacons and consecrated religious of our diocese, that they continue to grow in holiness and zeal for the Gospel, we pray Lord, hear our prayer.
Leader: For priests who have heard our confessions and given us absolution, and for all deacons and consecrated religious who have taught us to live as disciples of Christ, we pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
All: Our Father…Hail Mary… Glory Be….
Prayer for Vocations
Loving God, You speak to us and nourish us through the life of this church community. In the name of Jesus, we ask You to send Your Spirit to us so that men and women among us will respond to Your call to service and leadership in the Church. We pray, especially, in our day, for those who hear Your invitation to be a priest, deacon, sister or brother. May those who are opening their hearts and minds to Your call be encouraged and strengthened through our enthusiasm in Your service. Amen.
Leader: May Almighty God bless us, protect us, and bring us to everlasting life.
All: Amen.
THURSDAY
Leader: In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen.
Dear Jesus, thank You for giving Your life for us. Please help more young people to follow Your example by giving their lives in service as priests, deacons and consecrated religious. If You are calling someone in our parish to the priesthood, diaconate, or consecrated religious life, please help them to say, “Yes.” Amen.
Reading: Matthew 26:26-28
While they were eating, Jesus took bread, said the blessing, broke it, and giving it to his disciples said, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which will be shed on behalf of many for the forgiveness of sins.”
Intercessory Prayers:
Leader: That dedicated men and women may respond generously to the call of the Holy Spirit to serve Christ’s Church in the priesthood, diaconate or consecrated religious life, we pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
Leader: For our Pastor and for all parish priests, that God’s grace and love will powerfully sustain them in their priesthood, we pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
Leader: For priests who have celebrated Mass for us and from whom we have received our First Holy Communion, let us pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
All: Our Father…Hail Mary… Glory Be….
Prayer for Vocations
O Virgin Mary, we commend to you those who seek to follow your Son as priests, deacons, brothers and sisters. You know the difficulties, struggles and obstacles they face. Assist them to utter their “yes” to the divine call as you did at the invitation of the angel. Draw them near to your heart so they may understand with you the joy and beauty that waits when the Lord calls them. Make them witnesses of the Lord’s love. Enable them to inspire the Church with their consecration. May your all powerful intercession touch the hearts of many that they may respond to the Lord’s call. Repeat to them in the depths of their hearts what you said to the waiters at Cana: “Do whatever Jesus asks.” Amen.
Leader: May Almighty God bless us, protect us, and bring us to everlasting life.
All: Amen.
FRIDAY
Leader: In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen.
Dear Jesus, thank You for giving Your life for us. Please help more young people to follow Your example by giving their lives in service as priests, deacons and consecrated religious. If You are calling someone in our parish to the priesthood, diaconate, or consecrated religious life, please help them to say, “Yes.” Amen.
Reading: Mark 10:28-30
Peter began to say to him, “We have given up everything and followed you.” Jesus said, “Amen, I say to you, there is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age: houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions and eternal life in the age to come.
Intercessory Prayers:
Leader: For all priests, deacons, and consecrated religious who have accompanied us with their prayers, friendship and love that they continue to minister in humility and faithful service to Christ and His Church, we pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
Leader: That the people of our parish may joyfully undertake Christ’s command to pray to the Father, the Lord of the harvest, to send more laborers into the harvest, we pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
Leader: For those priests who have anointed us with the Sacrament of the Sick, and for all deacons and religious who have visited us when we were sick or in their need, we pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
All: Our Father…Hail Mary… Glory Be….
Prayer for Vocations
Lord, You are a good and loving Father so we have great confidence that You are listening to us. Today we need many priests, deacons, and consecrated men and women to serve Your Church. I offer my sufferings, my illness, the infirmities of old age, and my personal inconveniences for Your greater honor and glory. Give a spirit of generosity to our youth. Give them a vision, Your vision, of how they can serve their brothers and sisters in Christ. O God, give me strength to pray constantly, through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
Leader: May Almighty God bless us, protect us, and bring us to everlasting life.
All: Amen.
SATURDAY
Leader: In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
All: Amen.
Dear Jesus, thank You for giving Your life for us. Please help more young people to follow Your example by giving their lives in service as priests, deacons and consecrated religious. If You are calling someone in our parish to the priesthood, diaconate, or consecrated religious life, please help them to say, “Yes.” Amen.
Reading: Matthew 28:18-20
Then Jesus approached and said to the disciples, “All power in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always until the end of the age.”
Intercessory Prayer:
Leader: That our priests, deacons, and consecrated religious may find refuge in Mary, the Mother of God, as she intercedes for them before the Father, who in turn through the power of His Spirit forms them into the image of His only Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
Leader: For men and women in seminaries and religious formation programs, that they may know the support and love of our community as they continue to discern God’s call, we pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
Leader: For those priests from whom we or our parents have received the Sacrament of Matrimony, we pray to the Lord.
All: Lord, hear our prayer.
All: Our Father…Hail Mary… Glory Be….
Prayer for Vocations
Father, You call each one of us by name and ask us to follow You. Bless our Church by raising up dedicated and generous leaders from our families and friends who will serve Your people as priests, deacons, sisters and brothers. Inspire them as they grow to know You and open their hearts to hear Your call. We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Leader: May Almighty God bless us, protect us, and bring us to everlasting life.
All: Amen.
