Prayers for Vocations
Lord, Jesus, Christ, Good Shepherd of our souls, you who know your sheep and know how to reach our hearts, open the minds and hearts of those young people who search for and await a word of truth for their lives; let them understand that only in the mystery of your incarnation do they find full light; arouse the courage of those who know where to seek the truth, but fear that what you ask will be too demanding.
Stir in the hearts of those young people who would follow you, but who cannot overcome doubts and fears, and who in the end follow other voices and other paths which lead nowhere.
You who are the Word of the Father, the Word which creates and saves, the Word which enlightens and sustains hearts, conquer with your Spirit the resistance and delays of indecisive hearts; arouse in those whom you call the courage of love's answer: "Here I am, send me!"
Amen.
Pope John Paul II
Litany for Priests
| Let us pray for: The Holy Father - Fill him with your grace, Lord. All bishops - Give them your gifts, Lord. Priests who are pastors - Give them prudence, Lord. Diocesan priests - Never leave them, Lord. Religious priests - Make them perfect, Lord. Priests who are preachers - Enlighten them, Lord. Priests who direct souls - Instruct them, Lord. Priests who are zealous - Help them, Lord. Priests who want to love you - Enkindle their hearts, Lord. Priests who are ill - Heal them, Lord. Priests in danger - Deliver them, Lord. Priests who are weak - Strengthen them, Lord. |
Priests who are poor - Relieve them, Lord. Priests who are sad - Console them, Lord. Priests who are burdened - Give them hope, Lord. Priests who are worried - Give them peace, Lord. Priests who struggle with addictions - Free them, Lord. Priests who are old - Sustain them, Lord. Priests who are young - Impel them for your glory, Lord. Priests who are alone - Accompany them, Lord. Priests who feel inadequate - Love them, Lord. Missionary priests - Protect them, Lord. Priests who are far from home, - Grant them fellowship, Lord. Priests and religious who have died, - Bring them to glory, Lord. |
| For all priests: - Give them your wisdom, Lord. - Give them virtues. - Give them patience and charity. - Give them obedience and kindness. - Give them a burning zeal for souls. - Give them an intense love for the Eucharist. - Give them loyalty to the Holy See and to their bishops. - Give them respect for their dignity. - Give them a great love for Mary. - Give them rectitude and justice. - Give them the gift of counsel. - Give them strength in their labors. - Give them peace in their sufferings. - Give them humility and generosity. - Let them be light for souls. - Let them be the salt of the earth. - Let them practice sacrifice and self-denial. - Let them enkindle hearts with the love of Mary. - Let them be other Christs. - Let them be holy in body and soul. - May they be men of prayer. |
- May they take time to rest.
|
ORACION POR LAS VOCACIONES
Dios fiel y amoroso,
Tú prometiste que nunca dejarías a tu rebaño sin pastores.
Oremos por aquellos que son llamados a dirigir tu iglesia
a través del ministerio sacerdotal, diaconal y la vida consagrada como hermanas y hermanos.
Pidamos para que ellos escuchen tu llamado y respondan con generosidad a
la invitación de servir a tu pueblo y guiarlos en la fe.
Bendice los esfuerzos de nuestra parroquia para fomentar tu llamado.
Ayúdanos a motivar y apoyar a las personas de nuestra parroquia que tú estás llamando.
Oremos por los seminaristas de nuestra diócesis y
por aquellos que se preparan para la vida consagrada.
Dales tu espíritu de sabiduría y perseverancia.
Abre nuestros corazones con la buena voluntad de servirte
de cualquier manera que tú nos pidas.
Concédenos a cada uno de nosotros la gracia de aceptar nuestro llamado
con valor, generosidad y alegría.
Señor, también pedimos tus bendiciones por las diócesis misioneras en el mundo
donde algunos de nuestros hermanos y hermanas raramente celebran la Eucaristía
y echan de menos el ministerio de sacerdotes, diáconos y religiosos.
Bendícelos con más vocaciones para que tu iglesia pueda seguir creciendo.
Amado Padre,
te lo pedimos en el nombre de Cristo, nuestro hermano y Buen Pastor,
quien vive y reina por los siglos de los siglos.
María, Madre de la Iglesia,
Ora por nosotros y por quienes tu Hijo ha escogido
de nuestra parroquia para que guíen a su pueblo.
Amén.
Reverendísimo Gregory M. Aymond.
Obispo de Austin.
Prayer of Pope John Paul II
Jesus, Son of God,
in whom the fullness of the Divinity dwells,
You call all the baptized to " put out into the deep",
taking the path that leads to holiness.
Waken in the hearts of young people the desire
to be witnesses in the world of today
to the power of your love.
Fill them with your Spirit of fortitude and prudence,
so that they may be able to discover the full truth
about themselves and their own vocation.
Our Saviour,
sent by the Father to reveal His merciful love,
give to your Church the gift
of young people who are ready to put out into the deep,
to be the sign among their brothers
of Your presence which renews and saves.
Holy Virgin, Mother of the Redeemer,
sure guide on the way towards God and towards neighbour,
You who pondered his word in the depth of your heart,
sustain with your motherly intercession
our families and our ecclesial communities,
so that they may help adolescents and young people
to answer generously the call of the Lord.
Amen.
Castel Gandolfo, 11th August 2004
IOANNES PAULUS II
Prayer of a Single Person
Eternal God,
from my mother's womb
you have known and loved me
more than I can ever know.
I ask for the courage to live a holy life,
that your hand guide my decisions
and that your mercy be extended
when I seek my own glory instead of yours.
I ask for the wisdom to know your will for me,
and like our Blessed Mother,
I ask for the strength to say yes.
May I find you in every person I meet, and may my life so shine forth
your goodness and love that each person may be led to you
through Jesus, your Son,
who is Lord, forever and ever.
Amen.
Prayer for Vocation
Lord, I thank you for the gift of life
and for your love.
Help me to know myself better
and to know my talents
as I try to choose my life’s work.
Help me to see and to understand all the paths open to me.
Help me to choose a life work which will be in response to your love for me.
Give me strength, Lord, to do well in whatever life work I choose. Amen.
Diocese of Austin Family Prayer Book
Prayer for Christian Vocations
Blessed are you, God of all Creation,
Empower all the baptized to bear fruit,
manifesting your Word to the widow, the orphan,
the oppressed, in justice and in peace.
Bless vocations to the covenant of marriage.
Make the domestic church a community of discipleship.
Guide parents to encourage their children
toward lives of ministry in your Church.
Inspire a courageous response to celibate ministry.
Raise up priests, who with your deacons, will persevere
in bringing Word and Sacrament to the faithful.
Bless those called to consecrated life
in religious communities.
Nurture those called to be single.
May Jesus be their companion
in treasured friendships and in the marketplace.
(Personal intentions)
As stewards of your gifts, you call us to abundant Life.
Through our hands and hearts, may Christ
renew the face of the earth.
We entrust our prayer to our Mother Mary,
who with Joseph, fostered our Savior’s vocation.
Hail Mary...
St. Vincent de Paul, pray for us!
St. Martin dePorres, St. Maria Goretti, St. Stephen,
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Saints Francis, Ignatius and Dominic,
St. Francis de Sales, St. Catherine, St. Teresa of Avila,
Sts Peter and Paul, Our Lady of Guadalupe,
St. Joseph, all holy men and women…
+Glory be to the Father, and to the Son……
Charles Balsam
St. Louis Church, Austin TX
from www.usccb.org/laity/singles.htm#prayer
The Road Ahead
My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.
But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And Iknow that if I do this, you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me,and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.
Thomas Merton
I don’t know what your destiny will be,
but one thing I know: the only ones among you
who will be really happy are those who have
sought and found how to serve.
Albert Schweitzer
I am Ready... I Accept
Father,
I abandon myself into your hands; do with me what you will.
Whatever you may do, I thank you:
I am ready for all, I accept all.
Let only your will be done in me, and in all your creatures—
I wish no more than this, O Lord.
Into your hands I commend my soul;
I offer it to you with all the love of my heart,
for I love you, Lord, and so need to give myself,
to surrender myself into your hands without reserve,
and with boundless confidence,
or you are my Father.
Charles de Foucauld
My Gift
Lord, I freely yield all my freedom to you.
Take my memory, my intellect and my entire will.
You have given me anthing I am or have;
I give it all back to you to stand under your will alone.
Your love and your grace are enough for me;
I shall ask for nothing more.
St. Ignatius Loyola
Oracion Por Los Sacerdotes
Mirarte y Decirte Que Te Amo
“Padre, en tus manos
entrego mi espíritu”.
Es Ia última oracián
de nuestro Maestro,
de nuestro bienamado;
que pueda ser también Ia nuestra
en todos los instantes.
Padre, me abandono en ti,
haz de mí lo que te plazca,
cualquier cosa que hagas de mí
yo te agradezco,
estoy listo para todo,
lo acepto todo,
con tal que se cumpla en mí
tu voluntad
y en todas tus criaturas.
No deseo nada más, Dios mío,
pongo mi atma en tus manos,
te Ia doy, Dios mío,
con todo el corazón,
porque te amo, y es para mi
uria exigencia de amor,
el donarme, el ponerme en tus manos
sin medida, con confianza infinita
porque tú eres mi Padre.
Tan pronto creí que existía Dios
comprendí que no podía hacer
otra cosa sino vivir sólo para El.
Charles de Foucauld
(Siglo XX)
The Mission of my Life
God has created me
to do him some definite service.
He has committed some work to me
which he has not committed to another.
I have my mission.
I may never know what it is in this life,
but I shall be told in the next.
I am a link in a chain,
a bond of connection between persons.
He has not created me for nothing.
I shall do good work.
I shall do his work.
He may take me away from my friends.
He may throw me among strangers.
He may make me feel desolate,
make my spirits sink,
hide my future from me –
Still He knows what He is about.
John Henry Cardinal Newman
Reflection from Archbishop Oscar Romero
It helps, now and then, to step back and take the long view. The Kingdom is not only beyond our efforts. It is even beyond our vision. We accomplish in our lifetime only a fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work.
Nothing we do is complete, which is another way of saying that the Kingdom lies beyond us. No statement says all that could be said. No prayer fully expresses our faith. No confession brings perfection. No pastoral visit brings wholeness. No program accomplishes the Church’s mission. No set of goals and objectives includes everything.
This is what we are about: One person plants a seed in the soil. Another waters it. We plant seeds that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted knowing that they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces effects beyond our capabilities. We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing it. This enables us to do something and do it very well. It may be incomplete, but is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for God’s grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the Master Builder and the worker. We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future not our own.
An Act of Trust
Lord Jesus, I trust in you.
I place my life in your hands.
I place our world in your hands.
I cannot know the future.
Help me to trust that, no matter what future difficulties
this world may bring, you will always be there,
to give me the graces I will need in that moment.
Help me to remember
that you are already there waiting for me, in the future
that I have yet to experience.
I thank you for your protection
and your love.
Amen.
Fr Mike Sis
Discipleship Prayer
by St. John Gabriel Perboyre, C.M.
O my Divine Savior
Transform me into yourself.
May my hands be your hands.
May my tongue be your tongue.
Grant that every faculty of my body
may serve only to glorify you.
Above all, transform my soul and all of its powers,
that my memory, my will and my affections,
may be the memory, the will and affections of you.
I pray you to destroy in me all that is not of you.
Grant that I may live but in you, and by you,
and for you, and that I may truly say with St. Paul,
“I live now, not I, but Christ lives in me.”
Amen.
For more Vocation Prayers, visit the USCCB website.