Prayers for Vocations and Seminarians
Prayer at a Son's Entrance into the Priesthood
Heavenly Father, You have called my son to be a priest and he has generously responded to that call. I pray that he will be ever faithful in this new state and happy with the way of life lying ahead.
Help me to be ever ready to render my assistance whenever and however it may be needed. Let me always remember that it is an honor to give one's son to You who gave him to us in the first place. Amen.
For a Priest at His First Mass
O Holy Spirit, Your servant who is about to celebrate this Mass shares the holy priesthood of Jesus and Your apostolate. Enkindle in his heart the flames that transformed the disciples in the Upper Room. Let him be no longer an ordinary man but a man living to transfuse the divine life into the souls of others. Give him an ardent desire for the inner life as well as Your consolation and strength. Enable him to see that even here below there is no true happiness unless his life partakes of Yours and that of the Heart of Jesus in the bosom of the Father.
Prayer for Seminarians
Lord Jesus Christ, we pray for these men whom You have called to discern priesthood. We beg Your continued blessings on our Diocese and families. Call forth even more men of generous spirit and fervent love whom You desire for this holy work. Amen.
St. Joseph, pray for us.
Another Prayer for Seminarians
O Jesus, Eternal High Priest, I offer You through Your Immaculate Mother Mary, Your Own Precious Blood, in all the Masses throughout the world, as petition for graces for all seminarians, Your future priests. Give them humility, meekness, prudence, and a burning zeal for souls. Fill their hearts with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Teach them to know and love the Church, that they may always and everywhere speak, act, and think with her, the glorious spouse of Christ. Teach them generosity and detachment from worldly goods; but above all, teach them to know You and to love the One and Only Eternal Priest.
Good Shepherd of Souls, hear this my prayer for saintly priests. Amen.
~~ taken from "Prayers for Today," published by Leaflet Missal Co.
For Priestly Vocations
Father, in Your plan for our salvation You provide shepherds for Your people. Fill Your Church with the spirit of courage and love. Raise up worthy ministers for Your altars and ardent but gentle servants of the gospel. Amen.
Prayer for Vocations to the Priesthood
O Lord Jesus Christ, great High-Priest, we ask You to call many worthy souls to Your holy priesthood. Enlighten the superiors in the choice of candidates, the spiritual directors in guiding them, and the professors in instructing them. Lead the seminarians daily in 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 Divine Love; apostles of Your glory and sanctifiers of souls. Amen.
Mary, Queen of the Clergy, pray for us;
obtain for us many holy priests.
St. Vincent de Paul, protector of the clergy, pray that God will bless us with many good priests.
~~ taken from "Prayers for Today," published by Leaflet Missal Co.
Prayer for Religious Vocations
Father, You call all who believe in You to grow perfect in love by following in the footsteps of Christ Your Son. May those whom You have chosen to serve You as religious provide by their way of life a convincing sign of Your kingdom for the Church and the whole world. 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 fields." 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.
O Jesus, Eternal Priest, keep all Thy priests within the shelter of Thy Sacred Heart, where none may harm them. Keep unstained their anointed hands which daily touch Thy Sacred Body. Keep unsullied their lips purpled with Thy Precious Blood. Keep pure and unearthly their hearts sealed with the sublime marks of Thy glorious priesthood. Let Thy holy love surround them and shield them from the world's contagion. Bless their labors with abundant fruit, and may the souls to whom they have ministered, be here below, their joy and consolation and in Heaven their beautiful and everlasting crown. Amen
Catholic Prayers: 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
Catholic Prayers: 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.
Catholic Prayers: 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
Catholic Prayers: 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.
Catholic Prayers: 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
Keep them, I pray You, dearest Lord, Keep them, for they are Thine - Your priests whose lives burn out before Your consecrated shrine. Keep them, for they are in the world, Though from the world apart; When earthly pleasures tempt, allure, Shelter them in Your Heart. Keep them, and comfort them in hours O loneliness and pain, When all their life of sacrifice For souls seems but in vain. Keep them, and O remember, Lord, They have no one but Thee, Yet they have only human hearts, With human frailty. Keep them as spotless as the Host, That daily they caress; Their every thought and word and deed, Deign, dearest Lord to bless.
