Family Prayer – The Vocations Cup

Last Sunday (April 21) was Good Shepherd Sunday, which was designated a Day of Prayer for Vocations worldwide.

Pope Francis also declared 2024, a Year of Prayer. In keeping with these announcements, the Vocation Recruitment Team for the Archdiocese proposed to re-launch the Vocations Cup activity in parishes, which involves families attached to each parish.

It is our hope “to re-create the culture of praying for and nurturing vocations to the priesthood and religious life in the home”, the domestic Church. This activity also seeks to underscore the role and responsibility of the wider lay community, in addition to promoting awareness among the Catholic faithful of the need to seek God’s will in our lives, whether He calls us to the Priesthood, Religious Life, Lay Consecrated, Marriage or the Single Life. In short, praying for vocations is everybody’s business.

Finally, in re-introducing the culture of family prayer and sharing meals in the home, we hope to reap the benefits to us, both in the short term and long term, as Catholic Christian believers.

Vocations Cup Family Prayer

Leader: In every age, men and women are called from the faith community to proclaim the message of Jesus Christ. Let us pray for the needs of our own age, that men and women from our parish will respond to God’s call to the priesthood and religious life.

All: (Make the Sign of the Cross) In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, amen.

“The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest” (Luke 10:2).

Leader: To each of our petitions, let us respond: “Send labourers into the harvest, Lord!”

1. That all priests and religious brothers and sisters, will grow in the Spirit of Jesus, we pray, (R)
2. That those who serve our parish as priests and religious may always seek God’s guidance and that they may persevere in His service through His grace, we pray, (R)
3. That men and women from our parish will hear God’s call and find the grace and courage to answer that call, always seeking to do God’s will in their lives, we pray, (R)
4. That those who have heeded the call and are currently in seminaries or other houses of formation may persevere, finding strength in Almighty God, we pray, (R)
5. That our Archdiocese may be spiritually renewed and that many more will answer God’s call to the priesthood and religious life, we pray, (R)

For our own family intentions…(all are free to share.

Response as above, (R)

VOCATIONS PRAYER:

Loving God, each member of our family is  a special gift from You. You have given each of us gifts and talents that we may use and share with others. Committed, loving people are needed for service and leadership in our Church. Help us ‘to know how to encourage and support each other, so that we can respond generously to this need. Help us to truly understand and accept the value of vocations to the priesthood and religious life. We know that You will be with us. Invite us to become the kind of people You want us to be. Help us to trust in You and in each other. Open the minds and hearts of all young people who search for and await a word of truth and encouragement for their lives. Conquer with Your Spirit, the resistance and delays of indecisive hearts. Awaken in those whom You call the courage to answer in love, “Here I am, Lord!! Send me!!!” Amen.

Grace Before Meals: (All-making the sign of the Cross) – Bless us, O Lord, and these Your gifts, which we are about to receive from Your goodness, through Christ Our Lord, amen.

Grace After Meals:  (All) – We thank You, Lord, for these and all Your benefits, through Christ our Lord, amen. May the divine assistance remain always with us and may the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace. Amen

Lord, help us to remember always to pray for the needs of the Body of Christ, which is the Church, the needs of the world and the needs of our family.

Mary, help of Christians, pray for us!

All: (Make the Sign of the Cross) In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, amen.

Photo by Jametlene Reskp on Unsplash