2018 World Day of Prayer for Vocations
Homily Helps
First Reading: Acts 4:8-12
Summary: In the reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Peter having healed a crippled man is challenged by “rulers of the people and elders”. Peter attests that it was through the name of Jesus, whom they had crucified, that the cripple was healed.
The stone that was rejected has become the keystone.
Vocation Perspective: It was not just the cripple who was transformed by Jesus. Peter too, an ordinary man who was filled with fear in the time surrounding the arrest and crucifixion of Jesus, was now filled with the Holy Spirit and emboldened to proclaim the Gospel.
From a vocations perspective we see that God provides all whom he calls with the gifts. You do not need to be perfect; God calls those who are weak in the eyes of the world. His grace is enough.
Psalm: Psalm 118
Summary: The stone which the builders rejected has become the corner stone
Vocation Perspective: The psalm takes up the message of the first reading. The stone that was rejected by the builders has become the corner stone. A line from the psalm says; “It is better to trust in the Lord than to trust in men”. From a vocations perspective; God calls and transforms those who trust in Him. Even the weak, those not powerful in the eyes of the world, can be called by God to do great things.
Second Reading: 1 John 3:1-2
Summary: In the second reading, John tells the early Christian community, that “we are already God’s children, but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed”
Vocation Perspective: We need not be attached to the material trappings of this world. We are already God’s children. If we learn to detach ourselves so that we can place our trust in God and surrender ourselves, we will be transformed. From a vocations perspective we need to trust, to surrender, to abandon ourselves into the loving care of the Good Shepherd.
Vocation Perspective: We need not be attached to the material trappings of this world. We are already God’s children. If we learn to detach ourselves so that we can place our trust in God and surrender ourselves, we will be transformed. From a vocations perspective we need to trust, to surrender, to abandon ourselves into the loving care of the Good Shepherd.
Gospel: John 10:11-18
Summary: Jesus is the Good Shepherd who knows His sheep. He lays down His life for them, and is raised up again.
Vocation Perspective: Like the sheep who know the voice of the shepherd, we are called to “listen to my voice” in this way Jesus, the Good Shepherd, (not like the “hired man” who is not the shepherd and abandons the sheep as soon as trouble comes), will lay down his life for His Sheep.
From a vocations perspective, we are called to listen, to come to know the voice of God in our hearts. Pope Francis in his message for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, tells us: “to listen carefully to his word and the story of God’s life, but also to
be attentive to the details of our own lives”.
Vocation Prayers
Parents Prayer for Vocations
Gracious and loving God you have blessed us
with the privilege of becoming Parents.
We ask that you provide us with all that we need in accepting this great responsibility.
We pray that we will be open to your Spirit who is our source of strength as we witness to our children your love for each of them and your desire for them to be happy and to live a full life.
We ask for your help so we may guide and encourage our children to believe that they each have a special calling
and to use their gifts and talents for others.
We pray, Heavenly Father, that our children will discover
and respond enthusiastically to your desire for them whether it be to the vocation of single, married, ordained or consecrated life. We offer this prayer in the name of Jesus
through the grace of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Prayer for Vocations
O Jesus, gentle and good shepherd
You call each of us to follow you in various ways.
Help those whom you call to follow you
in ordained ministry or religious life,
to listen to your voice.
May your Holy Spirit guide them
and help them discern your call,
to give their lives in service of you.
Empower those who hear your call
with the grace and courage to take the first step
and follow the path you have carved for them.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Prayer to Know My Vocation (from Vianney Vocations)
Lord, I want to be happy in this life
and spend eternity with You in the life to come.
From the first moment of my existence,
You knew my vocation.
Please help me discover Your plan for my life.
Help me to know myself.
Help me to overcome my fears.
Help me to want what You want.
Help me to trust You completely.
Send Your Holy Spirit into my mind and heart
so I can see the gifts You have given me
and hear Your call to serve the Church.
Increase my desire to bring others to You
and to help them reach heaven.
Mary Most Holy, Mother of God, pray for me, that I can discover my vocation and have the courage to respond in faith. Amen.
Reflection for Vocations Sunday Every single person has a vocation, a calling, a dream held for us by God as to who God would have us be and what God would have us do with our lives. When we speak of “praying for vocations” it is somewhat inaccurate. Vocations are freely given by God. What we are really praying for is God‟s help to find and follow our own particular call.
At this time in our part of the world, the call to a life of service and ministry in the Church is not very popular, for a variety of reasons. It’s not so much that God is not calling, so much as people might not be tuned in too well to listening! Another element is that whilst God does the calling, it is up to us to do the informing and inviting; that is telling people about religious life, diaconate and priesthood – the fulfillment and joy it can bring – and actively inviting/encouraging them to think about it as a possible choice.
Imagine if, in every parish and faith community, people were encour-aged to spend a few minutes discerning who in their midst might be a possible candidate for religious life/priesthood? Then, if they gently and sensitively shared the fruit of their reflection with that person, saying what they saw in the person and then left it for him/her to think and pray about it? What would happen? Only God knows! As well as full time ministry, every community has a need for willing people to serve as readers, ministers of the Eucharist, Mass servers, catechists or members of various committees.
God’s Kingdom needs people willing to say yes and give their hands, feet and hearts Jesus the Good Shepherd is saying, “Whom shall I send?”
What are you saying in reply?
Prayers of the Faithful
For Vocations
On this World Day of Prayer for Vocations, we pray for an increase in vocations to ministry in priesthood, the diaconate and religious life.
We pray that men and women may be able to quieten the noise in life, so that they may be able to hear the whisper of God’s call in their lives.
We pray to the Lord.
For Discernment
For young men and women; that God may give them the grace to discern their vocation and call to service in the Church and for the gift of courage to follow His call.
We pray to the Lord.
For Guidance
That our young people may find direction in their lives as they discern God’s call to priesthood, consecrated life, married life, single life, or the diaconate,
We pray to the Lord. . . .
For Leaders and Guides
For those who work with youth, that they will encourage them to listen carefully for God’s call.
We pray to the Lord.
For Gift of The Holy Spirit For those who are having difficulty discerning their vocations, that the Holy Spirit give them wisdom and peace. We pray to the Lord.
For Parents
That parents will happily encourage their children to remain open to the priesthood or consecrated life.
We pray to the Lord.
For Priests & Religious For our priests and religious that they may continue to inspire men and women in faith hope and love.
We Pray to the Lord.
For Our Deceased
We pray for our dead, for those who have gone before us, marked with the sign of faith.
We pay specially for our deceased priests and religious, that the Good Shepherd will welcome them with open arms and reward them for their service and goodness.
We pray to the Lord.
