Prayers

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Prayers for Vocations

PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS

Loving and Generous God,

it is You who call us by name
 and ask us to follow You.
 Help us to grow in the Love 
and Service of our Church
 as we experience it today.

 Give us the energy and courage 
of Your Spirit
 to shape its future. 

Grant us faith-filled leaders
 who will embrace Christ’s Mission 
of love and justice. 

Bless the Church of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia
 by raising up dedicated and generous leaders 
from our families and friends 
who will serve Your people as Sisters,
 Priests, Brothers, Deacons, and Lay Ministers. 

Inspire us to know You better
 and open our hearts
 to hear Your call.

 We ask this through our Lord.
Amen.

PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS

O loving and gracious God, Father of all, you
 bless your people in every time and season and
 provide for their needs through your providential
 care. Your Church is continually in need of priests,
 sisters, and brothers to offer themselves in the service 
of the gospel by lives of dedicated love. Open the 
hearts of your sons and daughters to listen to your
 call in their lives. Give them the gift of understanding 
to discern your invitation to serve you and your
 Church. Give them the gift of courage to follow your 
call. May they have the spirit of young Samuel who 
found fulfillment in his life when he said to you, 
‘Speak Lord, for your servant is listening.’ We ask
 this through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Redeemer.

Amen.

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 awesome 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 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.

Prayers for Priests / Seminarians

ST. THERESE OF LISIEUX’S PRAYER FOR PRIESTS

O Jesus, eternal Priest, keep your priests within the shelter of Your Sacred Heart, where none may touch them. Keep unstained their anointed hands, which daily touch Your Sacred Body. Keep unsullied their lips,
daily purpled with your Precious Blood. Keep pure and unearthly their hearts, sealed with the sublime mark of the priesthood. Let Your 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 minister be their joy and consolation here and in heaven their beautiful and everlasting crown.
Amen.

PRAYER FOR SEMINARIANS

O Jesus, Eternal High Priest, I offer You through Your Immaculate Mother Mary, Your Own Percious 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.