Vocation Prayers

Vocations to the Priesthood

God our Father,
From eternity You appointed Your only begotten Son
to be the High Priest of the human race.
Pour forth, we beseech You,
Your Holy Spirit upon our families,
that vocations to the priesthood may be multiplied.
Lord Jesus, give us holy priests:
To offer up the sacrifice of the Mass;
To lead the little ones to You;
To strengthen the faith of believers;
To preach the Gospel to all peoples;
To bring forgiveness to sinners;
To feed souls the Bread of Life;
To comfort the suffering & dying, and
To spread Your Kingdom in our midst.
Mary, Mother of our High Priest, pray for us and obtain for us an increase of holy priests.
Amen

Workers for the Harvest

God our Father,
You made each of us to use our gifts in the Body of Christ.
We ask that You inspire young people whom
you call to priesthood and consecrated life
to courageously follow Your will.
Send workers into Your great harvest
so that the Gospel is preached,
the poor are served with love,
the suffering are comforted,
and Your people are strengthened by the sacraments.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen

Family Prayer for Vocations

Father, increase our family’s love for one another.
May we honor each other in times of happiness or hardship,
bearing with one another in love, just as You love us.
In a special way, help us strive for holiness in our current states of life.
Should You call some of us to the priesthood or religious life,
help us to respond with courage and joy.
Together, we make heaven our goal, and pledge, with Your grace,
to help each other on life’s journey to You.
Through the intercession of the Holy Family:
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.
Amen

Protect Our Children’s Vocations

Father, while our children are young,
hold them close to Your heart.
In this world confused by error and sin,
guard their innocence and fill them with unshakable faith.
As they grow older, keep them true to your teachings,
faithful to Sunday Mass, and active within Your Church.
May they sincerely seek Your will
in all important life decisions,
and when the time comes,
open their hearts to Your call,
whether to Christian marriage, priesthood, or consecrated life.
We ask this in the name of Jesus,
our Savior and Lord.
Amen

Marian Prayer for Vocations

O Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus and Mother of the Church,
to you we commend our young people,
in particular those called to follow your Son
as brothers, sisters, and priests.
You know, O Mary, the struggles, doubts,
and obstacles they must face.
Assist them to answer Yes to the divine call,
as you did at the invitation of the angel.
Draw them near to your heart so that
they can understand the joy that awaits them
when they answer your Son’s call
to be witnesses of His love in the world.
Amen

Children’s Vocation Prayer

I glorify You, God, in all that I do.
In mind, body, and spirit
I give my best to You.
Help me to follow your will
no matter the call:
sister, brother, or priest,
I promise my all.
If you call me to marriage,
I promise to love,
and to teach my own children
to seek grace from above.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

O Mary, Intercede for Us

Mary, who raised your
Divine Son with the guidance
of the Holy Spirit, intercede
for all young people, especially
those clouded by doubt about
their vocations. May the light
of grace pierce their hearts so
they may answer your Son’s call,
especially those whom He is
inviting to the priesthood and
consecrated life.
Amen

Prayer for Seminarians

All-powerful Father,
protect your sons who are
preparing for the priesthood.
Help them remain faithful to prayer,
diligent in their studies, and
docile to spiritual direction.
Protect them from temptation,
keep them from all evil,
and enflame their hearts with love
so they may one day become
ardent and gentle shepherds
for Your Church. Amen

Daily Prayer for Priests

By St. Therese of the Child Jesus

O Jesus, I pray for Your faithful and fervent priests;
for Your unfaithful and tepid priests;
for Your priests laboring at home or abroad in distant mission fields.
for Your tempted priests;
for Your lonely and desolate priest
for Your young priests;
for Your dying priests;
for the souls of Your priests in Purgatory.
But above all, I recommend to You the priests dearest to me:
the priest who baptized me;
the priests who absolved me from my sins;
the priests at whose Masses I assisted and who gave me Your Body and Blood in Holy Communion;
the priests who taught and instructed me;
all the priests to whom I am indebted in any other way.
O Jesus, keep them all close to Your heart,
and bless them abundantly in time and in eternity. Amen.

Divine Mercy Vocations Prayer

By Saint Faustina

“Today bring to Me the souls of priests and religious, and immerse them in My unfathomable mercy. It was they who gave Me the strength to endure My bitter Passion. Through them, as through channels, My mercy flows out upon mankind.” Diary #1212

“Eternal Father, turn Your merciful gaze upon the souls of priests and religious; and endow them with the strength of Your blessing. For the love of the Heart of Your Son, in which they are enfolded, impart to them Your power and light, that they may be able to guide others in the way of salvation, and with one voice sing praise to Your boundless mercy for ages without end. Amen.” Diary #1213

“O Jesus, give us fervent and holy priests! Oh, how great is the dignity of the priest, but at the same time, how great is his responsibility! Much has been given you, O priest, but much will also be demanded of you.” Diary #941

Good Shepherd Prayer for Priests

Lord Jesus Christ, eternal High Priest,
You offered yourself to the Father on the altar of the Cross
and through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit gave Your priestly people
a share in Your redeeming sacrifice.
Hear our prayer for the sanctification of our priests.
Grant that all who are ordained to the ministerial priesthood
may be ever more conformed to You, the Divine Master.
May they preach the Gospel with pure heart and clear conscience.
Let them be shepherds according to Your own Heart,
single-minded in service to You and to the Church
and shining examples of a holy, simple and joyful life.
Through the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Your Mother and ours, draw all priests
and the flocks entrusted to their care to the fullness of eternal life
where you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.