List of prayers:
Mold Us
Lord, you have called us.
The uneasiness we feel in our hearts
when we listen to your Word
is proof enough.
You know our weakness.
You know how easily we are discouraged.
You know how anxiously we take our steps.
Yet you have called us.
We rely on that.
Mold us if it is your will.
Use us and make us useful.
And let others be touched by your Word
and be called into your service.
Prayer by Fr. Edwin Rombach, SCJ, of the German Province
What Are You Called to Do?
God, our Father,
we hope you call several men and women
to become your laborers as sisters,
brothers, priests or lay ministers.
We will help you bring many people
to Jesus, your Beloved Son.
Give us your wisdom to see ourselves
the same way as you see us.
Help us to follow wherever
Jesus may lead us.
We ask you through our prayers through Jesus Christ our Lord,
now and forever.
Amen.
Prayer by Fr. Fridho Mulya, SCJ, of the Indonesian Province
Love One Another
Lord, you extend this invitation to each one of us.
May it become the inspiration,
the guiding principle,
for all that I do in life.
May I take the many gifts,
the many talents,
with which you have blessed me,
and always use them wisely and generously
for the good of all people
and for the glory of your name.
Lord, help me remain faithful always
to my baptismal promise
to share your Good News.
Amen.
Prayer by Fr. Paul Tennyson, SCJ, of the Canadian Region
Who Are You Called to Be?
Lord Jesus,
You call me by name
to tell me how much
I am worth in your eyes.
May this whisper of your love
also reach all my brothers and sisters.
Select from our midst
priests who will guide your people;
religious who will be faithful
witnesses to your love;
and lay ministers to lead the Church.
Open the hearts of the young adults
to the challenge of living their love
in the faithfulness of their lives.
Grant unity to all these disciples of your love.
Amen.
Prayer by members of the Canadian Region
We Give You Praise
Dear God,
We pause to thank you for your many gifts,
especially the gift of vocations to the priesthood
and religious life.
Each day in our lives, we celebrate and give you thanks.
We praise you for calling us to your worship and service,
all in your name and love.
Send more faithful workers to serve
your community as witnesses to the world.
We pray in the name of Jesus.
Amen.
Prayer by Joseph-Thien Dinh, SCJ, of the U.S. Province
Lord, Hear Our Prayer
Holy Spirit, you give me the gift of counsel.
You are there with me, night and day,
when I work, and when I rest.
Place in my mouth the words that help me do your will.
Inspire my thoughts and decisions
so that your counsel may always be known to me,
helping me to follow the path which you lay before me.
Help me to listen and to learn.
Amen.
Prayer by Fr. Raul Calabuig, SCJ, of the Spanish Province
Come and Follow Me
Lord of the Harvest and Good Shepherd,
May your strong and gentle invitation
echo in our ears.
“Come and follow me!”
Send forth your Spirit among us.
May your Spirit give us wisdom to discern
your call and generosity to follow your service.
Lord of the Harvest and Good Shepherd,
wake the heart of your youth to the service of your people.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, help us to answer, “YES!”
Amen.
Prayer by Fr. Marcos Alves De Lima, SCJ, of the North Brazilian Province
Guide Me
God, you know me perfectly.
You created me to do your will.
Please help me to find my way,
which is really your way.
I want to obey you in everything.
I trust in you boundlessly
because you love me.
Guide me in all that I do.
Amen.
Prayer by Fr. Gabriel Pisarek, SCJ, of the Polish Province
Yes Lord
Lord Jesus, I need your help.
It’s so hard to know what I want to do with my life.
I’ve wanted to be so many things;
there are so many possibilities.
I could be an accountant, an engineer, a teacher.
But the thought of becoming a priest or brother just won’t go away.
I guess that is because I love you so much
and I want to share that love with others.
Lord, please let me hear your voice.
Help me to know what you really want of me in my life.
Amen.
Prayer by Fr. John Klingler, SCJ, of the U.S. Province
Form Us, Lord
Heavenly Father,
Bless Your Church with an abundance of holy and zealous priests, deacons, brothers, and sisters.
Give those You have called to the married state, and those You have chosen to live as single persons in the world, the special graces that their lives require.
Form us all in the likeness of Your Son so that in Him, with Him, and through Him, we may love You more deeply and serve You more faithfully, always and everywhere.
With Mary we ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Prayer by Father Michael van der Peet, SCJ (deceased member of the U.S. Province)
May Your Kingdom Come
Lord, You have provided us with priests, brothers, and sisters throughout the history of Your Church to serve the poor, to preach the Gospel and to journey with us in our celebrations, our successes and our losses.
Make us sensitive to the call to religious life in our own hearts and give us the courage to join You in Your ministry of love.
When we sense the call in others, may we pray for them, encourage them and honor them.
May Your kingdom come…may Your will be done.
Amen.
Prayer by Br. Ray Kozuch, SCJ (U.S. Province)
We Pledge to Be…
Gracious God, Your Son Jesus told us to ask You to send laborers into Your harvest. And so, confident that You want us to ask, we come before You. More than ever our world and our Church need people committed to making Your love present wherever they are.
We pray for all those who are seeking to know what You ask of them. Give them the light and the courage they need to know and follow Your will.
And as we pray for vocations, we pledge to be supportive of those we know and those in our families who seek to follow you in a religious or priestly vocation. Hear our prayer which we offer to You in the name of Jesus.
Amen.
Prayer by Fr. John Czyzynski, SCJ (U.S. Province)
Send Your Spirit
Jesus, our brother,
your mission on earth was to seek out
the sick, rejected, broken, the sinner and forsaken.
Send your Spirit of mission and ministry
to those you have chosen to become
priests, brothers, sisters or deacons.
We pray that your Kingdom of love may spread
into all hearts.
May your Kingdom come.
Amen.
Ask and We Will Receive
Gracious and loving God,
I come before You in love and reverence.
I acknowledge my total dependence upon You
and I adore You.
I thank You for all I am and all I have,
for You are the Source of every good gift.
Please forgive me for the times
I take You for granted
or misuse the blessings You give to me.
You have told us through Your Son
to “ask and we will receive.”
This gives me confidence to come to You
and ask You to help me know Your will for me.
Give me light to see and courage to act.
I know You love me and have a plan for me.
I know I will be truly happy only
if I follow where you lead me.
So, here I am, loving God.
I am asking for Your light and Your strength.
I trust I will receive what I need
because I ask in the name of Jesus
and in the power of His Spirit.
Amen.
