Aims for the Week of Vocations
- To pray for vocations to priesthood and religious life
- To educate Catholic children about the various vocations
- To inspire young adults to consider a vocation to the priesthood or religious life
- To highlight excellent examples of priests and religious men and women
- To aid parents in teaching their children to remain open to God’s call
How can we foster vocations in our families and in our parish?
Using GPS to Navigate Life
Have a conversation with your children, asking, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” After a few moments of discussion, ask, “Who do you think God wants you to be when you grow up?” Emphasize to your children that God has a specific plan in mind for them, and that following God’s plan is the surest way to happiness. Every life decision—which college to attend, whom to date, which job to pursue, whether to enter seminary, whom to marry—should be undertaken only after praying for God’s guidance. In other words, encourage kids to navigate life using GPS—God’s Positioning System.
A Vocations Prayer
During this week there is a special focus on asking our Lord for more dedicated, holy priests, deacons and consecrated men and women. We pray that they may be inspired by Jesus Christ, supported by our faith community, and respond generously to God’s gift of a vocation.
At dinner each night this week, after you say grace, add this short prayer, “Jesus, help me to be who You want me to be. Let it be done to me according to Your word.”
What Does Pope Francis Say on Vocations?
“This I ask you: be shepherds with the ‘odor of the sheep.’ Make it real, as shepherds among your flock, fishers of men.”
“This is the prayer for vocations: ‘Lord, send us nuns and send us priests, defend them from idolatry, the idolatry of vanity, the idolatry of pride, the idolatry of power, the idolatry of money.’ This prayer of ours is to prepare these hearts so that they are able to follow Jesus closely.”
“Every vocation… always requires an exodus from oneself in order to center one’s life on Christ and on his Gospel.”
“Behind and before every vocation to the priesthood or to the consecrated life there is always the strong and intense prayer of someone: a grandmother, a grandfather, a mother, a father, a community…. Vocations are born in prayer and from prayer; and only through prayer can they persevere and bear fruit.”
What Should I Do With My Life?
“What should I do with my life?” It’s a question on many hearts, maybe even our own. In this video, Father Mike Schmitz gives some direction that can lead to an answer for ourselves or someone we know. He shares how a vocation is more than just figuring out whether we’re called to married life or religious life, and it’s about more than just finding out what we like to do. As he breaks down three different types of vocation we all have, he draws a practical path we can follow to pursue holiness.
Reflect on your call to serve God in your particular vocation. Hopefully some of us will hear a call to priesthood, diaconate or religious life and will be open to that possibility.
