World Day of Prayer for Vocations

Monday, May 9, 2011

*Father David Zirilli - Vocations Office

English Spanish

In his October 2010 letter to the seminarians of the world, Pope Benedict XVI said: "You have done a good thing. Because people will always have need of God, even in an age marked by technical mastery of the world and globalization; they will always need the God who has revealed himself in Jesus Christ, the God who gathers us together in the universal Church in order to learn with him and through him life's true meaning and in order to uphold and apply the standards of true humanity."

That "good thing" to which the Holy Father referred was their decision to enter the seminary and pursue the priesthood - to answer the call of Christ, who said to them: "Follow me." Just as our Lord, nearly 2000 years ago, gathered together a humble group of men and formed them into the foundation of his new Church, so too today does he continue to speak to the hearts of those he has chosen, beckoning them to answer his call and become the next generation of "fishers of men."

Priests and consecrated brothers and sisters are called to live their lives completely for God and for others. They "lay down" their lives out of an ardent love for Christ and in imitation of him, who laid down his life for us. Those vocations are the fruit of a joyful response to the call of the Lord, who in the words of Pope Benedict, invites them to become his friends and to "leave behind their own narrow agenda and their notions of self-fulfillment in order to immerse themselves in another will: the will of God."

This Sunday, May 15, the universal Church celebrates World Day of Prayer for Vocations. The Lord himself, when he walked among us, saw the crowds who were seeking him, and he had compassion on them, for they were like "sheep without a shepherd." He then told his disciples and he tells us today: "The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few. Pray therefore the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest." (Mt 9:37-8)

This weekend we join our fellow Catholics around the world in beseeching the Lord to raise up for us many good and faithful "laborers." We pray that he will call them, that they will hear his voice, and that they will do a "good thing," responding to the Lord with faith, generosity and love.

O God, Father of all mercies, provider of a bountiful harvest, send your graces upon those you have called to gather the fruits of your labor; preserve and strengthen them in their lifelong service of you.

Open the hearts of your children that they may discern your holy will; inspire in them a love and desire to surrender themselves to serving others in the name of your Son, Jesus Christ.

Teach all your faithful to follow their respective paths in life guided by your Divine Word and Truth. Through the intercession of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, all the angels and saints, humbly hear our prayers and grant your Church's needs, through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

For more information, call the Vocations Office at 305-762-1137 or visit www.miamiarch.org/vocations. You may also email Father Zirilli directly at [email protected].

Comments from readers

Jorge Villa - 05/10/2011 03:29 PM

�La cosecha es abundante, pero los trabajadores son pocos. Rueguen al due�o de los sembrados que env�e trabajadores para su cosecha�. (Mt. 9:37-38)

Confiemos en que los hombres que ha sido llamados, y atesoran ese llamado en su coraz�n, se pongan en camino y se conviertan en seminaristas que buscan la santidad en sus obras cotidianas y en su relaci�n con los dem�s. Hoy m�s que nunca nuestra iglesia necesita seminaristas y sacerdotes comprometidos con Cristo, con excelente don de gentes y abnegados por llevar la Buena Nueva del Evangelio a todos los hombres de buena voluntad. Dios los bendiga.

Jorge Villa Yepes
Radio Paz

Father Manny Alvarez - 05/10/2011 01:05 PM

As we prepare to celebrate this World Day of Prayer for Vocations, we should recommit ourselves as Catholics to make it a top priority to pray every day that the Good Shepherd will send us more shepherds after his own heart. The harvest is most definitely abundant and our people are hungry for good and holy priests! We also pray for our Vocations Director whose task, I know, is difficult but incredibly rewarding. Mary, Mother of Priests and Seminarians, pray for us!
--Fr. Manny Alvarez
Vocations Director
(2006-2009)

Bishop Estevez - 05/10/2011 10:36 AM

Fr. David thank you for your dedication to promote our young people's response to the living God. After the beatification of John Paul II I have had a number of young people informing me that they are considering a vocation of total consacration. I wonder if one of the fruits of "the new position of John Paul II" in the visible body of Christ is a new flow of vocations to total commitment. In the history of the Church there are times of "abundance" could this new decade be one of new vocations?
+Felipe J. Estevez
Bishop designate of St. Augustine, FL

Jorge Villa - 05/10/2011 03:29 PM: �La cosecha es abundante, pero los trabajadores son pocos. Rueguen al due�o de los sembrados que env�e trabajadores para su cosecha�. (Mt. 9:37-38)

Confiemos en que los hombres que ha sido llamados, y atesoran ese llamado en su coraz�n, se pongan en camino y se conviertan en seminaristas que buscan la santidad en sus obras cotidianas y en su relaci�n con los dem�s. Hoy m�s que nunca nuestra iglesia necesita seminaristas y sacerdotes comprometidos con Cristo, con excelente don de gentes y abnegados por llevar la Buena Nueva del Evangelio a todos los hombres de buena voluntad. Dios los bendiga.

Jorge Villa Yepes
Radio Paz

Father Manny Alvarez - 05/10/2011 01:05 PM: As we prepare to celebrate this World Day of Prayer for Vocations, we should recommit ourselves as Catholics to make it a top priority to pray every day that the Good Shepherd will send us more shepherds after his own heart. The harvest is most definitely abundant and our people are hungry for good and holy priests! We also pray for our Vocations Director whose task, I know, is difficult but incredibly rewarding. Mary, Mother of Priests and Seminarians, pray for us!
--Fr. Manny Alvarez
Vocations Director
(2006-2009)

Bishop Estevez - 05/10/2011 10:36 AM: Fr. David thank you for your dedication to promote our young people's response to the living God. After the beatification of John Paul II I have had a number of young people informing me that they are considering a vocation of total consacration. I wonder if one of the fruits of "the new position of John Paul II" in the visible body of Christ is a new flow of vocations to total commitment. In the history of the Church there are times of "abundance" could this new decade be one of new vocations?
+Felipe J. Estevez
Bishop designate of St. Augustine, FL