Prayers for discernment

I do not know what to ask you.
You alone know my real needs,
and you love me more
than I even know how to love.
Enable me to discern my true needs
which are hidden from me.

I ask for neither cross nor consolation;
I wait in patience for you.
My heart is open to you.
For your great mercy's sake,
come to me and help me.
Put your mark on me and heal me,
cast me down and raise me up.
Silently I adore your holy will
and your inscrutable ways.
I offer myself in sacrifice to you
and put all my trust in you.
I desire only to do your will.
Teach me how to pray
and pray in me, yourself.

* * * * *

God, you have created me
to do you some definite service:
You have committed some work to me
which you have not committed to another.

I have my mission –
I may never know it in this life,
but I shall be told in the next.

Somehow I am necessary for your purposes.
I have a part in the great work;
I am a link in a chain,
a bond of connection between persons.

He has not created me for nothing.
I shall do good, I shall do his work;
I shall be an angel of peace,
A preacher of truth in my own place.

Fulfill your high purposes in me,
I am here to serve you, to be yours.

Amen.

(John Henry Cardinal Newman)

* * * * *

Loving Father,
You have blessed me with wonderful gifts.
Through baptism I am member of Christ's Body the Church,
and share in its mission of proclaiming the Gospel
and becoming a Holy People.
Keep my heart open to following Jesus' way of serving others
in love and to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

Prayers for vocations

Almighty and eternal God, in your unfailing love your provide ministers for your Church.
We pray for those whom you call to serve the people of this diocese as priests.

Inspire in them a generous response. Grant them courage and vision to serve us your people.
May their lives and service call your people to respond to the presence of your Spirit among us.

We pray that, faithful to the Gospel and of Jesus the Christ, we may announce glad tidings to the poor,
proclaim liberty to captives, set prisoners free and renew the face of the earth. Amen.

* * * * *

Gracious and loving God, help the men and women of our parish to hear the call to serve.
Our needs are great and our people thirst for your presence.
Open the hearts of many; raise up, as faithful servants of the Gospel,
dedicated priests and religious who will spend themselves for your people and their needs.
Bless those who are serving now with courage and perseverance.
Grant that many will be inspired by their example and faith.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

* * * * *

Father, we are your people, the work of your hands.
So precious are we in your sight that you sent us your Son, Jesus.
He calls us to heal the broken-hearted, to dry the tears of those who mourn,
to give hope to those who despair, and to rejoice in your steadfast love.
We, the baptized, realize our call to serve; help us to know how.
Call forth from among us good priests to serve both us and you as faithful ministers.
With our hearts you continue to love your people.
Amen.

* * * * *

Lord Jesus, as you once called the first disciples to make them fishers of men,
let your sweet invitation continue to resound:
Come, follow me!

Give young men and women the grace of responding quickly to your voice.

Support your bishops, priests and consecrated people in their apostolic labour.

Grant perseverance to our seminarians
and to all those who are carrying out the ideal of a life totally consecrated to your service.

Awaken in our community a missionary eagerness and send workers to your harvest.

Do not allow humanity to be lost for the lack of pastors, missionaries and people dedicated to the Gospel.

Mary, Mother of the Church, the model of every vocation,
help us to say "yes" to the Lord who calls us to cooperate in the divine plan of salvation.

Amen.

(Pope John Paul II)