‘Come Follow Me’
As a climax to a prayer that is continually offered throughout the Church this prayer for vocations, affirms the primacy of faith and grace in all that concerns vocations to the priesthood and to the consecrated life. While appreciating all vocations and the call to serve as followers of Christ, baptized into his mission, the Church concentrates its attention this Fourth Sunday of Easter on, Jesus, the Good Shepherd and vocations to the ordained ministries (priesthood and diaconate), consecrated life in all its forms (male and female religious life, societies of apostolic life, consecrated virginity), secular institutes in their diversity of services and membership, and to the missionary life.
1. Pray! We too often underestimate the power of prayer, especially prayer as a Community of Faith. Let us be faithful to Jesus’ command to each of us:
"Pray the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest"
2. Let us not be fearful of Posing Questions or Inviting men and women to consider a vocation to follow Jesus in the Church as priest, deacon, religious sister, brother.
St. John 10: 11 - 18.
Jesus said: “I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them. This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd.
This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father.”
- What word or words in this passage caught your attention?
- What in this passage comforted you?
- What in this passage challenged you?
4. Give thanks and praise to our God for the gift of your own vocation and recommit yourself to fulfill your call to be a missionary disciple of Christ in our world today.
Pope Francis Message
Prayer for World Day of Prayer for Vocations
Inspire us daily to respond to Your call with boundless compassion, abundant generosity, and radical availability.
Help us to remember our own baptismal call to rouse us to invite the next generation to hear and respond to Your call.
Inspire parents, families, and lay ecclesial ministers to begin a conversation with young Catholics to consider how they will live lives of holiness and sacred service.
Nudge inquirers and motivate discerners to learn more about monastic life, apostolic life, missionaries, cloistered contemplative life, and evangelical Franciscan life.
Ignite our Church with the confident humility that there is an urgent need for religious sisters, brothers, deacons, and priests to live in solidarity with those who are poor, neglected, and marginalized.
Disrupt our comfortable lives and complacent attitudes with new ideas to respond courageously and creatively with a daily 'YES!' Amen.
Questions
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