Today is vocations Sunday. The theme for this year is Vocations, the Gift of the Love of God.
And finally, a prayer for vocations from the Diocesan website:
Lord Jesus Christ, as You once called the first disciples
to leave their nets and follow You,
let Your call to the priesthood continue to resound in the Church today.
Raise up for Your Church holy and zealous priests to nourish and care for Your people.
Grant us good shepherds after Your own heart to guide and unite Your flock.
Open the hearts of those You are calling;
give them courage and generosity to respond to Your voice.
May we all bear witness to Your truth and love so that the world may come to know You
as Lord and Saviour, You who live and reign
with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.
In his pastoral letter Pope Benedict XVI writes: Dear brothers and sisters, we need to open our lives to this love. It is to the perfection of the Father’s love (cf. Mt 5:48) that Jesus Christ calls us every day! The high standard of the Christian life consists in loving “as” God loves; with a love that is shown in the total, faithful and fruitful gift of self. ... It is in this soil of self-offering and openness to the love of God, and as the fruit of that love, that all vocations are born and grow.Yesterday we celebrated Sr Maureen's vocation to religious life. Today we remember especially remember vocations to the priesthood and religious life. For further details if you are searching to find out what your vocation is, or know someone who is seeking to find out what God is calling them to do then please see the Diocesan website for details of how to contact Fr Andrew Allman, the Diocesan Vocations director and posts about the joy of priesthood, why be a priest, and release of a new film 'The calling'.
 |
| Image from Lancaster Vocations website |
Lord Jesus Christ, as You once called the first disciples
to leave their nets and follow You,
let Your call to the priesthood continue to resound in the Church today.
Raise up for Your Church holy and zealous priests to nourish and care for Your people.
Grant us good shepherds after Your own heart to guide and unite Your flock.
Open the hearts of those You are calling;
give them courage and generosity to respond to Your voice.
May we all bear witness to Your truth and love so that the world may come to know You
as Lord and Saviour, You who live and reign
with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. Amen.