The Holy Father’s Intentions: Religious and Seminarians

How essential priesthood and religious life are for us Catholics! How many of us can think of at least one priest, sister, or brother who has positively impacted our spiritual journey? 

But great priests and religious aren’t created overnight. They go through a long process of formation and education before they are ordained or make vows. 

And so, the Holy Father is wise in reminding the Church to pray for those in vocational formation. Here is his prayer intention for the month of May:

We pray that religious women and men, and seminarians, grow in their own vocations through their human, pastoral, spiritual and community formation, leading them to be credible witnesses to the Gospel.

There are many years between the initial vocational call—which inspires such zeal in the heart of a discerner—and the day of ordination or final vows. During the time of formation, these men and women grow in many ways: spiritually, intellectually, and emotionally. Their formation helps them to grow into a maturity that enables them to make a life-long commitment to Christ in their respective vocations.

As lay missionaries, we are so grateful for the priests and religious around the world who have collaborated with us in mission. We join the Church in praying for more vocations, and most especially for those who have embarked on this vocational journey. 

We pray that all priests and religious will indeed be “credible witnesses to the Gospel” and that some of them will even hear the call to serve in mission territories. Many areas of the world are in dire need of lay and religious missionaries, and especially priests to administer the sacraments. 

The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. –Matthew 9: 37-38