Bishop Stephen on the Fourth Sunday of Easter: World Day of Prayer for Vocations
I invite us all to pray for vocations this Sunday.
As the Body of Christ, we are all linked to one another and just as blood reaches all parts of the body, prayer inspires and supports others in the Church by the power of the Holy Spirit. We pray that we all will be Good Shepherds of the People. As Pope Leo writes, “every vocation is an immeasurable gift for the Church and for those who receive it with joy.”
Vocations are revealed and nourished by prayer. As Pope Leo explains, “Only when our surroundings are illumined by living faith, sustained by constant prayer and enriched by fraternal accompaniment, can God’s call blossom and mature.”
We all have our part to play.
Please pray particularly for vocations to the priesthood, diaconate and religious life.
Please pray every day that people will respond to the Lord’s call to serve Him in ordained and consecrated life. They are intimate adventures in God’s love.
In our parishes and churches and schools and chaplaincies, please offer regular time in prayer for vocations. Pope Leo encourages us to offer time for Eucharistic adoration and to meditate faithfully on the Word of God.
Prayer leads to vocations.
This is not a last resort; it is the essential first resort.
Bishop Stephen Wright
Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle
Image from www.christian.art
Flock of Sheep overtaken by a Storm,
Painting by Eugène Joseph Verboeckhoven (1798-1881),
Painted circa 1870,
oil on canvas
© Lempertz Cologne, sold 16 November 2024