Prayer in Thanksgiving for the Archdiocese of Washington Vocations to the Priesthood
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament
Friday, June 12th, 4:30–730 pm
Resurrection Church, Burtonsville
Please remember in your prayers this Friday at our church or in private prayer these seminarians who are coming up on ordination weekend for our Archdiocese.
General Prayers Prayer for Vocations
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the gift of the priesthood, its transitional diaconate, and for those in religious priesthood vocations (such as the Paulists) and for those of the permanent diaconate and consecrated life of women and men called to a particular way to serve the Church.
Thank you for all the supportive vocations of the Church, for missionaries, and for all communicators of the Gospel of Christ and disciples in mission for The Lord Jesus. You have raised them up. This is Your people, O God; it is Your Body in Christ.
We pray for the intentions of those culminating the journey to Holy Orders—the men listed above, for service to the Wash- ington, DC Archdiocesan family, perhaps to one day serve here at our own parish. It is a happy event, these Holy Orders for the good of The Church. We thank You, Holy Spirit, for in- spiring them (all listed above, name each one here), as each to lay down their lives to live in The Good Shepherd, Christ Jesus the Lord, and assist His love and ministry to the flock, as vessels of that called purpose.
Father, in this year of challenges, we are glad for the ordinandi and for the perseverance, flexibility, and trust they had to arrive to Holy Orders. They each will be so needed for this Archdiocese of Washington!
Ahead for our local Church, we beseech Your Holy Spirit to inspire more men and women in the Archdiocese of Washing- ton to answer the call to the priesthood and consecrated life. We also pray for the permanent diaconate, in the same inspi- ration. Give the called the courage to embrace their vocation, then the faith and zeal to follow You with joy, and the way to remain loyal friends of Your Son.
For our current priests, deacons, brothers, and sisters in the religious life, please protect and strengthen them all, especially those in the Archdiocese under Archbishop Gregory, or in service of our parish and others around us. As we all are Your Body in Christ, help all Christians to live and love like Jesus, and to become better disciples of His, living in His truth and love.
When our earthly pilgrimage and service here of Your Kingdom is complete, bring us to the joy of coming Home to You.
We ask this, Father, in and by Your Holy Spirit, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Reflections on the Servant to God in Christ, in the Church
Christ has no body now but yours; no hands, no feet on earth, but yours. Yours are the eyes through which He looks with compassion on this world; yours are the feet with which He walks to do good; yours are the hands with which He blesses all the world. Christ has no body now on earth but yours. ~St. Teresa of Ávila
To those in the priesthood of Christ Jesus, may they be His planned extension of priestly life, in His image, to serve the needy world.
✞ fr. Barry