Prayers

Keep them, I pray Thee, dearest Lord, keep them, for they are Thine – Thy priests whose lives burn out before Thy consecrated shrine.
Keep them, for they are in the world, though from the world apart; when earthly pleasures tempt, allure – shelter them in Thy heart.
Keep them, and comfort them in hours of loneliness and pain, when all their lives of sacrifice for souls seems but in van.
Keep them, and O remember, Lord, they have no one but Thee, yet they have only human hearts, with human frailty.
Keep them as spotless as the Host, that daily they caress; their every thought and word and deed, Deign, dearest Lord, to bless.
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.

Father, while our children are young,
hold them close to Your heart.
In this world confused by error and sin,
guard their innocence and fill them with unshakable faith.
As they grow older, keep them true to your teachings,
faithful to Sunday Mass, and active within Your Church.
May they sincerely seek Your will
in all important life decisions,
and when the time comes,
open their hearts to Your call,
whether to Christian marriage, priesthood, or consecrated life.
We ask this in the name of Jesus,
our Savior and Lord.
Amen.

Father, increase our family’s love for one another.
May we honor each other in times of happiness or hardship,
bearing with one another in love, just as You love us.
In a special way, help us strive for holiness in our current states of life.
Should You call some of us to the priesthood or religious life,
help us to respond with courage and joy.
Together, we make heaven our goal, and pledge, with Your grace,
to help each other on life’s journey to You.
Through the intercession of the Holy Family:
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.
Amen.

God our Father,
You made each of us to use our gifts in the Body of Christ.
We ask that You inspire young people whom
you call to priesthood and consecrated life
to courageously follow Your will.
Send workers into Your great harvest
so that the Gospel is preached,
the poor are served with love,
the suffering are comforted,
and Your people are strengthened by the sacraments.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

God our Father,
From eternity You appointed Your only begotten Son
to be the High Priest of the human race.
Pour forth, we beseech You,
Your Holy Spirit upon our families,
that vocations to the priesthood may be multiplied.
Lord Jesus, give us holy priests:
To offer up the sacrifice of the Mass;
To lead the little ones to You;
To strengthen the faith of believers;
To preach the Gospel to all peoples;
To bring forgiveness to sinners;
To feed souls the Bread of Life;
To comfort the suffering & dying, and
To spread Your Kingdom in our midst.
Mary, Mother of our High Priest, pray for us and obtain for us an increase of holy priests.
Amen.

O Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus and Mother of the Church,
to you we commend our young people,
in particular those called to follow your Son
as brothers, sisters, and priests.
You know, O Mary, the struggles, doubts,
and obstacles they must face.
Assist them to answer Yes to the divine call,
as you did at the invitation of the angel.
Draw them near to your heart so that
they can understand the joy that awaits them
when they answer your Son’s call
to be witnesses of His love in the world.
Amen.

I glorify You, God, in all that I do.
In mind, body, and spirit
I give my best to You.
Help me to follow your will
no matter the call:
sister, brother, or priest,
I promise my all.
If you call me to marriage,
I promise to love,
and to teach my own children
to seek grace from above.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.

All-powerful Father,
protect your sons who are
preparing for the priesthood.
Help them remain faithful to prayer,
diligent in their studies, and
docile to spiritual direction.
Protect them from temptation,
keep them from all evil,
and enflame their hearts with love
so they may one day become
ardent and gentle shepherds
for Your Church. Amen.

(By Saint Therese of the Child Jesus)

O Jesus, I pray for Your faithful and fervent priests;
for Your unfaithful and tepid priests;
for Your priests laboring at home or abroad in distant mission fields.
for Your tempted priests;
for Your lonely and desolate priest
for Your young priests;
for Your dying priests;
for the souls of Your priests in Purgatory.
But above all, I recommend to You the priests dearest to me:
the priest who baptized me;
the priests who absolved me from my sins;
the priests at whose Masses I assisted and who gave me Your Body and Blood in Holy Communion;
the priests who taught and instructed me;
all the priests to whom I am indebted in any other way.
O Jesus, keep them all close to Your heart,
and bless them abundantly in time and in eternity. Amen.

Lord Jesus Christ, eternal High Priest,
You offered yourself to the Father on the altar of the Cross
and through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit gave Your priestly people
a share in Your redeeming sacrifice.
Hear our prayer for the sanctification of our priests.
Grant that all who are ordained to the ministerial priesthood
may be ever more conformed to You, the Divine Master.
May they preach the Gospel with pure heart and clear conscience.
Let them be shepherds according to Your own Heart,
single-minded in service to You and to the Church
and shining examples of a holy, simple and joyful life.
Through the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Your Mother and ours, draw all priests
and the flocks entrusted to their care to the fullness of eternal life
where you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever. Amen.

(By Fr. John Cullen, Diocese of Elphin)

God our Father, may we wake up the world!
You consecrate us to live holy lives,
You light up our way to the future
You gift us with the grace of prophecy and prayer,

Jesus, may we wake up the world.
You promise healing and hope when we suffer,
You enfold us in the dream you have for each one of us,
You bless us with missionary hearts,

Holy Spirit, may we wake up the world.
You shape us with your mercy,
You teach us hospitality and welcome,
You silence us with the wonder of your love,
Your delight is to bless us.
May we gladden your heart with the gifts of our lives!
With Mary, may we wake up the world! Amen.