Of course we should be praying and working for vocations to the priesthood and religious life the year around, but once each year, a Sunday is set-aside to remind us of how important it is for each one of us to become involved.
Next Sunday, April 21st, is World Day of Prayer for Vocations and it will be observed in every parish of the Diocese of Dallas. At the close of this blog I am printing a prayer for vocations that I hope each of you will pray individually or with your family on a regular basis.
It reminds us of the men and women who brought the Catholic Faith to North Texas. They were brave missionaries on horseback who spent weeks traveling the dusty trails to bring the sacraments to Catholic pioneers with names like Martiniere, Hennessy, Neraz, Augagneur and Sheehan. We also must remember and appreciate the Ursuline nuns, Daughters of Charity, Sisters of St. Mary Namur, members of the Congregation of Divine Providence, men and women whose hearts were on fire with the love of Jesus and His people.
The God who called them is calling today to our generous and giving young people. Please join me in praying that they may hear and discern that call.
“It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain” John 15:16
God of all nations, we are most grateful for the first Catholic missionaries and explorers who came to the Diocese of Dallas. As strangers in a strange land they suffered many hardships and brought with them countless skills, talents and traditions, but their greatest treasure was their faith. May the good news of Jesus Christ, which molded and shaped their lives, continue to mold and shape our lives today. Bless our diocese with men and women who will follow in their footsteps to serve the Church as religious brothers, sisters, priests, and deacons. We make this prayer in the name of Jesus. Amen.
This post is also available in/Esta entrada también está disponible en: Spanish