May 3: World Day of Prayer for Vocations

“Every vocation is born of that gaze of love with which the Lord came to meet us, perhaps even at a time when our boat was being battered by the storm.” - Message from Pope Francis for May 3, 2020

For 57 years, the Holy See has marked out the Fourth Sunday of Easter as an occasion for Catholics worldwide to pray for vocations. This is an important day for our Augustinian men in formation, especially now as many of them are separated from their practice of pastoral ministry. We invite you to find below some resources for prayer and reflection, including the Pope Francis’ 2020 Message for World Day of Prayer for Vocations.

From the USCCB: The purpose of the World Day of Prayer for Vocations is to publicly fulfill the Lord's instruction to, "Pray the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest" (Mt 9:38; Lk 10:2). As a climax to a prayer that is continually offered throughout the Church, it affirms the primacy of faith and grace in all that concerns vocations to the priesthood and to the consecrated life. While appreciating all vocations, the Church concentrates its attention this day on vocations to the ordained ministries (priesthood and diaconate), to the Religious life in all its forms (male and female, contemplative and apostolic), to societies of apostolic life, to secular institutes in their diversity of services and membership, and to the missionary life, in the particular sense of mission "ad gentes".