Pray For Vocations
Tuesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time
My dear encountered couples:
We pray for many things. I hope no one here forgets to pray for what Jesus advises us today to pray for. “The harvest is good,” Jesus said, “but laborers are scarce. Beg the harvest master to send out laborers to gather his harvest.”
The number of priests and nuns are dwindling. We are growing older and going off to our eternal rewards (or whatever), without our spots being filled up by others who accept God’s call to enter the priesthood and the nunnery. The Church is beginning to face a real crisis, not only in mission lands but right at home in our largest of Catholic cities. More and more often, two, even three parishes are being joined together as one while the other is closed. Christ no longer lives in some church buildings, people no longer gather there - because of the shortage of priests.
At least two solutions are offered the Pope for consideration:
the acceptance of a married clergy and women priests. Married and unmarried deacons are already being ordained to help out with many of the duties that were once reserved for priests only. That is good. But the offering of Mass is essential, and for that purpose more priests are needed.
“Beg the harvest master to send out laborers to gather his harvest,” Jesus said. Every day please try to remember that intention in your prayers. In the meantime, do what you can to help gather God’s harvest. A word here, an action there; sometimes, that’s all it takes.
Pray for vocations!
