Find below prayers prepared by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales which can be used when praying for vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
1.
O God, who willed to provide shepherds for your people,
pour out in your Church a spirit of piety and fortitude,
to raise up worthy ministers for your altars
and make them ardent yet gentle heralds of your Gospel.
Through Christ our Lord.
2.
Look kindly, we pray, O Lord,
on the prayers of your people,
that the stewards of your mysteries may grow in number
and persevere always in your love.
Through Christ our Lord.
3.
Through our prayers we entreat you, O Lord,
that the seeds you sow with great abundance
in the field of your Church may come to maturity,
so that many may make it their choice in life
to serve you in their brothers and sisters.
Through Christ our Lord.
4.
Holy Father, who, through urging all the faithful to perfect charity,
never cease to prompt many to follow more closely
in the footsteps of your Son,
grant, we pray, that those you have chosen for this special calling
may, by their way of life,
show to the Church and the world
a clear sign of your Kingdom.
5.
Look with favour on your family, O Lord,
and increase it always with new ministers,
who will lead its sons and daughters towards their goal of perfect charity
and work effectively for the salvation of all.
Through Christ our Lord.
6.
Strengthen your servants, Lord,
to respond faithfully to the call of the Gospel
so as to make present everywhere the living image of your Son.
Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
7.
By our prayers, Lord,
help us to find new servants and ministers of your Gospel,
who will persevere in obeying your will,
bear witness to your love before the world
and to seek with courage those good things
which alone will last for ever.
Through Christ our Lord.
Extracts from The Roman Missal © 2010, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. All rights reserved.