Lord Jesus Christ, High and eternal Priest: In view of so many Seminaries and Novitiates without vocations, and of so many places without priests and apostles, moved by the sorrow that tore from your heart that anguished lament: the harvest is plentiful and the workers are few, obedient to your command to pray for them, we beseech you:
(We answer: Send laborers into your harvest, O Lord).
- That there may be no lack of those who bring children to you.
- That the blind of soul may see, and the deaf may hear, and the dead may be raised, and the poor may be evangelized.
- That the oppressed of the devil may be delivered, that the righteous may be more justified and the saints more sanctified.
- That there may not cease to be in every town one who says to its inhabitants: Behold your Mother, showing her to yours.
- That all who suffer may come to you and, resting on your breast, find peace.
- That in every place the spotless oblation of the pure, holy and immaculate Host may be offered to your name.
- That daily your great desire may be fulfilled that your disciples may eat your Passover and the house of your banquet be always full.
- That not a single town may be left without a tabernacle or a priest to bring his townspeople to it.
- That your name may be hallowed, your Eucharistic kingdom come to us, and your will be done for all men on earth as for the angels in heaven.
- Lord, the harvest is plentiful and the laborers are few.
R. Send us holy priests and religious, according to your Heart.
St. Manuel Gonzalez
“I would like to envelop all priestly souls with Infinite Love. To pray, to offer myself, to suffer for the priests -instruments of the Kingdom of Infinite Love-”, such was the mission of Mother Louise Margaret Claret de la Touche.
“I would like to be able to protect, defend, guard the priestly souls that Jesus has taught me to love so much; I would like to be able to envelop them with Infinite Love, to hide them in the Heart of the Divine Master, so that they may be freed from the dangers that threaten them.
Feeling powerless with regard to them, I go to Jesus; I tell Him that I love Him, that I want to love Him with all my heart, with all my strength; by my tenderness and my loving supplications, I try to obtain from Him the graces that my priests need.
Yesterday afternoon Jesus told me: 'My priest is another Me; I love him, but he must be holy. Nineteen centuries ago, twelve men changed the world; they were not only men, they were priests; also now twelve priests could change the world'. And this morning: 'The priest is a being so invested with Christ that he becomes almost a God, but he is also a man and he must be a man. He must feel the weaknesses, the struggles, the pains, the temptations, the fears and the rebellions of man; he must be wretched in order to be merciful, and he must also be strong, pure, holy in order to be sanctifying. It is necessary for My priest to have a heart that is broad, tender, ardent, powerful in order to love. The priest must love so much! He must love Me, his Lord, his brother, his friend, his consoler, as I have loved him, and I have loved him to the point of confusing my life with his, to the point of making me obedient to his word. He must also love my Bride, his own, the Holy Church, and with what love! With an intense and jealous love, jealous of her glory, her purity, her unity and her fruitfulness. In short, he must love souls as his own children. What father has so many children to love as the priest?” - “My priest's heart must be a burning flame that burns and purifies. If only my priest knew the treasures of love that my Heart contains for him! May he come to my Heart, may he take from it, may he be filled with love until it overflows from him and pour it out upon the world! Margaret Mary has shown my Heart to the world, show it to my priests, draw them all to my Heart'”.
To increase our fervor:
Dear 40 Hours Moms:
I have been a part of this group for some time now and always look forward, with much hope, to the 14th to pray the 40 hours each month.
What an immense gift it is for us to have this space in which we unite to pray, to implore, to plead for priestly and religious vocations!
This great mission that unites us also elevates and ennobles our maternal mission.
We all pray united by the same intention and from very distant places; because we know that this world is crying out for holy priests… many and very holy…. many and very holy! And also religious sisters who, with deep charity, are the consolation of the Heart of Jesus.
We also know that the road is long and that there may be priests or religious in crisis, going through spiritual lukewarmness, in very hard missions or in loneliness…. And that our prayer can be of great help and strength for them. We do not doubt it, because prayer moves mountains! From every difficulty, with Jesus, they can emerge strengthened, with humility and purified love.
We implore Our Lady to keep them faithful to the end, so that they may be the consolation and joy of sacred hearts.
Let us continue to pray together, giving a little more each month.
For the good of our families, of our beloved Religious Family, of the whole Church and of those men who through their priesthood and charity will come to know and love God…and the so desired Heaven.
Felicitas Guevara de Ibañez