Novena For Religious Vocations (Anytime)

Repeat the following Novena prayers every day for 9 consecutive days.

Day 1

Saint Rubin and Saint Edward
With special focus on the virtues of purity and chastity

Saint Rubin of Syria and Saint Edward the Confessor,
I implore your intercession today for an increase in vocations
to the priesthood and religious life.
Saint Rubin, you stood atop a pillar preaching,
fasting, and praying with complete abandonment of self.
Saint Edward, first English king to attain sainthood,
you ruled with renowned piety and generosity,
despite the dark times of treachery and greed in which you lived,
and remained chaste throughout your life.
May your examples of piety, chastity,
and selfless devotion to Christ, our youth
and to an ever deepening devotion to Christ and the Church.
A priest espouses himself wholly in body and soul to Christ,
as a bridegroom does unto his bride,
like God’s relationship with Israel.
Let us ask God our Heavenly Father
that He send more workers into His vineyard.
Oh Saints of God, pray along with me today
that all priests and religious remain ever pure of heart,
and that God renew a steadfast spirit within them daily,
as they are called to serve humbly, devoutly,
and lovingly and as ministers of the Word,
of the altar, and of charity.

Amen.

Day 2

Saint John the Baptist and Saint Stephen
With special focus on the virtue of humility

Saint John the Baptist, you inaugurated the Gospel
as you leapt in your mother’s womb.
Prophet surpassing all other prophets,
in complete humility you heralded our Holy Redeemer.
Baptizing by water and preaching repentance,
you prepared the way of our Lord to a world waiting in darkness.
Saint Stephen, consecrated by Peter
as one of the first deacons of the Church,
you became an example of total Christian devotion and forgiveness
when you laid down your life in love for Christ,
forgiving your persecutors with your last breaths.
Saints John the Baptist and Stephen,
holy saints and martyrs of highest virtue,
I ask for your most ardent intercession today
for all seminarian who will soon serve the Church
by proclaiming the Word of God,
preaching repentance and forgiveness,
and baptizing in the name of Jesus Christ.
Pray that these men will humbly take up their calling
to which God bids them.
May they always fully live out their baptismal promises
and follow your holy examples as a strong voice
proclaiming Christ’s love and mercy to our hurting and broken world.
Intercede before Our Lord for our seminarians
and ask that they be stirred with a bold faith
and always serve God and others without fear,
in holiness and righteousness all the days of their life.
Pray that the Holy Spirit descend upon them
and remain with them so that they may live out the words:
“He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3: 30)

Amen.
 

Day 3

Saint John Vianney and Saint Charles Borromeo
With special focus on the priestly heart

Holy St. John Vianney, patron saint of priests,
on your journey to the priesthood,
you encountered many obstacles,
but you realized that to suffer was to suffer with Christ,
so you lovingly embraced your cross.
Your motto for life became
“loving while suffering and suffering in order to love.”
You were totally devoted to the service of God’s people,
especially evidenced by your tireless dedication to the confessional,
in which you spent entire days.
St. Charles Borromeo, patron saint of seminarians,
your calling came at a turbulent,
terrible time of disunity in the Church.
When a strong voice was needed to purify the Church
and strengthen the morality of the clergy,
you answered God’s call boldly,
risking your life to those who wanted to kill you
for your stalwart stance and example.
In such treacherous times,
you resolutely heralded the Gospel of Christ,
founded seminaries for the education of priests,
set a standard catechism of our faith,
and broke accepted practice of your day by residing in your diocese.
Among the people you were called to bishop,
you reformed the Catholic education of children,
and spoke prayers of comfort and absolution
to plague stricken citizens of Milan.
O holy Priest of Ars and Great Saint of Milan,
you know the needs of your Church.
Pray that many young people may, like you,
become an example of humility, diligence, charity, and holiness.

Amen.

Day 4

The Holy Eucharist
With special focus on union and intimacy with Christ

Lord Jesus, You are God!
At each Holy Mass we celebrate that You have become food for our souls,
a hidden companion at all times.
Bread and wine hide You.
How can God humble himself so much so as not to be even seen as human?
You, Jesus, wait for us patiently to unite with You...
seeking, loving, desiring to impart Your graces upon us.
Yes, Lord Jesus, You are a Victim and a Sacrifice for us.
At communion especially we become part of You and You part of us.
If we have the proper disposition,
we become totally united with You.
May all your faithful be united intimately to You at Communion.
Lord, we also pray for more vocations to the priesthood.
It is by your priests that you feed your Church with the Holy Eucharist.
The anointed hands of your priests
will consecrate the bread and wine to the Body,
Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ.
May your Church be kept holy and faithful,
and may all of your priests be ever more drawn
into the image and likeness of Jesus Christ,
who came not to be served but to serve.

Amen.

Day 5

Saint Joseph and Saint Michael the Archangel
With special focus on the virtue of obedience

Holy St. Joseph, Carpenter of Nazareth,
Guardian of the Redeemer,
Protector of Our Lady’s Good Name,
Patron Saint of the Universal Church and of Workingmen,
you were a holy and righteous man.
Angels visited you, the Christ Child watched and learned from you,
and Mary depended upon you to provide for and protect the Holy Family.
You were completely obedient to whatever God asked of you,
without ever knowing where your obedient acts would take you
or what the outcomes of your obedience would be.
Your role in the plan of redemption allowed Jesus
to lovingly refer to Himself as the Son of Man.
Upon your death, Mary and Jesus must have been very close by,
which is the way I also faithfully desire to leave this world
at the hour of my own death.
Saint Michael the Archangel, messenger of God,
you carry out missions at God’s command.
Upon you mankind depends -- to save us from the powers of Satan
and all his evil works in this world.
God has commanded you and all the angels to guard us in all our ways.
O foster father of Jesus and Angel-Prince of Heavenly Hosts,
I implore your holy intercessions for all families.
Guard them and pray they follow your highest examples of devoted obedience
to the call of Our Father in Heaven to be holy.
Implore God the Father, God the Son,
and God the Holy Spirit to pour down upon married couples
the special graces needed to stalwartly protect
and defend their families from the many influences in the world today
that leads our youth away from the Truth.
And finally, help families to: “put on the whole armor of God,
that it may be able to withstand the wiles of the devil...
girding its loins with truth...
putting on the breastplate of righteousness...
shodding its feet with the equipment of the gospel of peace,
and above all, taking the shield of faith.” (Eph. 6:11-16)

Amen.

Day 6

Saint Therese of Lisieux and Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta
With a special focus on the virtue of charity

O holy women of great faith and charity,
slight in stature but big of heart,
I call upon your blessed intercession today for young women.
Holy Saint Therese, one of the principal duties of Carmelites
is to pray for the Church, and you did this throughout your days
as a Carmelite nun with great fervor.
May there be many women who respond generously
to the call to religious life.
Most of all, please ask our Lord to form us all in the way of Love.
O Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, you said,
“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.”
I pray that our youth learn from your simple words of wisdom and example.
Ask Almighty God to gently guide them to be an instrument for our Lord,
to be “the little pencil in the hand of God
who is sending a love letter to the world.”
As servants of the Church,
help all us fight against the greatest poverties you saw in the modern world,
loneliness, feeling unwanted, and deciding that an unborn child must die
so that one can live as one wishes.
Pray that our youth, especially discerning women, will always know,
“Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est.”
(Where true love and charity are found, God is always there.)

Amen.

Day 7

Saint Peter, Saint Paul, and Saint John Paul II
With a special focus on the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit

Holy Saints Peter and Paul, I ask your special intercession
for young men who are being called to become faithful servants
in the unbroken apostolic succession of the Church
which you first built up.
Peter, an unschooled and impetuous fisherman called directly by Jesus,
and Paul, an educated Roman citizen ardent in persecuting the early Christians
until an unexpected and dramatic conversion,
you were highly unlikely in the eyes of men
to be destined for glory.
But, the eyes of God looked upon you with great favor
and He blessed you with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Empowered by wisdom, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, understanding,
piety and fear of the Lord, you each magnified God by preaching,
teaching, converting and healing in the name of Jesus Christ,
winning many souls, Jews and Gentiles alike,
for the Kingdom of God.
As you now look radiantly upon the face of God in His heavenly kingdom,
I ask you to join me in my petition to God today
that many will respond as you did to the Divine invitation to service.
Saint Pope John Paul II, 264th successor to the Chair of Peter,
you called your vocation an
“inner fact of unquestionable and absolute clarity.”
Pray to Almighty God that those who are being called
to the priesthood will be given that clarity as well.
Pray that youth use their talents,
like you did, to extend the Kingdom of Christ.
May this next generation stand firmly for the sanctity of life,
the dignity of the human person,
encouraging all to open wide the doors of their hearts to Christ.
Saint John Paul II, pray for all the faithful
that they always be found praying without ceasing,
fighting the good fight, finishing the race,
and exemplifying a life of love for Christ,
love for the Blessed Virgin Mary,
love for the Church.

Amen.

Day 8

Saint John the Evangelist
With a special focus on Love for Mary

St. John the Evangelist, patron of many dioceses,
you knew and experienced Christ in a deeply personal way,
on the shores of Galilee, atop Mt. Tabor,
in the Garden of Gethsemane, at the foot of the cross,
at the side of His beloved mother, and in the empty tomb.
You were the disciple Jesus loved the most,
and to whom He entrusted the highest privilege,
the care of His Holy Mother.
With intimate affection and relationship,
your Gospel proclaims the good news
in highly loving and richly symbolic ways,
speaking of Jesus the Christ as the light of the world,
the way, the truth, and the life, the bread of life,
and the narrow gate.
I ask your powerful and tender intercession for our Bishop,
priests, deacons, and all the faithful of our diocese.
Pray that our Bishop also be a beloved disciple of Christ,
boldly approaching the foot of the cross
and leading others to the Lamb of God.
Pray that all our priests be holy,
faithful and filled with great love.
Pray that our deacons follow the example of the holy deacons of old:
holy, generous, and actively working to serve the poor.
O Holy Saint John, pray that we become heralds of truth
who stand patiently in love.
Like you, may we not be filled with fear,
but rest in the knowledge that
“perfect love casts out all fear” (1 John 4:18).
Pray that, like Mary, our love for God will grow
as we recognize the great love that God has for each one of us,
“God so loved the world that He gave His only Son,
so that whoever believes in Him
shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3: 16)

Amen.

Day 9

Feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus
With a special focus on the gifts of faith, hope, and charity

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus,
Loving Heart for mankind,
Heart on fire for souls,
Heart of infinite mercy,
Your heart beats every second with love for Your children.
Most Sacred Heart, place those whom you are calling
to be priests or religious next to Your Heart.
May they find refuge in Your Heart,
and there, hear your invitation to love and serve.
May their hope in Your Heart empower them
to cast away all fears and worries.
May this hope assist them to brighten lives of the faithful.
May their love within Your Heart grow to serve You
with great desire in every detail,
and release this love
with the open-hearted purpose of service for souls,
seeing Christ in all, despite any sins or weaknesses.
O Most Sacred Heart, increase their faith,
hope, and love for Jesus and love for the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
because without faith, hope,and love,
there is no foundation on which to build heavenly virtues.
O Lord of the harvest,
send many faithful workers into your vineyard.

Amen.