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In Matthew’s gospel, we hear Jesus’ compassionate response to the suffering and pain he observes:
"At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest'." (Mat 9:37-38)
Members of the vocation committee are devoted to fulfilling Jesus’ request to pray to the Father, with the goal of promoting vocations to the priesthood and the religious life throughout our dioceses.
(The Parish Vocations Cross that Fr. Martin brought back from the Holy Land is pictured on the left)
The Diocese of Sacramento's Office of Vocations has identified three basis tasks for Parish Vocation Ministry Committees:
- Creating parish awareness-we will use every opportunity to keep the need for vocations before the eyes of the people in the parish through the use of posters, bulletin notices and other special events/celebrations.
- Campaign of prayer-we will encourage private and public prayer for vocations in the following ways:
- Personal Prayer-vocation prayer cards (English & Spanish) are available in the rectory, vestibule of church and in the pews for parishioners to use in their private and public prayers. There are also special prayer cards (English & Spanish) for individuals struggling to discern a priestly or religious vocation.
- Fasting-parishioners can fast as a form of prayer and penance.
- Prayers of the Faithful-petition for vocations will be read at daily and weekend masses.
- Rosary before Mass-vocation prayer will be said at the end of the rosary during daily and weekend masses.
- Vocation Prayer during the mass-a special prayer will be said after the Eucharist during daily and weekend masses.
- Prayers of the Sick and Elderly-a special prayer card (English & Spanish) is available to the sick, elderly, and shut-ins of our parish community for their private prayer.
- Vocation Cross Program-a vocation cross (brought back from the Holy Land by Father Martin during his pilgrimage in October 2008), is available to a family/parishioner for private prayer in their home during the up coming week.
- Prayer before the Blessed Sacrament-vocation prayers (English & Spanish) are available during First Friday Adoration.
- Inviting Individuals Personally-we are presently collecting names of individuals (children, adolescents or adults) who are considering a vocation or who appear to possess the personality characteristics and character traits of a potential candidate to a religious vocation. Activities for further exploration will be promoted. We also have vocation cards for individuals struggling to discern “their calling.” If you have a person you would like us to pray for, please call Jennifer Martinez and we will include the individual on our prayer list.
