You already knew that laborers would be scarce, and so you asked us to pray to the Father to send us laborers, priestly vocations for the Church. What a great, unfathomable mystery is a priestly vocation! A boy, a young man, or a mature man senses the transcendent presence of God which bursts into his life; God looks at them and calls them. Because you do call, Lord; you never stop calling. The problem is ours, for we are not always willing to hear your voice.  

So I dare to ask you now to move to generosity the hearts of those you have chosen for the priesthood or consecrated life. You ask of them complete renunciation: they must leave behind human bonds of affection, their family, friends, personal plans and, at times, their homeland... And you ask them to follow you. You appear unannounced in their lives, calling with your authority as Lord: "Follow me." You want them at that very instant to drop all their pre-conceived plans and dreams, leaving them there on the lakeshore of their lives.  

How difficult it must be for them to leave everything, yet what joy to feel in their souls your loving, preferential gaze! What an honor to be your specially chosen and intimate friends! And from the very moment you call them, you have already assigned them the great adventure of preaching your Gospel.  

Grant them generosity, Lord. May they never avoid your eyes and hold on like cowards to their riches, as did the young man in the Gospel who didn't have the courage to give up his many material possessions. May those you call, Lord, follow you joyfully, unrestrained by things. May they be courageous, unentangled in the seduction of the world's easy pleasures. May they follow you decisively, the Truth and the Life.  

I pray to you, Lord, for all the young people of the world who right now need an extra push of generosity to say "yes" to you as Mary did when you asked her through the angel to be your Mother here on earth. May their faith show them that beyond what they leave is the eternal salvation they will bring to many thousands of people, thanks to their humble but infinitely important "yes." 

I pray to you especially for the young men I know, who are seriously considering a priestly vocation. Grant them light to know your will and, above all, great love. Teach them not to seek human evidence or signs to prove your call scientifically or rationally, since a vocation is not a matter of evidence, but of love. And, if your voice were to echo some day in my conscience, calling me to follow you, I ask you from this moment to give me the courage to leave everything without ever looking back, following after you with great joy.  

I now think of all those to whom you grant the special gift of hearing your call from when they are young. You love them in a special way, to set them apart for yourself and for your Kingdom from such an early age. They are the boys who study in minor seminaries with the dream of one day receiving the great gift of the priesthood. They live their vocation with purity, immense joy, and the crystal clarity characteristic of clean hearts who have decided to protect and defend come what may the wonderful gift they realize they bear as your chosen ones. I pray for them, Lord. Keep them firm in their decision and help them to persevere with hope in their resolutions no matter what obstacles they meet on their path.  

I also pray for those men who perceive a call to the priesthood, for those men or women who perceive a call to consecrated life, that they will remain faithful in their resolution and identify themselves completely with your plan for their lives.  

I pray to you too, for all those who have decided to answer your call generously and are preparing for the priesthood or consecrated life in seminaries or other centers for formation. From the outside we might think that they live a type of heaven, but they too must have their trials, temptations, doubts, waverings and weaknesses, since they are flesh and blood. Help them to persevere on the path they have undertaken, never hesitating to give all they are to be saints, men and women filled with zeal to spread the Gospel. The world needs them this way. We need them this way so that they will kindle your love in our hearts and lead us very clearly to you.  

I pray also for all those who have received the sublime gift of the priesthood, who preach your word and bring the Eucharist and your reconciliation even to the ends of the earth. They are the laborers par excellence of your vineyard, your friends and favored ones.  

I pray to you for young priests - that they will use all their energies to preach your Gospel; for priests who are tired of it or those who are going through a time of personal crisis - that you will infuse them with enthusiasm for their ministry and help them to see the greatness of their priestly mission; for priests afflicted by internal troubles - that you will grant them the balm of your consolation; for priests who have lost their initial fervor - that you will pour into their hearts a new effusion of charity; for priests who are dedicated to preaching and teaching, that you will enlighten them and guide them with the gift of the Holy Spirit.  

Grant persecuted priests strength and peace in their tribulations; help sick and elderly priests unite themselves to you in their suffering, offering it up for the good of the Mystical Body; help priests who work with young people to inspire enthusiasm for holiness and burning apostolic zeal in their hearts. Grant contemplative priests perfect union with you and perseverance in their prayer and sacrifice for the universal Church. Fill with compunction and confidence the heart of any priest caught off guard by grave sin, so that they will not hesitate to approach you, the source of forgiveness and reconciliation.  

Lord, comfort all the priests of your Church. Sustain them in their vocation and mission. Make them worthy of their ministry. Grant us holy priests, for we need their holiness in our lives.  

I pray to you in a special way for all those who promote vocations. Enlighten them, so that they can call today's youth in your name with the same force as you did during your public life. Grant them the gift of discerning vocations and the necessary courage to present your call fearlessly, knowing that the greatest good we can offer young people is to present Christ's call to them (cf. John Paul II, Letter to priests, Holy Thursday, 1985).  

I especially pray that families will be able to accept the gift of the priesthood or consecrated life and give it its true value. For some parents, a child's desire for priesthood or consecration to you is a tragedy. They would rather see them succumb to the worst of vices. Others, however, know the true greatness of a vocation and pray night and day for the gift of a son in the priesthood or a daughter consecrated to you. I pray, Lord, that there will be ever more families like this who know that a vocation is a gift for each member of the family.  

Grant your Church families who live the Gospel in such a way that vocations will blossom there as the mature fruit of their deep Christian lifestyle. Protect our families. Make them places where your love and peace reign. Make them oases of faith and hope In which all their members united In prayer and gathered around Mary, will lovingly welcome the mystery of life. These families will be the best-suited place to live and pass on the faith and shape the souls of the future apostles of your Kingdom.  

I pray that society will increasingly value the gift of vocations, for each one is a gift to humanity, and to the society in which they live and work, communicating to all your saving message and grace.  

I also offer you my small sufferings, pain, discomfort, sacrifice and disappointment, for vocations. I will personally strive to promote and assist them in every way possible, materially and spiritually. Finally, I offer you my own life. Take it and use it to speak to others. Borrowing the words of a young priest who looked at the world and saw its needs:  

When I think of the world waning and dying for lack of Christ. 

When I think of the profound chaos into which this restless and blind humanity is tumbling for lack of Christ.  

When I see the mass of workers turn to communist sects for lack of Christ.  

When I meet up with the strength of youth withered and torn apart for lack of Christ...  

I cannot hold back the cries of my heart.  

I want to multiply myself, divide myself, so as to write, preach, and teach Christ.  

And from the very depths of my being, from the very spirit of my spirit, bursts forth this single resounding cry:  

MY LIFE FOR CHRIST! 

Re-christianize mankind. This is our mission. This is our goal. This is the reason for our humble Institute.