April

See Lent and Easter.

World Day of Prayer for Vocations

Every year the Church unites in prayer to beg God for religious and priestly vocations. This practice springs from the Lord's words: "The harvest is great, but the laborers are few. Beg the Lord of the Harvest to send forth laborers into his harvest." The numbers of men and women following vocations to the priesthood and the religious life are on the increase in the world. The increase is especially seen in Third World Countries.

It is important to introduce boys and girls to the possibility of a religious vocation, especially by exposing them to the personal witness of those who have been called and who have followed such a vocation. Inviting priests or sisters over for dinner at a house or to a classroom party makes the children feel more at ease. Have the children research the number of priests and sisters and the total population of the United States and through a little math discover how many people each priest or sister is expected to minister to. Take a tour as a class or a family of a convent or monastery. If permitted take pictures along the way and put together a virtual tour afterwards or make a class scrapbook. Participate in the liturgy periodically at a religious house. Have a class pen-pal who is a missionary in another country. Practically any religious community you contact here in the states has sisters in other countries that they could contact for you. Let each child write a prayer for vocations, place them in a basket before a statue or picture of Jesus and pull one out for each day of April to read before religion class. Sponsor an essay or picture contest (depending on age): What I would do if I were a sister/priest. It is never too young to start introducing religious vocations since most sister and priests (though they may enter in their late twenties) had their first "inspiration" in grade school and high school.