The 62nd World Day of Prayer for Vocations takes place today, May 11th.

Pilgrims of Hope: the Gift of Life

In Pope Francis’ message for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations in 2025 he stated…

In Pope Francis’ message for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations in 2025 he stated, “… A vocation is a precious gift that God sows in our heart, a call to leave ourselves behind and embark on a journey of love and service. Every vocation in the Church, whether lay, ordained or consecrated, is a sign of the hope that God has for this world and for each of his children. … Every vocation is inspired by hope, marked by confident trust in God’s providence. For Christians, hope is more than mere human optimism: it is a certainty based on our faith in God, who is at work in each of our lives. Vocations mature through the daily effort to be faithful to the Gospel, and through prayer, discernment and service. … hope in God does not disappoint, because at every step of the way he accompanies those who entrust their lives to him. Our world needs young people who are pilgrims of hope, who courageously devote their lives to Christ and rejoice in being his disciples and missionaries..”

On this World Day of Prayer for Vocations we remember all men and women discerning God’s call. The Marists ask you to remember in prayer all those in our international formation program.

(Picture Caption: Marist novices in Davao City, Philippines (March, 2025))

Called to be Eucharistic People

Our world has plunged into a frightening darkness.
LIGHT has diminished,
almost extinguished.
The threat of evil hovers large today,
in the suffering and horror of wars:
in the cries of the women,
The bewilderment of the children,
The hunger and exhaustion of the elderly,
The helplessness and powerlessness of the innocent and suffering.
The list is endless,
Yet, in the midst of this
God reminds us-
He is alive.
He LIVES in me.
He LIVES in you.
He LIVES in me
He LIVES in you
When we gather in quiet conversation,
When we engage with each other
Respecting their view, although different from ours.
He LIVES in me
He LIVES in you,
When we reach out to another,
To share our story,
Our joys, our burdens, our hopes
Without even attempting to solve the problem-
Simply, to listen with compassion,
As He SPEAKS through me
As he SPEAKS through you.

(~ Ben McKenna, SM, Easter – Eucharistic People (Poem by Bernadette Murray), April 1, 2024)

For families in crisis

Let us pray that broken families might discover the cure for their wounds through forgiveness, rediscovering each other’s gifts, even in their differences.

We all dream about a beautiful, perfect family. But there’s no such thing as a perfect family. Every family has its own problems, as well as its tremendous joys.
Every member of the family is important because each member is different than the others, each person is unique. But these differences can also cause conflict and painful wounds.
And the best medicine to heal the pain of a wounded family is forgiveness.
Forgiveness means giving another chance. God does this with us all the time. God’s patience is infinite. He forgives us, lifts us up, gives us a new start. Forgiveness always renews the family, making it look forward with hope.
Even when there’s no possibility of the “happy ending” we’d like, God’s grace gives us the strength to forgive, and it brings peace, because it frees us from sadness, and, above all, from resentment.

View the March Prayer Intention Pope Video – a global initiative to disseminate the Holy Father’s monthly intentions (Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network).