Jesus, my Saviour, my brother, my Lord.
I am looking for my best purspose.
I ask you to walk by my sideand guide me along your path.
Let me deeply sense your companionship.
Let me love you and see your plan for me.
Open my heart to your vision and adventure
let me trust in you at every step.
I know you want me to live life to the full.
And I want to live to the full with purpose and hope.
You’ve given me the gift of this life, this journey.
Grant that my living and loving will make a difference in the world and be a gift to you.

AMEN

Lord Jesus, we pray for some great new priests for our vibrant and growing diocese of your Church.

Allow those you choose to be your priests to know this dream within.
Call forth faith-filled and happy brothers to unite with confidence on this journey; a journey of living your compassion, justice, hope and healing power.

Let them hear you and radically trust in you. Empower them Lord to share your heart and to make your presence truly known and loved.

AMEN

1. Make the Sign of the Cross and pray the Apostles Creed.                                                                          

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day He arose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of Saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. Amen.

2. Pray the Our Father.

3. Pray three Hail Marys. 

4.  Pray the Glory be to the Father.

5. Announce the First Mystery; then pray the Our Father.

(Just before you announce each Mystery, you might like to gently pray the following prayer):

'I pray dear Lord that you will allow me to know your dream and vision in my heart. Empower me with the anticipation of your guiding companionship always. Let me hear the whisper of your call within… and let me respond with complete trust and joy'.

To use a different approach now and again, instead of using the Mysteries 1-5 before each set of Hail Marys, you might like to use the Scripture Passages (see next section below). So, read the prayer above. Pause for a while. Then read the Scripture Passage. Pause. Then proceed with the ten Hail Marys.                                                                           

6. Pray ten Hail Marys, while meditating on the Mystery (or Scripture     Passage).

7. Pray the Glory be to the Father.

8. Announce the Second Mystery (or read the second of the Scripture Passages below), then pray the Our Father. Repeat 6 and 7 and continue with the Third, Fourth and Fifth Mysteries in the same manner.

9. Pray the Hail Holy Queen after the five decades are completed.

Any of the Mysteries can be prayed at any time, but there is a common practice of using the Joyful Mysteries on Monday and Saturday; the Sorrowful Mysteries on Tuesday and Friday; the Glorious Mysteries on Wednesday and Sunday; and the Luminous Mysteries on Thursday.

(These sets of Mysteries are outlined after the following Scripture Passages.)

1. Jeremiah 1:4-7,9. The word of the Lord came to me thus: before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you. 'Ah, Lord God!' I said, 'I know not how to speak; I am too young.' But the Lord answered me, Say not, 'I am too young. To whomever I send you, you shall go; whatever I command you, you shall speak.' Then the Lord stretched out his hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me: ‘There! I have put my words into your mouth.’

2. Luke 1:37-38 (The angel Gabriel said)….‘for nothing will be impossible for God.' Mary said, 'Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word.' Then the angel departed from her.

3. Mark 1:16-18 As he was walking along by the Lake of Galilee, he saw Simon and Simon’s brother Andrew casting a net in the lake – for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, 'Come after me and I will make you into fishers of people.' And at once they left their nets and followed him.

4. John 21:15-17,19b When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?' He said to him, 'Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.' He said to him, 'Feed my lambs.' He then said to him a second time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me?' He said to him, 'Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.' He said to him, 'Tend my sheep.' He said to him the third time, 'Simon, son of John, do you love me?' Peter was distressed that he had said to him a third time, 'Do you love me?' and he said to him, 'Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.' [Jesus] said to him, 'Feed my sheep.' And after this he said, ‘Follow me.’

5. Matthew 28:18-20 Then Jesus came up and spoke to them. He said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations; baptise them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And look, I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.'

The joyful mysteries of the rosary can all be located in the first two chapters of the Gospel of Luke in the Bible. The joyful mysteries are:

The angel's annunciation of Christ's coming
Mary's visit to Elizabeth
The birth of Christ
Jesus' presentation in the temple as an infant, and
Finding the boy Jesus in the temple.

The sorrowful mysteries of the rosary can be found in the last chapters of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. The mysteries are:

Christ's agony in the garden
His scourging
His being crowned with thorns
Christ carrying the cross, and
His crucifixion and death.

The glorious mysteries of the rosary can be found in the last chapter of the Gospel of Luke, the second chapter of the Book of Acts, and Revelation 12. They are:

Christ's resurrection
His ascension into heaven
The sending of the Holy Spirit
Mary's assumption into heaven, and
Mary's coronation in heaven.

The mysteries of light (also known as the luminous mysteries of the rosary), recommended in 2002 by Pope John Paul II, add five more meditations to the rosary related to Christ's life and teachings:

Christ's baptism in the Jordan
Christ's self-manifestation at the wedding at Cana
Proclamation of the Kingdom of God and call to conversion        Transfiguration, and
The Last Supper and institution of the Eucharist.  

Believe that God wants the best for you. If you don’t believe that, ask to believe it…and breathe in God’s peace and hope. Otherwise you’re going to hesitate to trust in and pursue those niggles you’re feeling to ‘step outside of the square’!

Eight questions may help you find the answer.

Q1: Do you feel called to give more, to be more?

Q2: Do you find your weekly ministry more life-giving and energising than your career?

Q3: Do you hide vocation literature under your bed or tuck it away in a closet?

Q4: Do you long for more?

Q5: Does your relationship with God sustain you, enliven you, invigorate you in such a way that you want to share the Good News with others?

Q6: Do you have a sneaking suspicion that you are on the brink of a major life decision?

Q7: Are you afraid to tell family and friends that you are thinking about a church vocation?