Prayer for Vocations

To help the children express an understanding that we need to pray to know and to follow our calling from God

By creating their own Prayer for Vocations Poster, the children will be encouraged to pray regularly for the grace to know and follow their call from God.

• 9" x 12" inch sheets of construction paper (one per child)
• Rulers
• Markers
• Copies of the Prayer for Vocations
• Glue

• Distribute the pieces of construction paper and instruct the children to use a ruler to make a 1 1/2-inch border on each of the four sides of the paper, leaving a 6" x 9" box in the center of the paper.
• Carefully copy the Prayer for Vocations (found below) in the center box.
• Instruct the children to decorate their prayer by drawing symbols of things they might like to do as adults in the 1 1/2-inch border.
• Encourage the children to add one or more question marks in the outside border area, because there is much we don't know yet about God's will for us.
• Instruct the children to take their prayer poster home and to use it to pray this prayer regularly for God's guidance in knowing and following their vocation.

Prayer for Vocations:

God, in Baptism you called me by name
and made me a member of your people, the Church.
Help all your people to know their vocation in life,
and to respond by living a life of holiness.
For your greater glory and for the service of your people,
raise up dedicated and generous leaders
who will serve as sisters, priests, brothers, deacons, and lay ministers.

Send your Spirit to guide and strengthen me
that I may serve your people
following the example of your Son, Jesus Christ,
in whose name I offer this prayer.
Amen.

Art/Space Smart, Word Smart

If less time is available for this project, make copies of the Prayer for Vocations. Enlarge the copies to fit well in the 6" x 9" box and glue the prayer in place.

If there are children in your groups with special needs (physical, visual, hearing, language, or behavioral disabilities), adapt the activity accordingly.