Fr. Michael Williams

With fewer and fewer men offering themselves for a life of service in the priesthood, the Archdiocese of Westminster has decided to try and attract men to this vocation, by advertising the priesthood on posters in underground tube stations in London, and on beer mats in east-end pubs. Will this attract young men to the priesthood?

I think it is important to remember the reason why men offer themselves for the priesthood. They offer themselves, because the disciples of Jesus, that is you and me, “ask the Lord of the Harvest to send labourers to His harvest”. Vocations come from the Lord, who gives vocations, when we ask Him for them fervently in prayer. Prayer always produces vocations. There are so many vocations in the Philippines, Africa and India, because the people of those lands know how to pray for vocations. We need to rediscover the art of prayer in Britain and so “ask the Lord of the Harvest to send labourers to His harvest”. When this happens there will be plenty of vocations to the priesthood.

A newspaper article I read this week stated that young women in this country, generally, do not want to pursue vocations in teaching and nursing, or indeed the religious life, but they would rather be lap-dancers and the like, instead. It is sad to see so many young women pursuing useless ways of life. However, we know that this situation will be turned around when we rediscover the art of persistent prayer. Many young women will rediscover noble vocations, instead of seedy careers, when we “ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest”. I know of two young, normal women, who have chosen the religious life - one has chosen to be a Carmelite nun in York and the other has chosen to be a Franciscan living and working with the “harassed and dejected” of the Bronx in New York. They have chosen these vocations because prayer enfolds them. Prayer always produces vocations.

It is essential to remember that all vocations - whether it be priesthood, religious life, marriage, the single life- are all founded on, and sustained by prayer. It is interesting to note that before Jesus appoints His first priests, the Twelve Apostles, he first tells his disciples to “ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest”. It is only after prayer that Jesus appoints the Twelve. Prayer produced vocations then, and it will now. It’s as simple as that.

In Britain “the harvest is rich, but the labourers are few”, so let us make a commitment to ask each and every day that, “the Lord of the harvest will send labourers to his harvest”. As Christian disciples we all have a responsibility in praying for vocations, for workers in the Lord’s vineyard, because ultimately it is only through our prayers that men and women will be able to hear the Lord calling them to a life of service, a life dedicated to God and His people.