Why don't we pray for vocations to marriage the way we pray for vocations to priesthood/religious life?

  • Thread starter Thread starter mythbuster1
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
M

mythbuster1

Guest
Why is it that time and again, we pray for more vocations to the priesthood and religious life, but I have never once witnessed a Prayer of the Faithful for more vocations to marriage? Yes, the priesthood is more noble, but we need holy marriages, too, for else where would priests and religious come from, and what scandal would we give the world without holy marriages?
 
We do at the parish closest to me. The prayer has evolved from a prayer for vocations to the priesthood, the religious life was added, and finally vocations marriage and family life.
 
I’m not saying we shouldn’t pray for more vocations to the priesthood. Far be it from me to suggest such a thing, when some parishes don’t even have a priest of their own, but rather must share with one or more other parishes. What I object to is this utter neglect of marriage as a vocation worthy of our prayers.
 
mythbuster1 said:
I’m not saying we shouldn’t pray for more vocations to the priesthood. Far be it from me to suggest such a thing, when some parishes don’t even have a priest of their own, but rather must share with one or more other parishes. What I object to is this utter neglect of marriage as a vocation worthy of our prayers.
Click to expand...
Talk to your priest or the person who writes the petitions. My parish prays for both.
 
Marriage is the “default” vocation, which most are called to. Priesthood and religious life are relatively rare vocational callings compared to marriage. Even more rare than these callings is the vocation to the single life as a layman, but we don’t necessarily pray for more people to accept the call to this vocation.

I think priesthood and religious life are focused on due to necessity. We need more priests, nuns and monks- marriage, however, is doing very well, so prayers for people to answer this call might not avail much since most are called to and accept this vocation anyways.
 
I guess it means you’ve never been to my parish.
 
Last edited:
I think there is probably enough marriage happening - although certainly I (and my parish) pray often for married couples to faithfully fulfil their vocation.
 
We need to pray for those who received baptism to keep their Sunday obligation
 
mythbuster1 said:
Why is it that time and again, we pray for more vocations to the priesthood and religious life, but I have never once witnessed a Prayer of the Faithful for more vocations to marriage? Yes, the priesthood is more noble, but we need holy marriages, too, for else where would priests and religious come from, and what scandal would we give the world without holy marriages?
Click to expand...
Because the vocation to marriage is a natural vocation to which most people will gravitate anyway. Priesthood is supernatural and may require some special strength and we pray that those considering the priesthood will receive this grace.

If anything we should be praying for happy and holy marriages for those who are married or perparing for marriage.
 
For many people, marriage to them seems like a default unless they’re called otherwise (eg nun)

I think that’s why we don’t really think about it.

That and the shortage of course.
 
We probably take it for granted that marriages just happen. Perhaps we shouldn’t these days.
 
mythbuster1 said:
I have never once witnessed a Prayer of the Faithful for more vocations to marriage?
Click to expand...
I’ve heard petitions for more people to get married. They usually are presented on an occasion like St. Valentines’ Day or a day commemorating families (like a feast of the Holy Family, etc.) .

I’ve also been personally asked by a priest to pray for more couples to get married.

I think until relatively recent decades, when people have chosen to just live together instead of marriage, there was never much of a shortage of people getting married. There is, on the other hand, a shortage of men entering the priesthood and men and women entering religious life these days, and the lack of priests particularly is creating a hardship for the Church, so we need to pray urgently for vocations.

Before about the 1970s, couples usually didn’t live together because in addition to the sin of fornication for Catholics, there was a social stigma attached to doing so even if you weren’t Catholic. Couples would usually get married if they wanted to live together and be in an ongoing relationship that involved sex. Now there isn’t any more social stigma.
 
Last edited:
Virtually all parents encourage the vocation of marriage.

VERY few parents encourage the vocation to the Religious life.
 
Lea101 said:
For many people, marriage to them seems like a default unless they’re called otherwise (eg nun
Click to expand...
The default thing is why I like 'vocations to marriage and family" added. Even the casual mass goer will hear marriage as a vocation and maybe their add subconscious will note that default or no it’s a holy vocation. I hope anyway.
 
we do at my parish…have you considered talking to your parish priest about this, maybe you are just the person to help bring more prayerful attention to the vocation of marriage within your parish.
 
There isn’t a shortage of people getting married. And if we end up without priests we end up without the Eucharist.
 
My guess… because we haven’t gotten to the point where we have a shortage of marriages. But we do have a shortage of marriages within the Church.

It would be like praying for more people to attend Confession.

HOWEVER, I do sometimes hear us pray for more people to return to the Sacraments and/or “turn to the Sacraments.” So when we do that prayer, we are (covertly) praying for a return to the Sacrament of Matrimony and Confession.
 
Last edited:
Religious vocations are declining like crazy, that’s why. And religious vocations make the world go round. Religious pray for people. Priests make the mass possible. Praying for holy marriages is important too, though.
 
Last edited:
Just like priests are needed for the mass, holy families are needed for priests. If we had more truly catholic marriages the vocations issue would solve itself.
 
And if we prayed for more religious vocations, we’d have more praying power. 😉 I think they go hand in hand, holy marriages and religious vocations. Both are needed.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top