In 1963 Pope Paul VI designated 4th Sunday of Easter as a Good Shepherd Sunday and as a World Day of Prayer for Vocations. Christ Jesus, the Good Shepherd, knows us well and gives his life for us and leads us into fullness of life. As we celebrate this feast of the Good Shepherd Sunday we pray for fidelity to our vocation. The Church invites us to honour the vocation of all Christians given at Baptism. Through the vocation of marriage, priesthood, diaconate, consecrated life, and single life may we further the supremacy of God. May those who are discerning their life vocation listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd.
On the 51st World Day of Prayer for Vocations, Pope Francis has chosen the theme – “Vocations, Witness to the Truth”. The Church invites us to reflect and discern on the meaning of God’s call and to pray for an increase in vocations.
On this Vocation Sunday we offer a special prayer for our nation:
We pray for those groups of people who are instigating racial riots and labelling the Chinese and Indians as “intruders” and calling the Islamic hudud laws to be imposed on ALL Malaysians. We also pray for a genuine academic freedom and an intellectual exchange of religious knowledge especially on Christianity with integrity in our institutions of higher learning. We pray that ALL Malaysians will grow in the service of the Kingdom of mercy and truth, of justice and peace.
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