Holy Father’s prayer intention for the month of May

This May, Pope Francis invites us to offer our prayers for “the formation of men and women religious, and seminarians”.

In the video announcing his Prayer intention for this month, the Holy Father recalls that every vocation is a “diamond in the rough” that needs to be polished, worked, and shaped on every side.

Pope Francis notes that “a good priest, sister, or nun, must above all else be a man, a woman who is formed, shaped by the Lord’s grace”. These are people who are aware of their own limitations and who are willing to “lead a life of prayer, of dedicated witness to the Gospel”.

In his message entrusted to the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network, the Pope reminds us that beginning in the seminary or novitiate, preparation must develop integrally in direct contact with the lives of other people. This, he added, “is essential”.

It is important to note that formation does not end at a specific moment, such as ordination, but rather continues throughout life, integrating the person intellectually, humanly, affectively, and spiritually.

Preparation continues into that of living in a community. “Life in community is so enriching, even though it can be difficult at times”.

“Living together is not the same as living in community”, adds the Pope.

Finally, Pope Francis asks that we pray that “men and women religious, and seminarians, grow in their own vocational journey through human, pastoral, spiritual, and community formation, that leads them to be credible witnesses of the Gospel”.