Here I am, Lord!<br/><br/>

Beginning on the second Sunday of Advent, the Parish Vocation Team will be promoting a program which encourages prayer for our youths.  The program is called “Here I am, Lord!”  It is easy to participate – young discerners need only to write down their name and age, and put it in the designated box.  The youths can even use a nick name.  It is not necessary to write down any hopes and aspirations, because God already knows what they are.  At the same time, parishioners who would like to pray for these young people can fill out their names, phone number or email, so that they may be asked in the future to pray for a young discerner. <br/><br/>

The ‘Here I am, Lord’ program this year is different from prior programs such as ‘Call by Name, Pray by Name’.  The ‘Here I am, Lord’ program does not limit the content of the prayers to religious vocations, rather it is based on the youth’s aspirations; such as the aspiration to become an engineer, a lawyer, a doctor, and of course, religious vocations are included in the prayer intentions as well.<br/><br/>

No matter which vocation or lifestyle one chooses – it requires a passion for serving others, a sense of determination, and a willingness to sacrifice oneself.  I encourage all young people to become actively involved in social work; and to portray the spirit of the Gospel by living selflessly.