This month, the Vocations Office invites the faithful of the archdiocese to participate in the 40 Hours Devotion to pray for an increase in vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life.
The 40 Hours Devotion is a direct response to Archbishop Smith’s call to unite in prayer for this intention. Starting this November and going until November 2027, all parishes in the archdiocese will be invited to host their own periods of Eucharistic Adoration. By having archdiocesan-wide participation, the hope is that everyone will have an opportunity to participate and pray for vocations at their home parish or at a parish nearby.
In scripture, the number 40 is associated with a sacred period of time of preparation or purification. Examples of this can be found in the Israelites wandering in the desert for 40 years as they journeyed towards the Promised Land, or Jesus who fasted in the desert for 40 days before beginning His public ministry. The 40 Hours Devotion traces its roots back to the 16th century and was made popular by saints such as Saint Philip Neri and Saint Ignatius of Loyola.
Father Mark McGuckin, the Vocations Director for the Archdiocese of Vancouver, invites each person to offer up their prayers for those men and women currently in formation, but also those who may be working up the courage to give the Lord their ‘yes’. “We have a good number of seminarians and women in religious formation from our archdiocese, but we know that we need more,” he says. “During these times of adoration, we can lift up petitions for specific individuals and ask the Lord to strengthen them, fill their hearts with peace, and give them courage to follow His call.”
Through these 40 hours of prayer, Fr. McGuckin hopes that many people will not only pray for an increase of vocations, but that they will also re-discover the personal love of Christ for them as they spend more time with adoration. “This time of prayer can also help us deepen our love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. And regardless of what vocation we have – to marriage, the priesthood, or consecrated life – we all have a primary vocation to holiness.”
Whether you spend five minutes or several hours in front of the Blessed Sacrament in the coming months, Fr. McGuckin says that every moment can offer benefits for the young people discerning God’s call for their life. “I hope that, as an archdiocese of encouragers, we can spur on the young ones to take the next step and look carefully at their own discernment for the vocation that our Lord has for them.”
To find a time of Eucharist Adoration near you as well as various resources you can use during this time of prayer, please visit vocationsvancouver.ca/pray-for-vocations/40-hours-devotion. The Vocations Office encourages everyone to continue checking back on this page for updates the adoration schedules as the year progresses.
