In the prayer of the faithful said at Mass in my parish we regularly ask God for "an increase of vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life." Sometimes "lay ministry" gets added to the list.
When we pray for these things, I'm happy to join in the response -- "Lord, hear our prayer" -- because I share the hope that they increase. At the same, though, I feel a twinge of regret. Not for what the prayer says, mind you, but for what it leaves out.
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