Rite to Candidacy Mass 

Dearly beloved, these, our brothers who stand here today in the presence of the Church, are being recommended both to us and to you for admission among the candidates for holy orders.

Christ gave this command: “Ask the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest.” Aware of the Lord’s concern for his flock, and recognizing the needs of the Church, our brothers therefore consider themselves ready to respond generously to the Lord’s call. Trusting the Lord in whom they place the hope of faithfully pursuing their vocation, they say with the Prophet: “Here I am Lord, send me.”

Now, the voice of the Lord who calls must be discerned and understood through signs that reveal the will of God to the wise and prudent day by day. Indeed, the Lord prompts and helps with his grace those divinely he chooses to be sharers in the ministerial Priesthood of Christ. At the same time it is to us he entrusts the task of making inquiry concerning the suitability of the candidates. Only after they have been duly tested, shall we call them and, by the particular seal of the Holy Spirit, ordain them for the ministry of God and the Church. For by their sacred ordination, they will receive the mandate to continue personally the saving work of Christ, which he has accomplished on earth. And so when the time comes for them to be joined to our ministry, they will serve the Church and build up Christian communities to which they are sent by proclaiming the Word and celebrating the sacraments.

So now, dear brothers, we speak to you, who have already begun your formation. Through this formation you will learn each day to live according to the way of the Gospel and to be strengthened in faith, hope, and charity. By practicing these virtues you will grow in the spirit of prayer and zeal for winning God’s people to Christ.

Compelled by the love of Christ and strengthened by the inner working of the Holy Spirit, you have come to the point, making a public declaration of your desire to devote yourself to the service of God and others in Holy Orders. We welcome this desire with great joy.

From this day forward, you must cultivate your vocation in greater depth. To that end, make particular use of whatever means may be offered to you for your help and your support by the ecclesial community entrusted to this task.

Trusting in the Lord, we will all assist you, with our charity and our prayers. 

Excerpts from the English translation of Lectionary for Mass ©1969, 1981, 1997, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation, (ICEL); Excerpts from the English translation of The Roman Missal © 2010, ICEL.