Father God, we come to you today to ask that you send strong and pure young men and women forward to lead your Church on earth. Lord, we need dedicated men who will carry your message and build your Church. Inspire men to come forward and embrace the priesthood as their vocation. Holy Spirit, enter the hearts of young women and lead them to the call of sisterhood as religious women of faith. Continue to use lay men and women as your vessels. Help us to lead with clarity and humility modeled by Blessed Mother Theresa and Pope John Paul II. Send forth the trumpet blast that will bring forth these leaders and continue your work on earth. In the stillness and solitude, whisper in the ears of those who will respond and convince those who are struggling with the worldliness of our current culture. Father we ask all of this in the name of your son, Jesus Christ. Amen!
The twelve apostles chosen by Jesus formed the bedrock of the early Church , and their Catholic identity is deeply rooted in their direct relationship with Christ and the mission He entrusted to them. The Catechism of the Catholic Church highlights this foundational role, stating that Jesus "instituted the Twelve as 'the seeds of the new Israel and the beginning of the sacred hierarchy'" ( CCC 860 ). These men were not simply followers; they were handpicked by Jesus, lived intimately with Him, witnessed His miracles and teachings firsthand, and were specifically commissioned to preach the Gospel to all nations ( Matthew 28:19-20 ). Their unique position as eyewitnesses to the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, and their reception of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, established them as the authoritative leaders of the nascent Church, a reality echoed in the writings of early Church Fathers like Ignatius of Antioch, who emphasized the apostles' authority as repre...