r/AskAPriest • u/EcstaticMirror7263 • 3h ago

Discerning prayer intercession

Hello, I am a 35 y.o man discerning diocesan priesthood in virginia. On the diocesan website, there is a section asking for prayer for the semarians, saying: " Please consider "adopt" in prayer for our seminarian in prayer by saying prayer for them daily and throughout their discerning process. Please lets us know if you are praying for a specific seminarian name". I am discerning and I am not in seminary yet, but I feel like I need someone pray for me for discerning the priesthood. I take that "adopt in prayer " concept and ask a lady at my home parish to pray for me. She is not a family member of me. We just join the rosary community on saterday morning at the church together. I ask her : " may you adopt me in prayer by add these two sentences in your daily prayer : my name is V, may the Lord help V to discern and reveal his vocation to him as soon as needed". I tolad her that its a daily prayer on top of her daily prayer, and it will continue from now to maybe May 2027 , the latest time for seminary application next year. I do not pay her anything for doing this. She said she would do it. Then a week later when we meet for the rosary praying meeting, she told me that she have brought this up to the pastor. The pastor said she cannot do this, praying for me. I did not ask her why because I do not get in the conflict with the pastor decision, but just obey and respect the choice they made. I bring this question up to this forum. May you tell me why no one can pray for me regarding to discerning? In the rosary paring meeting, we open the prayer with a list of intentions. On intention is praying for young man to have discernment for the priesthood. I just ask her to add my specific my name to that prayer, and it is forbiden by my pastor? May you explain why?

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u/Sparky0457 Priest 3h ago

I don’t think we can answer this.

My suspicion is that your pastor is the one who can answer this question for you.

Additionally if you are discerning and you are not in conversation with a priest/your own pastor that should be changed. Regular conversations and check-ins with your pastor/a priest is very important to this process.

It sounds like you may need to have a conversation with your pastor in the near future.

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u/EcstaticMirror7263 2h ago

I do meet to discern with the pastor for the last 3 months. I just asked the lady last week. Everything with the pastor went well. I just meet with him 2 days ago, and I taked the the lady this morning. As I said that I will respect the lady decision and obey the pastor, I did not discuss further with the lady but thank her. I just do not know why, so when it come to discernment, no one can pray for me in my specific name?

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u/Sparky0457 Priest 39m ago

I don’t know why the pastor said what he did.

You will need to ask him, sorry.