Have you prayed for vocations to the church recently? As Catholics we believe that prayer for vocations is the most powerful way to encourage, support and nurture future vocations for the church in Atlanta and beyond.
The Elijah Cup Ministry invites everyone in our parish to join in prayer for vocations – by taking home the Sunday Elijah Cup as a reminder of the importance of prayer for vocations in the home.
Here’s how it works: After certain Sunday’s Masses, the Elijah Cup — used during the Mass — is sent home with an individual or couple or family who volunteers to pray daily for vocations during that week. This Cup becomes a sacred focal point in their home, dedicated to seeking an increase in vocations to the Priesthood, Religious Life and Diaconate. At the end of the week, the Cup is returned to the sacristy before Mass, and then passed on to the next family, couple, or individual who has signed up to take home the Elijah Cup for the next week.
Here’s the scriptural background: In the Bible, 1 Kings 17, tells us that during a time of drought, the prophet Elijah tells the widow of Zarephath that if she offers him the last of her flour and oil, her “jar of flour will not be empty, nor the jug of oil run dry, until the Lord sends rain upon the earth.” Trusting in God’s providence, she obeyed, and for the next year, the widow, her son, and Elijah ate bread made from the bowl of flour and jug of oil.
Like the poor widow, we pray in faith for vocations, knowing that like her, our cup can overflow – if we trust and believe. Through this program, we offer all we have – the prayers, and the sacrifices – trusting that God will provide, and that we will see a great harvest of vocations, not only within our parish, but also across our Archdiocese.
If you feel called to join us in this vibrant prayer program to help foster vocations, please complete the form below.
We invite you to take home the Elijah Cup for a week and pray that young men and women hear and respond generously to the Lord’s call to the priesthood, diaconate, or religious life. Each Sunday, families, couples, or individuals are called up to receive the chalice used by the celebrant at Mass. The cup is then taken home and placed in a prominent area and is a reminder to pray daily for vocations.
To sign up, please follow the instructions below.
- Choose a weekend and an available slot. In the form that pops up, enter your name and which Mass you will attend that weekend. You will receive a confirmation email and a reminder 2 days before the Mass you choose.
- If you are the second person to sign up on a given weekend, if possible, please choose a different Mass time than what was chosen by the other person for that weekend.
- IF YOU NEED TO CHANGE OR CANCEL YOUR ENTRY, please use the “Removal link” in your confirmation email. You can’t edit your entry. Just remove it and enter it again with the new information if needed.
- Please return the Elijah Cup to the Sacristy no later than 3:00 pm on the Saturday at the end of your week. Go through the sacristy door to the right of the altar and leave the box on the counter. Thank you!