On Sea Sunday, celebrated this year on 12 July, churches all over the world come together to remember seafarers and pray for them, their families and those who support them.
Here in Aotearoa New Zealand, an island nation at the edge of the Pacific, we are deeply dependent on the sea and those who work upon it. Much of what sustains our daily lives — food, goods, and essential supplies — arrives by ship. Our economy, communities, and way of life are closely tied to the dedication of seafarers and fishers, both from our own shores and from across the world.
Seafarers and fishers play a vital role in all our lives, yet they often work in difficult and dangerous conditions. Global conflicts continue to increase risks to their safety, particularly for crews navigating unstable regions. Many also face long separations from family, uncertainty in their employment, stress, and challenges to their mental wellbeing.
Let us remember all those who work and live from the sea — sailors, fishers, and their families, including those here in New Zealand and those who arrive in our ports from afar. Away from loved ones for months at a time, working long hours and crossing vast and sometimes hazardous oceans, seafaring can be a tough, lonely, and demanding vocation.
On this Day of Prayer for Seafarers, we hold in our hearts these hardworking men and women — so essential to our island nation, yet often unseen — and we pray for their safety, dignity, and wellbeing.
Pause
Take a moment to still yourself. Take a deep breath and ask God for a renewed sense of presence with you in this moment.
Readings of the Day
Isaiah 55:10-11: “My word shall not return to me void, but shall do my will.”
Psalm 65:10, 11, 12-13, 14: R. The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.
Romans 8:18-23: Creation awaits with eager expectation the revelation of the children of God.
Alleluia Alleluia! The seed is the word of God, Christ is the sower. All who come to him will have life forever.
Matthew 13:1-23: “The seed sown on rich soil is the one who hears the word and understands it.“
Gospel Meditation
The Parable of the Sower is one of the most well-known teachings of Jesus’ recorded in the Synoptic Gospels. He delivered this parable beside the Sea of Galilee, a significant location for His ministry. The setting is described as Jesus sitting in a boat while a large crowd gathered on the shore, eager to hear His teachings. In the New Testament, the sea often serves as a setting for revelation and transformation.
It is by the Sea of Galilee that Jesus calls His first disciples, inviting them to be-come “fishers of men”. In that moment, their lives are changed forever as they leave behind certainty and follow a new path of mission and service.
At times, the sea also represents the unknown, the depths of human emotion, or the forces of nature that are beyond human control. The sea is often a metaphor for the journey of life, full of challenges but also opportunities for growth.
The life of a seafarer is a mix of hard work, long separations from family and the resilience to face unpredictable seas. A typical contract for those who call the ocean their workplace lasts several months, often with limited internet access, while working in shifts around the clock. It is a profession built on discipline, sacrifice, and the hope of a better future for one’s family.
Life as a seafarer is not always smooth sailing. Isolation, exhaustion, anxiety, and uncertainty can weigh heavily on those who work far from home and community. This is why the work of Stella Maris is so important.
Through chaplains and ship visitors, Stella Maris offers pastoral, practical and spiritual support, friendship, and a listening ear to seafarers and fishers in ports around the world. A simple visit can remind someone that they are not forgotten. A conversation, a prayer, or help contacting family can become a source of hope in difficult times.
In today’s Gospel the seed must die before it comes to life, and it is helped with the rain and the sun. Those at sea must leave family and home in order for their loved ones to remain. This Sea Sunday we too can play our part as the Sowers of the seed by putting our faith into action by supporting the seafarers who grace our shores.
Reflection from StellaMaris.co.uk
Prayers of Intercession
Let us ask God to protect all seafarers and fishers, who work hard on the perilous sea, to bring us so many of the goods that we rely on in our daily lives. We pray especially for those affected by conflicts around the world, particularly in the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, Ukraine and Israel and Palestine. LORD, HEAR US.
Let us pray for all those who feel abandoned, neglected or exploited, both in our own communities and among seafarers and fishers around the world. LORD, HEAR US.
Let us pray for Stella Maris and its mission to be the hands and feet of Christ, bringing love, kindness and compassion to all those who visit our ports and shores. LORD, HEAR US.
We pray for Pope Leo XIV and all who lead the Church: that, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, they may continue to guide and shepherd us along the right, just and true path of faith. LORD, HEAR US.
We pray for all who have died, especially members of our own family and community, and for all those lost at sea. LORD HEAR US.
We ask Our Lady, Star of the Sea, to intercede for us: Hail Mary, full of Grace …
Prayers from StellaMaris.co.uk
Closing Karakia
Heavenly Father, we give thanks to you for your creation and all the beauty in this world. We thank you for the ocean, in its abundance, and for the people who toil on its surface. Without our brothers and sisters who are seafarers, we would not be able to enjoy all the blessings of this world. Enfold them in your fatherly love, guide their passage through storm, swell and darkness. May we always be mindful of our Global Family and be truly grateful for the sacrifices seafarers make each day.
Amen.
Prayer from the National Liturgy Office