Prayer For Priests

This is from a booklet I got at the EDSA Shrine. Let's all pray for our priests. They need our prayers as much as we need theirs.


Why Do Priests Need Prayers?

From the world.

The priest has to walk through a world with his mind always on God. He must work in a world where pleasure is found in food and excitement; yet he is expected to find his happiness in the companionship of Christ. To live this difficult life, the priest must have much grace, and grace is obtained through prayer.

From the flesh.

The priest is called to a superhuman life; yet he remains a human being. If he is to resist the strong forces of his nature, and truly live an angelic life, he has to be full of the grace of God, and this is obtained only by prayer.

From the devil.

Satan hates Christ, and never ceases trying to destroy Him and His Church. If satan makes even one priest fail, it means the offering of far fewer Holy Masses. It means the glory of God is in some way injured. It means scores of souls are lost to Christ. So the devil lays his most cunning traps for priests, and prayer alone can keep them safe.

-oOo-

Prayer For Priests
(By St. Therese of the Child Jesus)

O Jesus, Eternal Priest, keep your priests within the shelter of your Sacred Heart, where none may touch them. Keep unstained their anointed hands which daily touch your Sacred Body. Keep unsullied their lips daily purpled with Your Precious Blood. Keep pure and unearthly their hearts sealed with the sublime mark of the priesthood. Let your holy love surround them and shield them from the world's contagion. Bless their labors with abundant fruit, and may the souls to whom they minister be their joy and consolation here, and in heaven their beautiful and everlasting crown. Amen.

St. Therese of the Child Jesus, pray for us.

-oOo-

Our Lord said to St. Teresa of Avila: "Occupy yourself with My interests and I'll occupy Myself with yours."

-oOo-

What Do We Get Out Of This?

When we pray for priests, we pray for ourselves, since a holy priesthood means a holier people.

When we pray for priests, we win the favor of Christ, for we are furthering His work and for vocations to the priesthood.

We are helping our children and our children's children by taking the surest means of preserving the FAITH for them.

Each priest, it is said, influences the lives of at least 5000 persons in his lifetime - for good or evil. His responsibility is tremendous!

"No matter how we seek," says the lovable Saint of Charity, Vincent the Paul, "we shall always discover ourselves unable to contribute to anything more great than to the making of good priests."

-oOo-

On Criticism of Priests
(Our Lord's revelation to Mutter Vogel)

"One should NEVER attack a Priest, even when he's in error, rather one should PRAY AND DO PENANCE that I'll grant him My grace again. He alone fully represents Me even when he doesn't live after My example!" (Page 29, Mutter Vogel's Worldwide Love, St. Grignion Publishing House, Altoting, South Germany) 26.6.1.929N

When a Priest falls, we should extend him a helping hand THROUGH PRAYER AND NOT THROUGH ATTACKS! "I myself will be his judge, NO ONE BUT I!" Whoever voices judgment over a priest has voiced it over me; child, never let a Priest be attacked, take up his defense." "If you hear a judgment (against a Priest), pray a HAIL MARY."

-oOo-

Prayer For The Sanctification of Priests

O Almighty Eternal God, look upon the Face of Your Son and for love of Him who is the Eternal High Priest have pity on your priests.

Remember, O Most Compassionate God, that they are but weak and frail human beings. Stir up in them by the grace of their vocation which is in them by the imposition of the bishop's hands. Keep them close to you, lest the enemy prevail against them, so that they may never do anything in the slightest degree unworthy of their sublime vocation.

O Jesus, I pray for your faithful and fervent priests, for your unfaithful and tepid priests; for your priests laboring at home or abroad in distant mission fields; for your tempted priests; for the lonely and desolate priests; to your loving priests; for your dying priests; for the souls of your priests in purgatory.

But above all, I commend to You the priests dearest to me, the priest who baptized me, the priests who absolved me from my sins, the priests at whose masses I assisted and who gave me your Body and Blood in Holy Communion; the priests who taught and instructed me or helped and encouraged me; all the priests to whom I am indebted in any way. O Jesus, keep them all close to Your Heart and bless them abundantly in time and in eternity. Amen.

-oOo-

I enjoin everyone to please offer a prayer for Fr. Daniel Healy, Fr. Dave Clay, and Fr. Francis Montero, our beloved spiritual fathers and directors in Courage Philippines. Thank you.