Prayer for our Priests

 The second Sunday after Easter is called Good Shepherd Sunday, since it is on this Sunday that we hear in the Gospel Jesus telling the Pharisees, “I am the Good Shepherd: and I know mine, and mine know me. As the Father knoweth me, and I know the Father: and I lay down my life for my sheep.” Dom Gueranger writes, “Divine Shepherd of our souls! How great is Thy love for Thy Sheep! Thou givest even Thy life to save them. The fury of wolves does not make Thee flee from us; Thou becomes their prey, that we may escape, Thou diedst in our stead, because Thou wast our Shepherd.” In the upcoming days the Gospels will tell us of Jesus establishing His Church, giving St. Peter care of His Lambs and Sheep and of making Peter the Shepherd of His whole Church, from whom Christ’s authority would be continued through St. Peter’s successors.

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St. Catherine of Siena, whose feast day is celebrated on April 30, dedicated her life to prayer, penance, and works of charity, especially for the Roman Pontiff and priests. On her deathbed she prayed to God, saying, “O eternal God, receive the sacrifice of my life on behalf of the Mystical Body of the Holy Church. I have nothing else to give, except what You have given me." May we imitate St. Catherine, remembering to pray and sacrifice for Holy Mother Church, especially for our priests and the Pope.

Our priests are so important in our spiritual lives, providing us with numerous opportunities for sanctifying grace through the sacraments and guiding us on our path to sanctification. In return we need to pray daily for them, asking our Lord to shower them with His abundant graces and mercy. We should also pray to our Lady that she may keep them steadfast in all things pleasing to God and safe from the snares of the devil. This following prayer is a fitting and most beautiful one with which to accomplish this.

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The People's Prayer for their Priests

O loving Heart of Jesus! deign to listen to the pleading supplication of Thy people for the sanctification of their pastors. O Heart of Love! teach them to love Thee as Thou desire; make them holy, make them pure, make them prudent, make them wise, make them “be all things to all men” after Thy divine example.

They are the guardians of Thy sacred Flesh and Blood: Oh! make them faithful to this holy trust. Give them excessive reverence for Thy pure Body and a longing thirst for Thy precious Blood, so that having tasted of Its sweetness they may be sanctified, strengthened and purified in the consuming flame of divine love.

O dearest Jesus! do not refuse our humble prayer. Look down with love on Thy priests; fill them with burning zeal for the conversion of sinners; keep unstained their anointed hands which daily touch Thy Immaculate Body; keep unsullied their lips purpled with Thy Precious Blood; keep pure and unearthly a heart sealed with the sublime marks of Thy glorious Priesthood; bless their labors with abundant fruit, and may those to whom they have ministered on earth be one day their joy and consolation in Heaven. O Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, model of the priestly heart, give us holy priests. Amen.

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The Beautiful Hands of a Priest

We need them in life's early morning,

We need them again at its close;

We feel their warm clasp of true friendship,

We seek them when tasting life's woes.

At the altar each day we behold them,

And the hands of a king on his throne

Are not equal to them in their greatness;

Their dignity stands all alone;

And when we are tempted and wander,

To pathways of shame and of sin,

It's the hand of a priest that will absolve us--

Not once, but again and again.

And when we are taking life's partner,

Other hands may prepare us a feast,

But the hand that will bless and unite us--

Is the beautiful hand of a priest.

God bless them and keep them all holy,

For the Host which their fingers caress;

When can a poor sinner do better,

Than to ask Him to guide thee and bless?

When the hour of death comes upon us,

May our courage and strength be increased,

By seeing raised over us in blessing--

The beautiful hands of a priest.

--Author unknown from an old prayer card

God bless!

+JMJ+