DURING THIS DIFFICULT TIME…PRAY FOR OUR PRIESTS
We have a wonderful adoration chapel attached to our parish
church. I love spending time with Jesus there.
Today, I made a visit and something on the entry table where visitors
sign in caught my attention. It was a
prayer for priests, bishops, cardinals and the Holy Father during this very
difficult time in the Church. This is
what the paper said:
“Please offer one hour of prayer for our priests, bishops
and Pope! On Thursdays at 11 am, we invite you to join in silent prayer in our adoration
chapel. No commitment needed. Our
priests need the prayer of the faithful.”
This adoration can be done in any adoration chapel, at any
time (according to your parish or personal preferences). It can even be done individually and/or at
home. Say a rosary for these intentions.
Make a spiritual communion and/or say the Divine Mercy Chaplet. How one decides to participate is entirely up
to that person. The important thing is
not to give up on our priests and leadership (or our Church). We must pray for them. We must pray hard.
This is the prayer that was printed on the paper on the
entry table along with the request (parentheses are my addition):
O, my God, poor, weak
and miserable as I am, I have come to spend this hour (spend this time) alone
with You in reparation for the priests who have forgotten that they are Your
chosen souls. Especially, dear God, do I offer this holy hour (time of prayer)
for the priest who at this moment needs it most. In praying for consecrated
souls, help me to remember my own utter weakness, misery and nothingness. Were
it not for Your grace, I would be far worse than those for whom I pray.
O, my God, help those
priests who are faithful to remain faithful, to those who are falling, stretch
forth Your Divine Hand that they may grasp it as their support. And for those
poor unfortunate souls who have fallen, lift them up in the great ocean of Your
Mercy, that being engulfed therin, they may receive the grace to return to You
Great Loving Heart. Amen.
And as we ask for help for our current priests and
leadership, may we also ask the Divine Master to send more good laborers into
His harvest. We know that He calls
enough. We pray that those so called will be open, and respond generously, to
that call to the priesthood (and to the religious life).
Oh Jesus, eternal Shepherd of our souls, please send good
laborers into your harvest.
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