God's Will for Priests

Father Mark Kirby has an inspiring, spiritual, and informative blog, definitely worth following if you are interested in the insights of a priest who lives in adoration before Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament "offering thanksgiving, intercession, and reparation for all his brothers in Holy Orders. " He was assigned to the Diocese of Tulsa by his Cistercian superior in response to a request by Bishop Edward Slattery of Tulsa who was motivated by the Congregation for the Clergy's appeal for Eucharistic Adoration and spiritual motherhood for priests.

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Father Kirby's post on June 25, 2009 offers suggestions on things that can be done for the Year of the Priest. If you are a first time visitor to Vultus Christi, resist the temptation to be overwhelmed by the wealth of material offered. It is worth many visits back to explore the treasures contained within his pages.

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It is awesome to contemplate the way the Holy Spirit is inspiring initiatives for the sanctification of His priests. He's using the Holy Father, Cardinals, Bishops, Priests, Deacons, Religious, and the laity. He's using the learned and influential and the simple and ordinary souls. As Saint Therese might say--God is using the little flowers as well as the more impressive flowers. The important thing is that all Catholics, including priests, be united in a bouquet of spiritual support for priests, because it is what God wants and has made clear through the voice of His Church.

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Venerable Concepcion Cabrera de Armida, a Mexican mystic, was called by God to a special mission of offering herself for the sanctification of priests. She is among the holy women written of in the Congregation for the Clergy's documents asking for prayer for priests. In Conchita A Mother's Spiritual Diary, Conchita records Jesus' words to her:

"I want to return to the world in My priests. I want to renew the world of souls by making Myself seen in My priests. I want to give a mighty impulse to My Church infusing in her, as it were, a new Pentecost, the Holy Spirit, in My priests." (Diary, Jan. 5, 1928)

"To obtain what I ask, every priest must make a consecration to the Holy Spirit, asking Him, through Mary's intercession, to come to them as it were in a new Pentecost, to purify them, to fill them with love, possess them, unify them, sanctify them and transform them into Me." (Diary, Jan. 25, 1928)

"Do you want to save the world?...if you want to save souls, there is only one and powerful means: holy priests...your mission on behalf of them will continue in heaven."

Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests, and our Mother, help us to respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.