Monday, August 31, 2009

Importance of Eucharistic Adoration

"Every time that the priest renews the Eucharistic Sacrifice, in the prayer of consecration he repeats: 'This is my Body...this is my Blood'.
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He says this lending his voice, hands and heart to Christ, who wanted to stay with us and be the heartbeat of the Church. However, after the celebration of the divine Mysteries, the Lord Jesus remains alive in the tabernacle; for this reason special praise is given to him with Eucharistic adoration...
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Indeed, an intrinsic connection exists between celebration and adoration. In fact, Holy Mass is in itself the Church's greatest act of adoration...
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Adoration outside Holy Mass prolongs and intensifies what has taken place in the liturgical celebration and makes a true and profound reception of Christ possible.
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In life today, often noisy and dispersive, it is more important than ever to recover the capacity for inner silence and recollection. Eucharistic adoration permits this not only centered on the 'I' but more so in the company of that 'You' full of love who is Jesus Christ, 'the God who is near to us'.
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May the Virgin Mary, the Woman of the Eucharist, introduce us into the secret of true adoration. Her humble and simple heart was ever pondering the mystery of Jesus, in whom she adored the presence of God and his redeeming love. May faith in the Eucharistic Mystery, joy in participating in Holy Mass, especially on Sundays, and witnessing to Christ's immense love grow throughout the Church through her intercession."
~ Pope Benedict XVI, Angelus, June 10, 2007 ~
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Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests, and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

Sunday, August 30, 2009

The Hands of Jesus: The Hands of Priests



From the USCCB comes this explanation of the anointing of the hands of a newly ordained priest at his ordination to the Catholic Priesthood: "Anointing with oil stems from the Old Testament and indicates that someone or something is being set apart for a sacred task or duty. The anointing of the hands signifies that the hands of the newly ordained priest are being prepared for the sacred duties and vessels which will be part of the priestly ministry, for example, offering the bread and wine, anointing the sick and blessing people. The bishop says as he anoints the hands: 'The Father anointed our Lord Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. May Jesus preserve you to sanctify the Christian people and to offer sacrifice to God.' "
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Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests, and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

Saturday, August 29, 2009

A Tribute to Catholic Priests: You Are a Priest Forever


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Prayer for Priests
(prayed daily by St. Therese of Lisieux)
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O Holy Father, may the torrents of love flowing from the Sacred Wounds of Thy Divine Son bring forth priests like unto the beloved disciple John who stood at the foot of the Cross; priests who, as a pledge of Thine own most tender love, will lovingly give Thy Divine Son to the souls of men.
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May Thy priests be faithful guardians of the Church, as John was of Mary, whom he received into his house. Taught by this loving Mother who suffered so much on Calvary, may they display a mother's care and thoughtfulness towards Thy children. May they teach souls to enter into close union with Thee through Mary who, as the gate of Heaven, is specially the guardian of the treasures of Thy Divine Heart.
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Give us priests who are on fire, and who are true children of Mary, priests who will give Jesus to souls with the same tenderness and care with which Mary carried the Little Child of Bethlehem.
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Mother of sorrows and of love, out of compassion for thy beloved Son, open in our hearts deep wells of love, so that we may console Him and give Him a generation of priests formed in thy school and having all the tender thoughtfulness of thine own spotless love.
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Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests, and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Penitential Fridays

Fridays have never stopped being a required day of penance in the Catholic Church. When some bishops' conferences allowed a substitution for the meatless Fridays penance, it was never meant to be an elimination of the obligation to perform some form of penance every Friday of the year. Catholics are obligated to perform some form of penance every Friday. Unfortunately, this obligation has been forgotten, ignored, or never learned by some Catholics.
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It should not be difficult to understand why this obligation remains in force in the Catholic Church today since Jesus suffered and died for us on a Friday. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops document, Penitential Practices for Today's Catholics, is well worth reading for those who need a refresher or those who have never learned why we are called to do penance. The document states, "Recalling our Lord's Passion and death on Good Friday, we hold all Fridays to have special significance. Jesus' self-denial and self-offering invite us to enter freely into his experience by forgoing food, bearing humiliations, and forgiving those who injure us."
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For our own good and the good of the Church, most of us need to be more penitential. Children need to be taught the spiritual value of penance. All Catholics need to hear more from the pulpit about why penitential practices are important for personal spiritual growth and for the building up of God's Kingdom on earth. In addition to making reparation for our own sins, we all need to make contributions to the spiritual treasury of the Church through the offering of penance.
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The Saints knew the importance of penance and look where they ended up--in heaven! We are all called by God to be saints, so it would serve us well to read their lives and the many ways they made love offerings to God because, in the final analysis, it's all about love, love of God and neighbor--just as Jesus taught us! Sacrifices done out of love for God and neighbor--including our priests--can reap a rich spiritual harvest.
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Fridays could be a day of penance offered up especially for priests (above and beyond the Friday penance of obligation). The USCCB document mentioned above--regarding penitential practices--states, "Through the grace of the Holy Spirit, the principal agent of all spiritual transformation, this can be done with a spirit of quiet joy. For Christians, suffering and joy are not incompatible."
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It can be a joy to know that our sacrifices can aid a priest in need. All priests are in need in some way--the strong in faith to remain strong, the weak to become strong. The rest of us Catholics are in need also--in need of holy, dedicated priests to guide and spiritually enrich us, our children, and our grandchildren. It is a privilege, and should be a joy, to know that God has provided us with the means to aid his beloved priests in their ongoing spiritual transformation into other Christs, desired so much by Jesus. To Venerable Concepcion Cabrera de Armida, Jesus said,
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"Only a priest transformed into Me can transform souls; and the proportion of his transformation into Me will be what souls receive. Ah! This is a point that ought to make my priests tremble because in proportion that they are sanctified, they will sanctify; and in the proportion that they are transformed into Me they will have the virtue for transforming."
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Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High priest, Mother of all priests, and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

What Jesus Expects From Priests

"And priests? Who can express all I expect from each of My priests...They are invested with My own power, that they may forgive sin...I Myself am obedient to their word when they summon Me from Heaven to earth...I am totally surrendered into their hands; they may confine Me to the tabernacle or give Me to the faithful in Holy Communion...They are, so to say, My almoners.
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"To each I have entrusted souls that by their preaching, their direction and above all by their example, they may guide them in the path of virtue.
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"What response do they make?...Do they all fulfill Love's mission?...Will this My minister at the altar confide the souls of his charges to Me today? Will he make reparation to Me for the offenses I receive, the secret of which has been entrusted to him? Will he entreat of Me the strength he needs to carry out in holiness his sacred ministry?...zeal to work for the salvation of souls...courage in self-sacrifice, more today than yesterday?...Will he give Me all the love I expect...and shall I be able to rely entirely on him as on My dear and well-beloved disciple?..O what cruel sorrow for My Heart, when I am forced to say: the world wounds Me in My hands and in My feet and it sullies My countenance...My chosen souls and My consecrated religious, My priests, they rend and break My Heart...How many priests after giving back grace to many souls are themselves in a state of sin!...How many say Mass thus...receive Me thus...live and die thus!...
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"Now you know what anguish oppressed me at the Last Supper when I saw in the midst of the twelve the first unfaithful apostle...and after him so many more who would follow him in the course of the ages."
~Words of Jesus to Sister Josefa Menendez from The Way of Divine Love ~


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

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

The Holy Eucharist

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In the words of Pope St. Pius X:
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"The devotion to the Eucharist is the most noble,
because it has God as its object;
it is the most profitable for salvation,
because it gives us the Author of grace;
it is the sweetest,
because the Lord is sweetness itself."
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"The daily adoration or visit to the Blessed Sacrament
is the practice which is the fountainhead of all devotional works."
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AN APPEAL FOR ONE HOUR OF EUCHARISTIC ADORATION FOR PRIESTS
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Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests, and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Ignatius Cardinal Kung, Priest Hero


The persecuted and imprisoned priests in China deserve our prayers always, but especially during this Year for Priests. Those of us who enjoy religious freedom in our nations might find it easy to take that freedom for granted. We might not give it much thought that elsewhere in the world Catholics and their priests are suffering severely in order to remain faithful to the Catholic Church in union with the Holy Father. We might ask ourselves--would we be as faithful under similar circumstances; would we be willing to be imprisoned or die for our faith; would we deny Jesus if we were threatened?

On September 8, 1955, Bishop Ignatius Kung (pictured above) was arrested by the Chinese government. A few months later he was taken to a public stadium and ordered to make a public confession of his "crimes" before the assembled crowd. He was dressed in a criminal tunic with his hands tied behind his back. When his atheist communist captors demanded a confession, Bishop Kung responded, " Long live Christ the King! Long live the Pope!"

In 1960, before Bishop Kung was sentenced to life in prison, he was given another chance to be unfaithful to Jesus and His Church. His reply was, "I am a Roman Catholic Bishop. If I denounce the Holy Father, not only would I not be a Bishop, I would not even be a Catholic. You can cut off my head, but you can never take away my faith." Despite suffering 30 years of inhumane treatment in prison, much of it in solitary confinement, Bishop Kung's faith was strengthened by his life of prayer and abandonment to the Divine Will of God.

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INTERVIEW WITH CARDINAL KUNG

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PLEASE PRAY FOR PERSECUTED AND IMPRISONED CHINESE BISHOPS AND PRIESTS

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"O Lord, comfort China and those persecuted for Christ in that great country. Grant them joy in their communion with the Universal Church. Bless them so that the seed they plant during their years of sufferings, patience and love will be richly harvested." (1991 Consistory) Grant mercy, O Lord to those brothers and sisters who chose to be separated from you; may they return to one fold and One Shepherd.

~ By Ignatius Cardinal Kung, Bishop of Shanghai, July 1991 ~


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









Monday, August 24, 2009

A Call to Faith in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist


Dr. Ricardo Castanon, a former atheist, was called by a Cardinal of the Catholic Church to perform a thorough investigation of the changes that took place in a consecrated Host in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Don't bypass this opportunity to be informed about his investigation and the conclusions reached by him and others involved in the study. This video was taped May 3, 2008.

AN APPEAL FOR ONE HOUR OF EUCHARISTIC ADORATION FOR PRIESTS

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

Sunday, August 23, 2009

The Priesthood and Sacred Scripture

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

Saturday, August 22, 2009

The Queenship of Mary

In 1954, Pope Pius XII proclaimed the Queenship of Mary in the Encyclical Ad Caeli Reginam. He wrote:
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48. Let all, therefore, try to approach with greater trust the throne of grace and mercy of our Queen and Mother, and beg for strength in adversity, light in darkness, consolation in sorrow; above all let them strive to free themselves from the slavery of sin and offer an unceasing homage, filled with filial loyalty, to their Queenly Mother. Let her churches be thronged by the faithful, her feast-days honored; may the beads of the Rosary be in the hands of all; may Christians gather, in small numbers and large, to sing her praises in churches, in homes, in hospitals, in prisons. May Mary's name be held in highest reverence, a name sweeter than honey and more precious than jewels; may none utter blasphemous words, the sign of a defiled soul, against that name graced with such dignity and revered for its motherly goodness; let no one be so bold as to speak a syllable which lacks the respect due her name.
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PRAYER TO MARY, QUEEN
Pope Pius XII
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From the depths of this vale of tears where sorrowing humanity makes weary progress--through the surges of this sea of ours endlessly buffeted by the winds of passion--we raise our eyes to you, O most beloved Mother Mary, to be comforted by the contemplation of your glory and to hail you as Queen of heaven and earth, Queen of mankind.
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With legitimate filial pride, we wish to exalt your queenship and to recognize it as due to the sovereign excellence of your whole being, O dearest one, truly Mother of Him who is King by right, by inheritance, and by conquest.
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Reign, O Mother and Queen, by showing us the path of holiness and by guiding and assisting us that we may never stray from it.
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In the heights of heaven you exercise your primacy over the choirs of angels who acclaim you as their sovereign, and over the legions of saints who delight in beholding your dazzling beauty. So,too, reign over the entire human race, above all by opening the path of faith to those who do not yet know your Divine Son.
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Reign over the Church, which acknowledges and extols your gentle dominion and has recourse to you as a safe refuge amid the calamities of our day. Reign especially over that part of the Church which is persecuted and oppressed; give it strength to bear adversity, constancy never to yield under unjust compulsion, light to avoid falling into the snares of the enemy, firmness to resist overt attack, and at every moment unwavering faithfulness to your kingdom.
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Reign over men's minds, that they may seek only what is true; over their wills, that they may follow solely what is good; over their hearts, that they may love nothing but what you yourself love.
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Reign over individuals and over families, as well as over societies and nations; over the assemblies of the powerful, the counsels of the wise, as over the simple aspirations of the humble.
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Reign in the streets and in the squares, in the cities and the villages, in the valleys and in the mountains, in the air, on land and on the sea; and hear the pious prayers of all those who recognize that yours is a reign of mercy, in which every petition is heard, every sorrow comforted, every misfortune relieved, every infirmity healed, and in which, at a gesture from your gentle hands, from death itself there arises smiling life.
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Obtain for us that all who now in every corner of the world acclaim and hail you, O Queen and Lady, may one day in heaven enjoy the fullness of your kingdom in the vision of your Divine Son, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit, live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
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MARY, QUEEN OF THE CLERGY, PRAY FOR THEM!
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Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests, and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Our Lady of Knock and Her Priest Sons


Today is the 130th anniversary of the Apparition of Our Lady at Knock in County Mayo, Ireland. On a rainy evening, August 21,1879, Our Lady appeared accompanied by St. Joseph and St. John the Evangelist; behind them was an altar with a cross, and a Lamb with adoring angels. Fifteen people of all ages witnessed the silent apparition for two hours as they prayed Our Lady's Rosary. Although the witnesses were soaked from the rain, the vision was untouched by the pouring rain.
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Father Mark Kirby is at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Knock enjoying the celebrations surrounding the Feast. He recently shared his thoughts about Our Lady of Knock's relationship with her priest sons and the importance of Knock as a place of pilgrimage for priests.




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




Thursday, August 20, 2009

What Does God Know About Loneliness?

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To Sister Josefa Menendez, Jesus revealed:
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"Contemplate me in the prison where I spent the greater part of the night...
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"Compare the prison with the Tabernacle...
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"In the prison I spent only part of one night...but in the Tabernacle, how many days and nights?
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"In the prison I endured cold, sleeplessness, hunger and thirst, pain, shame, solitude, and desertion. And there passed before My mind's eye all the tabernacles where in the course of ages I should lack the shelter of love...
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"And how often should I wait for this or that other soul to visit Me in the Blessed Sacrament and receive Me into his heart...how many nights should I spend longing for his coming...but he would let business or carelessness or anxiety for his health get the better of him...and he would not come!
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"Gaze steadfastly upon Him during that night of pain and see that sorrow continued in the loneliness of countless tabernacles and the coldness of many hearts.
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"Comfort Me in My sorrow by keeping Me faithful company..."


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

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

The Church's Greatest Treasure

"If souls but understood the Treasure they possess in the Divine Eucharist,
it would be necessary to encircle the Tabernacles with the strongest of ramparts for,
in the delerium of a devouring and holy hunger,
they would press forward themselves to feed on the Bread of Angels;
the churches would overflow with adorers
consumed with love for the Divine Prisoner,
no less by night than by day."
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Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests, and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

The Sister in the Barn

One of my very favorite inspiring true stories about the power of prayer for priests is about Bishop William Ketteler, a prominent 19th century German bishop who was one of the founders of an extremely blessed apostolate. While a guest in another bishop's diocese, Bishop Ketteler admitted to the bishop, "I owe thanks for everything that I have accomplished with God's help to the prayer and sacrifice of someone I do not even know...Originally, I wasn't planning on becoming a priest...and thought only about...acquiring honour, prestige and wealth."
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One evening young William had an extraordinary experience in which he saw Jesus very clearly, showing him His Sacred Heart, a nun kneeling before Him in prayer, and Jesus saying, "She prays unremittingly for you!" Bishop Ketteler continued, "I distinctly saw the appearance of the sister, and her traits made such an impression on me that she has remained in my memory to this day. It shook me to the depths of my being so that from that moment on, I decided to consecrate myself to God in the service of the priesthood...So, if you think I have done something admirable, now you know who really deserves the credit--a religious sister who prayed for me, maybe without even knowing who I was." He told the other bishop that he had no knowledge of the whereabouts or identity of the nun who prayed for him.
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The next day Bishop Ketteler celebrated Mass at a convent in a nearby city. While distributing Holy Communion to the sisters, he was startled at the appearance of one of them. Later, he asked the Mother Superior to gather the sisters together so that he and the other bishop could meet them. When he didn't see the one he was looking for, he requested of the Mother Superior to see her.
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When the sister entered the room, Bishop Ketteler asked to have time alone with her. In questioning her, he learned that she had never heard of him or prayed or offered up good deeds for him to her knowledge. When asked if she had a special devotion, she named devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. When he asked about the difficulty of her work in the barn, she admitted that it was unpleasant, but said, "For things that cost me greatly, I grew accustomed to facing them with joy and enthusiasm out of love for God, and then I offer them up for one soul on earth. To whom God chooses to be gracious as a result, I have left completely up to Him and I do not want to know. I also offer up my time of Eucharistic adoration every evening from 8 to 9 for this intention... Since only God knows who really needs prayer, it is best to put your merits at the disposition of the Sacred Heart of Jesus trusting in His wisdom and omnipotence. That is what I have done...and I always believed God would find the right soul."
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Bishop Ketteler went on to ask the sister her age and day of birth. He was shaken when he learned that her birthday was the day of his conversion, at which time he saw her exactly as she appeared now before him! In reply to his questions, this sister said she had no idea if her prayers and sacrifices had been successful, and it was enough for her that God knows. Before they parted, the bishop gave her a beautiful blessing.
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Later Bishop Ketteler confided to his bishop friend, "Now I found the one I have to thank for my vocation. It is the lowest and poorest lay sister of that convent. I cannot thank God enough for His mercy because this sister has prayed for me for almost 20 years. On the day she first saw the light of the world, God worked my conversion accepting in advance her future prayers and works.
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What a lesson and a reminder for me! Should I become tempted to vanity by a certain amount of success or by my good works, then I can affirm in truth: You have the prayer and sacrifice of a poor maid in a convent stall to thank. And when a small and lowly task appears of little value to me, then I will also remember the fact: what this maid does in humble obedience to God, making a sacrifice by overcoming herself, is so valuable before the Lord Our God that her merits have given rise to a bishop for the Church."
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This humble sister's life of prayer and sacrifice had a profound effect on Bishop Ketteler's life and, through his priestly ministry, on the lives of countless others. The hidden life of this sister, whose name we don't even know, is still having an effect on lives and hearts today as her story is read and provides inspiration for others to offer up prayers, sacrifices, good deeds, and Eucharistic adoration for priests. God bless the Congregation for the Clergy for providing us with this inspiring example of spiritual motherhood. Don't miss the complete story here on pages 26-28!

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


Monday, August 17, 2009

An Appeal for One Hour of Eucharistic Adoration for Priests

In response to Jesus' complaint to His apostles at Gethsemane, "Could you not watch one hour with Me?", I am appealing to all readers of this blog to make a commitment to offer ONE CONTINUOUS HOUR of prayer before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament for His priests.
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Anyone can, of course, pray one Holy Hour (or many) without making any sort of commitment to Jesus through this blog, and probably many of you already have. The purpose of asking readers to contribute to an online poll is to give Catholics the opportunity to:

  1. Make a visible witness (for all the world to see) of their faith in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist;
  2. Make a visible witness (for all the world to see) of their love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and gratitude for His continued Real Presence among us;
  3. Show non-believers who happen upon this site that we Catholics really do believe what the Church teaches about transubstantiation--that bread and wine become the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ (true God and true man) when a Catholic priest repeats the words of consecration taught by Jesus;
  4. Show that we Catholics value God's gift of the ministerial Priesthood , all of the priests that He has provided for our benefit, and the Sacramental blessings that we receive only through their ministry.
  5. Show that we Catholics are united in prayer support for ALL of our Catholic priests throughout the entire world;
  6. Show that we do not intend to abandon any of God's priests, His chosen other Christs, the way that Jesus was abandoned by most of His apostles and other followers as He hung dying on the Cross.
  7. Show that we intend to uplift in prayer before the Real Presence of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, His beloved priests, including those who have most disappointed Him.
  8. Offer an hour of prayer in the place of and for priests who believe they are too busy to make time for Eucharistic adoration on a regular basis, or ever;
  9. Offer an hour of prayer for priests who have no interest in taking or making time for Eucharistic adoration;
  10. Offer an hour of prayer for priests who have lost faith in the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.
  11. Offer an hour of prayer for priests who are unable to celebrate or attend Mass or pray before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament because of illness or due to being denied the freedom to participate.
  12. Offer an hour of prayer for deceased priests--for those who had a fervent devotion to Jesus in the Eucharist and for those who did not.

Only God knows how many will read this appeal for Eucharistic Holy Hours for priests, but I hope and pray that those who do will CAST A VOTE FOR JESUS AND HIS PRIESTS. Voting location is on the sidebar.

(The weakness of this poll is that the blogger widget used only allows one vote for each computer, and there could be households where more than one person will not be able to vote even if they want to. There probably are better widgets available, but not known to this computer novice.)

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

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Cardinal Arinze and Eucharistic Faith

Cardinal Arinze discusses the Real Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist, and proper reverence for Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar.




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




Saturday, August 15, 2009

Eucharistic Adoration: Reparation for Sin

In his general audience on August 12, 2009, Pope Benedict spoke of Mary as Mother of priests and of her special affection for them. He said, "Let us pray that all priests will make a special place for the Blessed Virgin in their lives, and seek her assistance daily as they bear witness to the Gospel of Jesus."

To Venerable Concepcion Cabrera de Armida, Jesus also spoke of the Blessed Mother's special relationship with her priest sons:

"She begins to be delighted in hearts that will prepare themselves for the priesthood, and covers them with her mantle. The greatest feast for her on earth is the day of ordination of a priest, the day of his first Mass; all Masses that are worthily celebrated."

"She rejoices, I repeat, assists and offers herself in union with Me--mystically in her Heart--by the hands of the priest; because the greatest enjoyment of Mary on earth and now on the Altars is to offer herself pure with the pure Lamb, in uniting her sufferings as a victim with the great Victim who had with her on earth one single heart, one single sacrifice, one same end; to glorify My Father and to save souls."

"What a great mission Mary has with the priest and the priest with Mary! There is no greater filiation with her, after that of her divine Son, than that of the priest. For that reason there is no greater suffering for Mary than unworthily celebrated Masses, nor a sharper sword that pierces her maternal Heart with pain than the sins of priests."

"Whenever a priest offends Me, he also vilely offends Mary. At least for this reason the unworthy priest ought to blush with shame, not only at My glances, but also at those of My Immaculate Mother, who sees through My eyes and whose heartbeats are in unison with the same beats of My Heart."
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EUCHARISTIC ADORATION IS ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO MAKE REPARATION FOR OFFENSES AGAINST THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS AND THE IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY!
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The Congregation for the Clergy document, Adoration, Reparation, Spiritual Motherhood for Priests, states, "In order to continually maintain a greater awareness of the ontological link between the Eucharist and the Priesthood, and in order to recognize the special maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary for each priest, it is our intention to bring about a connection between perpetual Eucharistic adoration for the reparation of faults and sanctification of priests and the initiation of a commitment on the part of consecrated feminine souls...who might wish to spiritually adopt priests in order to help them with their self-offering, prayer, and penance. Adoration always involves an act of reparation for sin."




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

Friday, August 14, 2009

Father Mark Kirby: Chaplet for Priests

Father Mark Kirby's Chaplet for Priests is a beautiful, POWERFUL, easily memorized prayer. The POWER of the prayer comes from the Precious Blood of Jesus.

Each individual part of the prayer lends itself well to prayerful repetition. A very busy person, who has a desire to spiritually support priests, could make a habit of repeating these prayers (or a favorite one of them) throughout the day--even when it's not possible to pray the entire chaplet or to keep count on rosary beads. The prayer time possibilities are as numerous as an individual's ingenuity: while driving, while doing dishes, before meals, after meals, on awakening in the morning, before bedtime, before Mass, after Mass, after Rosary decades, etc., etc., etc.

Since we are supposed to "pray always", why not let it be for priests during this special Year of the Priest! What IS important is the lifting up of our minds and hearts to God in supplication for our priests. A time set aside for personal daily prayer is very important, but why waste the other numerous opportunities for turning to God as we go about our daily duties? If you have trouble remembering to pray in this way, ask the Holy Spirit and the Blessed Mother to remind you. You might be surprised at how often you are reminded-- an indication of God's will for you.

CHAPLET FOR PRIESTS
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At the beginning of each decade:
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Eternal Father,
I offer Thee the Precious Blood of Thy Beloved Son,
Our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Lamb without blemish or spot (1 Peter 1:18)
in reparation for my sins
and for the sins of all priests.
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On the decades:
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By Thy Precious Blood, O Jesus,
purify and sanctify Thy priests.
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At the conclusion of each decade:
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O Father,
from whom all fatherhood in heaven and on earth is named,
(Ephesians 3:14)
have mercy on all priests,
and wash them in the Blood of the Lamb.
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Father Kirby has other suggestions of spiritual offerings for the sanctification of priests.

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


Thursday, August 13, 2009

Thurdays of Adoration and Reparation for Priests

This beautiful prayer, composed by Father Mark Kirby was originally posted on his blog, Vultus Christi.
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THURSDAYS OF ADORATION AND REPARATION FOR PRIESTS
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O my beloved Jesus,
I give and consecrate to Thee this Thursday
and all the Thursdays of my life,
in praise of the adorable Mystery of Thy Body and Blood,
and in thanksgiving for that of the Priesthood.
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Moved by Thy Holy Spirit,
and full of confidence in the help of Thy Most Holy Mother,
the Virgin Mary, Mother of Priests,
I resolve to live each Thursday for the rest of my days here below
in adoration and in reparation for priests
and, especially, for those who do not adore Thee,
for those who are most wounded in their souls,
and for those who are exposed to the attacks of the powers of darkness.
I want to remain before Thy Eucharistic Face for them and in their place;
I want to draw near, in their name, to Thy open Heart,
ever-flowing with the Blood and Water
that purify, heal, and sanctify all souls,
but, first of all, those of Thy priests.
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Let each Thursday find me close to
the Sacrament of Thy Body and Blood,
in adoration and reparation for the sake of all Thy priests.
Make me an entirely Eucharistic soul,
according to the desires of Thy Sacred Heart
and the designs of Thy merciful goodness upon my life.
I desire nothing else.
I want to love Thee more each day;
I want to be the faithful adorer of Thy Eucharistic Face
and the consoling friend of Thy Sacred Heart
hidden in the tabernacles of the world,
where it beats, wounded by love, forgotten, forsaken,
and waiting for the adoration and love of even one priest. Amen.

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

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

The Better Part--Eucharistic Adoration

The answer that Jesus gives Martha when she complains about having to do all of the work while Mary sits at the feet of Jesus--"There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her" (Luke 10:42).--were words not just for Martha, but for all of us. His words are as true today as they were way back then.
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We can be busy about many things, like Martha, with good intentions about serving Our Lord--and yet not take the time to be with Jesus where He waits for us in the Blessed Sacrament. When Jesus said, "Come to Me, all you that labor and find life burdensome, and I will refresh you" (Matthew 11:28), He was speaking also to us and to people of all time. He wants to give us the graces we need to go out into the world and serve Him, but what we need in order to bear good fruit is to be spiritually fed and nourished by Jesus first. We need to go to Him in our emptiness so that He might fill us.
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Jesus asked Sister Josefa Menendez to share His words with "My souls".

"It is love for souls that keeps Me a Prisoner in the Blessed Sacrament.

I stay there that all may come and find the comfort they need in the tenderest of Hearts, the best of Fathers, the most faithful of Friends, who will never abandon them.

Do I not know that family cares...household concerns...and the requirements of your position in life...make continual calls upon you?...

But cannot you spare a few minutes in which to come and prove your affection and your gratitude?

Do not allow yourselves to be involved in useless and incessant cares, but spare a few moments to visit and receive this Prisoner of Love!"

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

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

The Cry of Unborn Future Priests

Have you ever thought of how many future priests might have been victims of abortion? Faithful prayer warriors/counselors who keep vigil outside abortion centers could tell you that it is not unusual to see rosaries hanging from car mirrors of abortion clients, or for girls/women who are coming for abortions to admit to being Catholic.
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In this Year of the Priest, it would be good to include prayers for the protection of all unborn future priests--not just those already conceived, but all those who will be conceived until the end of time. Almighty God, their Creator, already knows the ones that have been chosen by Him to be His priests: "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you." (Jeremiah 1:5).
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I know one faithful priest whose birth mother chose life for her baby, and unselfishly gave him up for adoption. Through her generosity, the Church has gained one very good priest. With how many more Masses, Holy Communions, priestly blessings, Confessions heard, teachings on the Gospel of Jesus, hours of Eucharistic adoration, etc. has the Church been blessed because of this one priest?--too many to count! How many blessings have we possibly missed because future priests were aborted? Since the Church has an admitted shortage of priestly vocations, (especially in some nations), could one reason be that many of the unborn priests God provided for His Church were not allowed to be born?
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The USA is definitely one of the nations suffering a shortage of priestly vocations.
It does not seem unreasonable to assume that some of the approximately FIFTY MILLION unborn who were deliberately and legally aborted in our nation might have been chosen by God for the priesthood. According to the Official Catholic Directory 2009, 22% of the USA population are registered Catholics.
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With such a high percentage of USA Catholics, now and in the past, how could it come to pass that abortion became legal in this nation and continues to remain legal? We have the privilege to vote to protect human life from conception to natural death! We have freedom to gather in worship and prayer to beg God's powerful protection of our tiniest brothers and sisters in Christ and for the conversion of hearts! We have priests, other Christs, to teach the sanctity of life! When there are 68 million American Catholics, Christian soldiers, armed for battle by the power of the Holy Spirit--how can it be that God's unborn children are allowed to be legally killed in America at the rate of FOUR THOUSAND each day?
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For the unborn who have already been aborted, (including the unborn chosen for priesthood), we can beg God's forgiveness and make reparation. For those still at risk, we can join the spiritual battle for their lives and for the souls of those involved in the sin of abortion. There is much we can do, but at this time I urge you to join the 40 Days for Life campaign which will begin on September 23, 2009--a peaceful, ecumenical, international campaign for life based on prayer, fasting, peaceful vigil outside abortion centers, and community outreach. 40 Days for Life is a highly endorsed, effective weapon in the spiritual warfare waged against the unborn. Even if you've never before been actively involved in saving the lives of the unborn, please consider getting involved NOW--YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
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Blessed Mother, thank you for saying "yes" to life for Jesus, the one Eternal High Priest and Savior of mankind! Please protect the lives of the unborn chosen for priesthood (and all the unborn) until the end of time. Through your powerful intercession, I beg for a miracle of grace for the USA and the whole world--that the lives of future priests (and all the unborn) will be cherished and nurtured as the blessings from God that they are.

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


Monday, August 10, 2009

Three Priest Servants of God

Video created by A Catholic Mom In Hawaii
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This inspiring video highlights three holy priest Servants of God. In common with the Saints, they each had a strong devotion to the Holy Eucharist and to the Blessed Mother of God, Mary Most Holy. Please pray for their canonizations and for miracles through their intercession to help speed their official Church declaration of Sainthood. It seems appropriate during this Year of the Priest to offer prayers for their benefit too--they who served so faithfully.
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If you are praying for a miraculous healing that, if granted, could be used for a cause for beatification or sainthood, it is important to ask the intercession of only one Servant of God, Venerable, or Blessed so that it can be clearly shown that the miracle was through that one person's intercession.
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Prayer for Archbishop Sheen's Canonization
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Heavenly Father, source of all holiness, You raise up in every age men and women who serve with heroic love and dedication. You have blessed Your Church through the life and ministry of Your faithful servant, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. He has written and spoken well of Your Divine Son, Jesus Christ, and was a true instrument of the Holy Spirit in touching the hearts of countless people. If it be according to Your Will, for the honor and glory of the Most Holy Trinity and for the salvation of souls, we ask You to move the Church to proclaim him a saint. We ask this prayer through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
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Prayer to Obtain a Favor Through the Intercession of the Servant of God Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen
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Eternal Father, You alone grant us every blessing in Heaven and on earth, through the redemptive mission of Your Divine Son, Jesus Christ, and by the working of the Holy Spirit. If it be according to Your Will, glorify Your servant, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, by granting the favor I now request through his prayerful intercession (mention your request). I make this prayer confidently through Jesus Christ, our Lord.Amen.
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Prayer for the Beatification and Canonization of Father John Hardon
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Almighty God, You gave Your servant, Father John Anthony Hardon of the Society of Jesus, the grace of consecration as a religious dedicated to the apostolate and the grace of consecration as an ordained priest, after the Heart of Your Divine Son, our Good Shepherd. Through Fr. Hardon, You provided for Your flock an extraordinary teacher of the faith. You entrusted Father Hardon in to the loving care of the Blessed Virgin Mary whose counsel, "Do whatever He tells you" (Jn2:5) he faithfully followed and whose intercession he unceasingly invoked. If it be Your holy will, please grant the request I now make, calling upon the help of Father Hardon, so that his heroic sanctity may be recognized in the whole Church. I ask this through Your Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who with You and the Holy Spirit, is one God forever and ever. Amen.
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Prayer for the Beatification of Servant of God Father Patrick Peyton, CSC
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Dear Jesus, Father Peyton devoted his priestly life to strengthening the families of the world by calling them to pray together every day, especially the Rosary. His message is as important for us now as it was during his life on earth. We beg You, therefore, to hasten the day of his beatification so that Your faithful people everywhere will remember his message that the family that prays together stays together, will imitate him in his devotion to Your Mother and ours, and will be inspired by his holy life to draw ever closer to You with childlike confidence and love. Amen.
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Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests, and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Fr. James Farfaglia: GOD IS WITH US


Father James Farfaglia has posted another outstanding homily to his blog. On his sidebar, Father states that, "TO PREACH THE GOSPEL WITH CONVICTION AND PASSION IS THE GREATEST DUTY OF A PARISH PRIEST."
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I have also been blessed recently to hear some excellent, out of the ordinary, homilies from parish priests where I have attended Mass--priests who are not out to win a popularity contest, but to save souls. It should be encouraging for those of us who pray for priests to witness, or hear about, the Holy Spirit at work in priests in a powerful way!
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Jesus revealed to Venerable Concepcion Cabrera de Armida, spiritual mother of priests, "...the true priest ought to seek...to move to compunction, to contrition, to captivate souls with the divine, to uproot souls from the earth; to remind them of their last ends; to encourage them in the exercise of virtue; to ponder My Passion; to instruct them of My life of love and sacrifice, enamor them with the cross, of suffering, of their calvaries; instructing them about the price of Redemption and of sacrifice; to open their eyes to the horizon of perfection and facilitate for them the path to heaven."
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The priests who preach the whole truth of the Catholic faith are the ones most under attack by the prince of darkness and his troops who directly attack the priests in whatever ways they can. They will even use parishioners who don't want to hear the truth to criticize, complain, spread gossip, and sometimes invent false rumors to discredit the priests. Catholics who don't want to hear sound preaching can be vicious to their priests. Sad to say, they probably don't even realize that it is NOT the Holy Spirit who is motivating them, but the forces of evil.
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Priests who are preaching what is popular and easy to hear are applauded and praised and can be easy prey for the trap of human respect. It is comfortable to be liked and appreciated. Sometimes priests who take the easier road will be the devil's tool to attack their more devout and courageous brother priests.
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To Venerable Concepcion Cabrera de Armida, Jesus also said, "The mission of the priest is to disseminate My teaching, to move people to repentance, to enlighten the spirit, to convert souls, to make hearts respond and not to throw out allurements to draw forth praise."
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God bless Your priests; fill them with Your grace; help them to be saints! Lord, we trust in You to enlighten, protect, strengthen, and help priests, and the rest of us, to avoid the traps set for us by Your enemy and ours. Thank You, Lord!

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

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Miracle of the Rosary for Priests

In this Year of the Priest, there are many special and beautiful prayers that can be said, but it would be wise to not forget to offer your Rosaries for priests and for vocations. As Mother of Jesus, the one Eternal High Priest, and Mother of all priests, the Blessed Mother has a special interest in her priest sons and in their sanctification, and is their most powerful intercessor before God. She has repeatedly asked her children of the world to pray the Holy Rosary. Offering our Rosaries for priests can result in many miracles of grace through our Blessed Mother for them, for us, and for the whole world.
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Please consider offering any indulgences gained from praying the Rosary for priest souls in purgatory who are waiting for our help. Some of the priests who are in need might be the very ones that you and your family are indebted to in many ways and would especially want to help.
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Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests, and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

Friday, August 7, 2009

Pope Benedict XVI: Priests are Men of the Lord

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During this Year for the Priest, which will continue until the next solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, let us pray for all priests. May there be an abundance of prayer initiatives and, in particular, Eucharistic adoration, for the sanctification of the clergy and for priestly vocations--in dioceses, in parishes, in religious communities (especially monasteries), in associations and movements and in the various pastoral groups present in the whole world--responding to Jesus' invitation to pray "to the lord of the harvest that he may send workers to his harvest" (Matthew 9:38).
~Pope Benedict XVI~
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Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests, and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Prayer to Offer Holy Communion for Priests

Spiritual Mothers for Priests is asking for others throughout the world to join them in receiving and offering Holy Communion for priests and for vocations on the first Sunday of every month. They were inspired by the mothers of Lu, Italy (in 1881) who offered their Holy Communions on the first Sunday of every month for the intention of being blessed with vocations from their families. After Mass, the mothers prayed a short, simple prayer from the heart. In answer to their prayers, God blessed the tiny village with 323 vocations! The Congregation for the Clergy's document, which tells this story on pages 18-19, says that the village attracted world-wide attention in 1946 when the majority of the 323 priests and religious met in their village of Lu. Every ten years the village celebrates with a reunion of the priests and religious born in Lu.
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The mothers of Lu also gathered every Tuesday for Eucharistic adoration, praying for vocations. What a testament their faithfulness is to the power of the Holy Eucharist-- the power of Eucharistic adoration--and the power of fervent, persistent, united prayer! If they were blessed so awesomely in a tiny, isolated village, just imagine what COULD be possible with the advantage of being able to reach out to Catholics of the world!
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MOTHERS OF LU PRAYER
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"O God, grant that one of my sons may become a priest!
I myself want to live as a good Christian
and want to guide my children to do what is right,
so that I may receive the grace, O God, to be allowed to give you a holy priest! Amen."
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Another beautiful prayer:
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PRAYER TO OFFER HOLY COMMUNION FOR PRIESTS
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Heavenly Father,
for the glory of Your Holy Name,
we offer You Jesus, the Incarnate Word,
whom we have received in the Sacrament of His love,
and in whom You are well pleased.
Through Mary Immaculate,
we offer ourselves united with Christ,
for the sanctification and increase of Your priests.
Pour Your Divine Spirit upon them,
grant them a great love for the Cross
and make fruitful their pastoral work.
Amen.
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(In accord with the sacramental and theological understanding of Holy Communion as an integrated part of the Eucharistic Sacrifice, the traditional form of "Offering Holy Communion for Priests" should be understood and practiced as an offering of the entire Mass.) Prayer from Apostleship of the Cross.

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

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

USA Priesthood Ordination Class of 2009

Thank You, Lord, for the newly ordained priests you have blessed us with in our nation! Please bless the USA and all the nations of the world with many more holy priests for Your glory and the good of souls!

Mary, Mother of the Church, we pray to you for your sons chosen and sent by your Son Jesus to prolong His ministerial priesthood. Come to fill them with the same attention and the same motherly love with which you surrounded your divine Son Jesus.

By your powerful intercession may they receive all the divine grace which they need to accomplish faithfully the priestly task that has been entrusted to them in the service of God's people.

Come and pray with us, Mary, in this intense prayer of Jesus on the night before His Passion: "May they all be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You, so that the world will believe it was You who sent Me." (John 17:21). Amen.

(Prayer from paxetbonum.net)

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

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

St. Jean Vianney and St. Philomena

Today is the Feast Day of St. Jean Vianney, Patron of Priests. This simple,humble priest has been set apart as a special example of priestly holiness and fruitful ministry. He had a special devotion to St. Philomena, attributing all of the miracles worked through him to her. He said, "I have never asked for anything through the intercession of my Little Saint without having been answered."

(On the link for St. Philomena, don't miss under the 'About' column--a very good article, among others, about St. John and his devotion to St. Philomena titled "St. Jean Vianney," and "The Story" of St. Philomena in which she reveals what really happened to her.)

The Feast Day of St. Jean Vianney is a very special day in the life of one spiritual mother of priests--Rita Andrich. Her husband died in 1992 and was buried on the feast of St. Jean Vianney. After her husband's death, Rita read the story of St. John's life, learning about the powerful role that St. Philomena played as intercessor to support him in his priestly ministry. As a result, she was inspired to offer her life for priests and to write the following prayer.

Prayer For Priests Through the Intercession of St. Philomena


We come to you, dear St. Philomena, known as "all powerful with God" and ask your intercession for all of our beloved priests.

Champion of chastity and purity, intercede for them when they are being tempted so that they may remain faithful to their promise of celibacy.

St. John Vianney, patron of priests, asked your help so often
and you pleaded to Jesus for his intentions.
Ask Jesus for us to protect our beloved priests with His Precious Blood
and to keep them safe from the attacks of the evil one.

Oh sweet, St. Philomena,
you were given the grace to stand faithful to Jesus
in the midst of imprisonment, scourging, the blows of arrows,
attempted drowning and finally the cruel death of being beheaded.

Help all priests to stand firm for the truths of the Gospel
and teachings of the Magisterium.

Thank you, St. Philomena, for your intercession.
Help us all to follow your example and to remain faithful
so that we too may reach our Heavenly Home
and join you, St. John Vianney,
and the Communion of Saints as Church Triumphant. Amen.
(by Rita Andrich)

In the years since Rita first offered her life for priests, she has been an active participant and promoter of the Prayer Wheel of Support for Priests. She has helped distribute to priests Venerable Concepcion Cabrera de Armida's book To My Priests--in which Jesus speaks to His priests through confidences given to Venerable Concepcion (currently unavailable). She is eager to share information about the Prayer Wheel of Support for Priests, Spiritual Motherhood for Priests, and the life and writings of Venerable Concepcion and Venerable Felix de Jesus. She can be reached at apostolate4priests@zoominternet.net. God bless Rita for her faithfulness to You and her holy zeal for the spiritual welfare of Your priests!


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

Monday, August 3, 2009

USCCB Year For Priests Prayer

PLEASE PRAY FOR PRIESTS
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Dear Lord,
we pray that the Blessed Mother
wrap her mantle around your priests
and through her intercession
strengthen them for their ministry.
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We pray that Mary will guide your priests
to follow her own words,
"Do whatever He tells you" (Jn 2:5).
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May your priests have the heart of St. Joseph,
Mary's most chaste spouse.
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May the Blessed Mother's own pierced heart
inspire them to embrace
all who suffer at the foot of the cross.
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May your priests be holy,
filled with the fire of your love
seeking nothing but your greater glory
and the salvation of souls.
Amen.

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St. John Vianney, pray for us.

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

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Fr. James Farfaglia: The Eucharist and the Priest



Father James Farfaglia has posted an excellent homily to his blog--including instruction on transubstantiation, quotes of St. Jean Vianney, and suggestions on what we can do for priests. God bless him for sharing his thoughts with not only his own parishioners, but with all the people of the world who are blessed to discover and read his words!
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Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all Priests, and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.
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Statue of St. Jean Vianney located at the St. Jean Vianney Theological Seminary, Denver
Photo by James Baca ~ Designed by Jorge Paredes

Saturday, August 1, 2009

Spiritual Mothers of Priests Unite

There are three new blogs seeking to unite women throughout the world in answer to the Congregation for the Clergy's appeal for Eucharistic Adoration and Spiritual Motherhood for Priests. The blogs originate in Australia, Honolulu, and France. What a wonderful outpouring of love for our Catholic priests!
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Listed in alphabetical order:
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From Father Mark Kirby:
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Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of all priests, and our Mother, help us respond generously to the Holy Spirit's request, through the voice of His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.