Pope Benedict XVI Enjoys Teaching Children About Jesus in the Eucharist

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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.

The Blessed Mother's Heart of Love and Mercy

"The heart of this good Mother is all love and mercy;

she desires only to see us happy.

We have only to turn to her to be heard.

The Son has His justice;

the Mother has nothing but her love."

~ St. Jean Vianney ~

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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.

Catholic Priests: Bridges Between Heaven and Earth

PRIESTS ARE FOR REAL
Jesus Christ, the definitive and perfect priest, established the ordained (or ministerial) priesthood with which the Apostles were the first to be invested. Conferred by the Sacrament of Holy Orders, the gift and mystery of ordained priesthood is the means by which Christ continuously builds up and leads his Church.

The priesthood is not an occupation but rather a vocation. Priests are men chosen by God to lay down their lives as bridges between heaven and earth. No one has a right to become a priest. Indeed, the priesthood can never be claimed by a man, for a man is called to it by God. Like every grace, the Sacrament of Holy Orders can be received only as an unmerited gift. The man who believes he may have a call to priesthood must humbly submit his desire to the authority of the Church, who has the responsibility to determine whether the call is genuinely from Christ.

Priests act in the person of Christ (in persona Christi) as the head of the Church sanctifying, leading, and teaching God’s people. At the same time, priests also act in the name of the Church: offering the sacrifice of the Holy Mass and administering the other Sacraments for the salvation of God’s people and of the world itself.

PRIESTLY PROMISES
The call of priesthood is a call to configure one’s whole being to the person of Jesus Christ. All that a priest is and does is embraced with this end in mind. His whole life is focused on his sanctification and the sanctification of God’s people.

A diocesan priest responds to this call to sanctity in the context of his priestly promises. In imitation of Christ who chose the celibate way of life, the priest chooses to “keep for ever this commitment as a sign of [his] dedication to Christ the Lord for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven, in the service of God and man” (Rite of Ordination). A life of celibacy frees the priest to be available to love all people with the love of Christ himself.

Recognizing that his call to priesthood is much bigger than his personal relationship to God, the priest lives out this call through a life in Christ’s Church. He acknowledges the authority and leadership of his bishop and promises respect and obedience to him. The relationship between a priest and his bishop is to enable him to best serve the members of the local Church.

As the priest accepts the call to spiritual leadership, he promises God and all God’s people that he will “exercise the ministry of the word worthily and wisely”; “celebrate faithfully and reverently the mysteries of Christ, especially the sacrifice of the Eucharist and the sacrament of Reconciliation”; “observe the command to pray without ceasing”; and “resolve to be united more closely every day to Christ the High Priest,…and with him to consecrate [himself] to God for the salvation of all” (Rite of Ordination).

~ From the Diocese of Toledo ~

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.

Pope John Paul II Prayer for Vocations

Lord Jesus, once you called the first disciples in order to make them fishers of men. Continue to let resound today Your sweet invitation: "Come and follow me." Grant to young men and young women the grace of responding promptly to Your voice. Sustain our bishops, priests and consecrated souls in their apostolic work. Give perseverance to our seminarians and to all those who are fulfilling an ideal of a life of total consecration to Your service. Enkindle in our communities a missionary zeal. Send Lord, workers into Your fields and do not let mankind be lost because of a lack of pastors, missionaries and people dedicated to the cause of the Gospel.

Mary, Mother of the Church, Model of Vocations, help us say "Yes to the Lord Who calls us to collaborate in the Divine Design of Salvation." Amen.

~ Pope John Paul II ~

The monstrance which is used to carry the Blessed Sacrament is one of six that were blessed by Pope John II before his death to mark the celebration of the Year of the Eucharist. "God In The Streets of New York City" depicts the contrast between the everyday chaos of the busy streets -- complete with traffic, construction and police cars -- and the peaceful presence of Jesus.

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.

Pope John Paul II: A Penitential Soul

Pope John Paul II always took penitence seriously, spending entire nights lying with his arms outstretched on the bare floor, fasting before ordaining priests or bishops and flagellating himself, said the promoter of his sainthood cause.

Msgr. Slawomir Oder, postulator of the late pope's cause, said Pope John Paul used self-mortification "both to affirm the primacy of God and as an instrument for perfecting himself."

"Not infrequently he passed the night lying on the bare floor,"...

~ From Catholic News Service ~

O Blessed Trinity, we thank You for having graced the Church with Pope John Paul II and for allowing the tenderness of Your fatherly care, the glory of the Cross of Christ, and the splendor of the Holy Spirit , to shine through him.

Trusting fully in Your infinite mercy and in the maternal intercession of Mary, he has given us a living image of Jesus the Good Shepherd, and has shown us that holiness is the necessary measure of ordinary Christian life and is the way of achieving eternal communion with you.

Grant us, by his intercession, and according to Your will, the graces we implore, hoping that he will soon be numbered among Your saints. Amen.

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, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

St. Jean Vianney on the Priesthood

"The priest is not a priest for himself;

he does not give himself absolution;

he does not administer the Sacraments to himself.

He is not for himself, he is for you.

After God, the priest is everything."

~ St. Jean Vianney ~

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.

Clerical Reform: Series on the Priesthood by Father S.

"Offer to My Father, for My priests,

the spirit of prayer of My divine Heart,

My spirit of contemplation,

the perfect union of My Heart with Him.

That is what is lacking in so many of My priests;

a spirit of prayer, an intense interior life."

~ Jesus to Blessed Dina Belanger ~

Clerical Reform is definitely a blog worth following! Anyone who has a heart for helping priests should read the Series on the Priesthood by Fr. S. Any Catholic who doesn't have a heart for helping priests--but should--ought to read his series. Hopefully, many brother priests are reading and benefitting from what he has to say. Father addresses himself to brother priests, but his writings contains valuable insights and counsel of benefit to all readers. I have emailed a link to his series to priest and lay friends. Maybe some of you know someone who would benefit from what Father S has written. Excerpts from today's post follow:

"The hardest part of a priest's life is the interior life. It is the daily working at prayer, offering Holy Mass, mortification, and rooting out of sin; and this is where persecution comes in. The evil one is clever; have no doubt of that. As such, you can expect that you will receive temptation at your weakest spots to the degree that you seek to become like unto Jesus Christ. The more you root out sin, the more you will be besieged. Undoubtedly, the grace of Our Lord is more powerful than any created power, but it is hard to take advantage of. We foolishly think, over and over, that we can let our guard down. "I can have a couple of glasses of wine. I know the last time I did that it led to temptations against purity, but that won't happen tonight." Or, "I can sit and talk with these priests. I know that every other time I do so we get to gossiping and detraction, but this time I'll be fine." The evil one has us reconnoitered. The only means to growing in holiness is drawing close to Christ and away from sin. So long as we want to have both we will fall flat on our faces. This is the persecution we have to expect.

"So, what is our main antidote? Our main antidote is the holy hour, period. If you are not praying for a significant amount of time each day, you are not coming to know the Beloved as you should be. Your preaching will lack fullness and your ministry will lack fullness. Go and pray and stop making excuses. While there are sometimes reasons for cutting the hour short, there are no excuses for not trying to make it each day. Remember that the evil one is playing for keeps and a collar around the neck can be just as easily used to pull us down or raise us up."

For Father's Series on the Priesthood, click here. I've also included a link in the sidebar for easy future reference.

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.

Lord, Take My Life

Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands and let them move
at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice and let me sing
always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
filled with messages from Thee.
Take my silver and my gold
not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
every power as You choose.

::Chorus::
Here am I, all of me.
Take my life, it's all for Thee.

Take my will and make it Thine
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is Thine own
it shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord I pour
at Your feet its treasure store
Take myself and I will be
ever, only, all for Thee.
Take myself and I will be
ever, only, all for Thee.

Here am I, all of me.
Take my life, it's all for Thee.
(Lyrics by Chris Tomlin)

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.

The Blessed Virgin Mary's Indispensable Role in God's Plan

"Without Mary,

God did not want that Redemption would be possible,

nor the Church,

nor the Eucharist,

nor salvation of the human race."

~ Jesus to Venerable Concepcion Cabrera de Armida, from To My 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.

Pope John Paul II Urges Prayer and Fasting for Life

"...a great prayer for life is urgently needed, a prayer which will rise up throughout the world. Through special initiatives and in daily prayer, may an impassioned plea rise to God, the Creator and lover of life, from every Christian community, from every group and association, from every family and from the heart of every believer. Jesus himself has shown us by his own example that prayer and fasting are the first and most effective weapons against the forces of evil (cf. Mt 4:1-11). As he taught his disciples, some demons cannot be driven out except in this way (cf. Mk 9:29). Let us therefore discover anew the humility and the courage to pray and fast so that power from on high will break down the walls of lies and deceit: the walls which conceal from the sight of so many of our brothers and sisters the evil of practices and laws which are hostile to life. May this same power turn their hearts to resolutions and goals inspired by the civilization of life and love."

~ Pope John Paul II, Evangelium Vitae, 100 ~

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.

Fr. John Corapi's Plea for Haiti Earthquake Victims

" It is Jesus we are helping in the poor."

Fr. Louis Guardiola: Eucharistic Power to Transform the World

"Jesus told the Apostles, 'Could you not spend one hour with me?' in the garden of Gethsemane during His passion. Jesus tells us today, "Could you not spend one hour with me", in this hour of the Church's passion, this hour of scandal, dissensions, divisions, abortion, international terrorism, apostasy, etc., etc. Remember fellow members of the Eucharistic Body of Christ. The Church is Christ. The Church is Jesus Christ extended into space and time.

"I firmly believe that in Eucharistic adoration, whether it be one day a week, 40 hours or Perpetual Adoration, your hour of Eucharistic power, your hour of adoration, your hour of conference with the Lord of lords, the King of Kings, really, truly and substantially present on His Eucharistic throne can and will change the world.

"I firmly believe that if every one of the billion plus Catholics in the world spent an hour one day a week before the Blessed Sacrament, every major crisis, every major scandal, abortion and acts of international terrorism would stop! Think about that!

"There is power in numbers. We have the numbers and we have the Eucharistic power. We have the power of the very enfleshed love of God Himself, who redeemed us and the world, whose power of the resurrection continues today through the Eucharist that can and will totally transform the world."

~ Fr. Louis Guardiola, C.P.M., Fathers of Mercy ~

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.

Sad Revelations of Jesus to St. Padre Pio About Some Priests

Letter to Friar Augustine, on April 7, 1913, “My dear Father, I was still in bed on Friday morning, when Jesus appeared to me. He was battered and disfigured. He showed me a great crowd of priests, among whom were different ecclesiastical dignitaries. Some were celebrating or were donning or removing their vestments. To see Jesus in this condition caused me much pain. I wanted to ask him why he suffered so much. He did not answer me, but showed me that priest being punished. But shortly after, he looked sadly at these priests and I noticed, to my great horror, two tears running down his face. Jesus went away from that crowd of priests and with a great expression of disgust on his face, cried’: “Butchers!” Then He told me: “My Child, do not believe that my agony has been only three hours, no; actually I will be in agony till the end of the world because of the souls I love. During the time of the agony, my child, nobody can sleep. My soul goes looking for some drop of human pity, but they leave me alone under the weight of their indifference. The ingratitude and the sleep of my ministers increase the agony for me. They badly respond to my love! The greater torment for me is that these people add their contempt to their indifference and disbelief. How many times my wrath was to strike them like lightning, but I was stopped by the angels and the souls who love me..... Write to your confessor and describe to him what you saw and heard from me this morning. Tell him to show your letter to the Provincial... “Jesus continued to talk but I may never reveal what he said...”

Letter to Father Agostino, of (March 12, 1913), “... my father, listen to our sweet Jesus’ complaints: “My love for men is repaid with so much ingratitude! Those people would have offended me less if I had loved them less. My father doesn’t want to tolerate them anymore. I would like to stop loving them, but... (And here Jesus kept silent and, afterward taken aback) but my heart is made for loving! The tired men don’t try to overcome the temptations. Rather these men enjoy their iniquities. The souls I love more than the other’s when they suffer a temptation, when they don’t succeed in withstanding. The weak souls are dismayed and desperate. The strong souls trust Jesus. They leave me alone at night and in the morning in Church. They don’t take care of the sacrament of the altar; they don’t speak of this sacrament of love anymore; also, the people who do speak of the sacrament do it with so much indifference and coldness. My Heart has been forgotten; nobody cares for my love; I am always saddened. My house has become a theatre of plays for a lot of people; even my priests that I have always protected carefully, that I have loved as the apple of my eye; they should comfort my sorrowful heart; they should help me in the redemption of the souls, instead.... Who would believe it? I receive ingratitude from them. I see, my Son, a lot of them that... (Here he stopped, sobs tightened his throat, he wept) that under false semblance they betray me with sacrilegious communions, stamping on the light and the strength that I continually give them... “.

Epistolary I (1910-1922) PADRE PIO DA PIETRELCINA: a cura di Melchiorre da Pobladura e Alessandro da Ripabottoni - Edizioni "Padre Pio da Pietrelcina" Convento S.Maria delle Grazie San Giovanni Rotondo - FG

~ St. Padre Pio quotes from here. ~

Please pray daily for priests and, if possible, spend time in Eucharistic adoration --praying for their sanctification and offering reparation for their sins to console the Heart of Jesus.

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.

Fr. Thomas Euteneuer: Never Underestimate the Power of Prayer for Priests

The Year for Priests is more than half over, but the need for spiritual support of priests will never end. Our Holy Father, in declaring this special Year, has set us on the right path by calling attention to the ongoing need of priests to be more attentive to their own spiritual lives and for the rest of the faithful to appreciate and support all priests. Fr. Thomas Euteneuer's words at the beginning of this Year for Priests are worth repeating.

"Some realism about the priestly vocation has to both enlighten our view of priests and dampen our expectations of them. Catholic priests are not worldly leaders, they are not perfect and they are not God. Rather, they are God's chosen servants given the duty of blessing, teaching and leading souls to heaven, and for that reason they have a fierce reckoning to go through on the Day of Judgment. On the final day, the High Priest Himself will weigh His black-robed servants in the scales against the souls that were sent them for care, and the scales will not lie."

"Even though priests don't ask it enough, every priest needs the prayers of his people to support him against the wiles of the world, the flesh and the devil. More than anything, however, he needs prayers to strengthen and confirm him in the grace that he has been given to be that shining light of faith to the world. The grace from these prayers always returns to the one who prays because everyone who prays for priests is served better by them. Prayers for the priesthood in general add more soldiers to the ranks of the clergy and keep some of the failing ones from leaving. Prayers for individual priests and their souls are enormously helpful to a priest's integrity and his generosity of service. We must never underestimate the power of prayer for God's servants. They are always fruitful for the Kingdom of God."

~ Fr. Thomas Euteneuer, from Priests for the Kingdom ~

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 Eucharitic adoration for priests. Amen.

Fr. William Doyle: Victim of Reparation for Sins of Priests

Thanks to Fr. Mark Kirby for sharing more information on Fr. Willie Doyle, S.J.! It is no wonder that Fr. Doyle is one of the special patrons and heroes of the Cenacle of the Eucharistic Face of Jesus located in the Diocese of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Fr. Kirby and the present and future members of the Cenacle also have a special mission of "adoration before the Eucharistic Face of Jesus, offering thanksgiving, intercession and reparation for all... brothers in Holy Orders."

Some inspiring quotes of Fr. Doyle from Fr. Kirby's blog post:

"At Exposition Jesus spoke clearly in my soul, 'Do the hard thing for My sake because it is hard.' I also felt urged to perform all my priestly duties with great fervour to obtain grace for other priests to do the same, e.g. the Office, that priests may say theirs well." On the Feast of St. Teresa, October, 1914, there is this simple but eloquent record: "Last night I rose at one a.m. and walked two miles barefooted in reparation for the sins of priests to the chapel at Murrough (Co. Clare), where I made the Holy Hour. God made me realise the merit of each step, and I understood better how much I gain by not reading the paper; each picture, each sentence sacrificed means additional merit. I felt a greater longing for self-inflicted suffering and a determination to do more little things.'"

"God has chosen me, in His great love and through compassion for my weakness and misery, to be a victim of reparation for the sins of priests especially; that hence my life must be different in the matter of penance, self-denial and prayer, from the lives of others not given this special grace they may meritoriously do what I cannot; that unless I constantly live up to the life of a willing victim, I shall not please our Lord nor ever become a saint - it is the price of my sanctification; that Jesus asks this from me always and in every lawful thing, so that I can sum up my life 'sacrifice always in all things.'"

"During a visit our Lord seemed to urge me not to wait till the end of the war, but to begin my life of reparation at once, in some things at least. I have begun to keep a book of acts done with this intention. He asked me for these sacrifices, (1) To rise at night in reparation for priests who lie in bed instead of saying Mass. (2) At all costs to make the 50,000 aspirations. (3) To give up illustrated papers. (4) To kiss floor of churches. (5) Breviary always kneeling. (6) Mass with intense devotion. The Blessed Curé d'Ars used to kneel without support while saying the Office. Could not I?"

"This is my vocation," he notes on 8th February, 1917, "reparation and penance for the sins of priests; hence the constant urging of our Lord to generosity."

"The reading of La vie réparatrice (Canon Leroux de Bretagne, Desclée 1909) has made me long more to take up this life in earnest. I have again offered myself to Jesus as His Victim to do with me absolutely as He pleases. I will try to take all that happens, no matter from whom it comes, as sent to me by Jesus and will bear suffering, heat, cold, etc., with joy as part of my immolation, in reparation for the sins of priests. From this day I shall try bravely to bear all 'little pains' in this spirit. A strong urging to this."

From an earlier post, Fr. Kirby shared Fr. Doyle's beautiful Prayer for Priests.

Please take the time to read Fr. Kirby's post in its entirety (from which the above quotes were taken). If you are not acquainted with Father Kirby's blog, it would be well worth your time to get to know him and to benefit from all the excellent information and inspiration he has to offer.

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.

Holy Mary, Mother of Priests, Protect, Guide and Intercede for Them!

"...After conquering the power of the devil once-for-all on Calvary, Jesus Christ eternally offers that one sacrifice to the Father for the salvation of souls, and the men who are chosen to serve in the priestly class in His Church have the duty to perpetuate that one sacrifice in time by celebrating the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Of the many things that priests have to do, it is the most important!

"Mary is not only the Mother of Jesus' human nature, but She is the Mother of His Priesthood too because She gave Him birth, nurtured Him, educated Him in the ways of the Chosen People and faithfully stood by Him at the altar when He was offering the perfect sacrifice, namely, His own death. She was not a pious bystander to the formation of His priestly character. Mary was His seminary.

"Mary, too, stands by us priests when we offer our lives and sacrifices in union with the one great sacrifice of Christ...

"If I may ask any favor of the faithful in this Year for Priests, I would ask simply that you commend us to the Mother of the High Priest on a regular basis. Mary loves priests very deeply, not only because she sees in us the reflection of her Son, but because she knows how necessary the priestly office is for the sanctification of souls. She is perfectly aware of our many weaknesses and foibles, but she loves us anyway! Please ask her to protect us, to guide us, to purify us like the "sons of Levi" so that we may be able to offer "fitting due sacrifice to the Lord" (Malachi 3:3-4) for the salvation of souls."

~ Fr. Thomas Euteneuer, from The Virgin Mary and the Year 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.

Thanks and God Bless You to All Catholic Priests!

From the video creator:

Pope Benedict has called for a year dedicated to the priesthood. So I put this video together. These men give their lives, leaving all behind, to serve Christ and the Church He left behind. They are voices for the voiceless, defenders of truth, and protectors of the weak. They are ordinary men living extraordinary lives. May we pray that God continue to bless and strengthen these men who give so much and sometimes receive very little. May they be strengthened and sanctified by the One who has chosen them. Thanks to all the priests, whether diocesan or religious, throughout the world. God Bless you.

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.

Fr. Solanus Casey: "Blessed Be God in All His Designs"

"Confidence in God is the very soul of prayer."

~ Venerable Solanus Casey ~

PRAYER FOR THE BEATIFICATION OF VENERABLE SOLANUS CASEY

O God, I adore You. I give myself to You.
May I be the person You want me to be,
and may Your will be done in my life today.

I thank You for the gifts You gave to Father Solanus.
If it is Your Will, bless us with the beatification of
Venerable Solanus so that others may imitate
and carry on his love for all the poor and suffering of our world.

As he joyfully accepted Your divine plans,
I ask You, according to Your Will,
to hear my prayer for . . . (your intention)
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

“Blessed be God in all His designs.”

Imprimatur: Adam Cardinal Maida, Archbishop of Detroit
March 31, 2007 © F.S.G. 3/07

~ Offical site for cause for Beatification of Venerable Fr. Solanus Casey ~

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.

Andrea Tornielli: Best Kept Secrets of Pope John Paul II

Italian Vaticanist Andrea Tornielli has published unedited material in his latest book on John Paul II, titled Santo Subito or Immediate Saint. In the book, he discloses never before heard testimonies, from those who knew John Paul II best. Tornielli hopes to shed some light on what made John Paul II a powerful figure.

Andrea Tornielli:
"He spoke with God. You would take one look at him and you knew that he was a person who talked frequently with God.

Aside from praying with his lips, the book reveals that John Paul II would pray using his whole body since he would often go on fasts and perform penance.

Andrea Tornielli :
"He would do it to suffer and therefore have more suffering to offer Jesus Christ for the Church, for the pontificate, for humanity. John Paul II led humanity for 27 years and he's shown he's suffered like Christ in the name of mankind."

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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.

Year for Priests: Spiritual Bouquet Cards for Priests

A Spiritual Bouquet is a gift that any priest should welcome. It is a personal expression of appreciation for an individual priest that can only come from one heart to another.

Updated 5/19/2011:
Because the Spiritual Bouquet cards provided for the Year for Priests by the USCCB  have been removed from their website, links to their site are no longer included in this post. 

Since the need of prayer for priests never ends, I am adding new links from other sources for Spiritual Bouquets for priests.  The links from the Diocese of La Crosse are the same as those formerly provided by the USCCB.

Spiritual Bouquets for Priests:

From Vocation website

From Encourage Priests

From Merciful Hearts Refuge

From the Diocese of Arlington

From the Diocese of La Crosse:  Spiritual Bouquet Postcards
              
From the Diocese of La Crosse:  Gift of Prayer Card--the Rosary

From the Diocese of La Crosse:  Gift of Prayer Card--Eucharistic Adoration

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.

Year for Priests Suggestions: PEAK

PEAK

What can the faithful do for their priests during this Year for Priests? Since the Eucharist is the source and summit of our spiritual lives, and we receive the Eucharist through the hands of our priests, the following acronym is very relevant: PEAK.

P- Pray. Priests need the prayers of the faithful in order that they become the men God has called them to be. We pray that all our priests become saints like their patron, St. John Vianney.

E- Encourage. Encourage young men that show the qualities that would make a good priest to at least consider the possibility of a vocation to the priesthood; let it be a viable option in their life. Considering the priesthood should be natural for all Catholic young men.

A- Affirm. Your spiritual fathers need affirmation. When you hear a good homily, witness a baptism or marriage that really touches your heart, or out of gratitude for receiving the Eucharist, write your priest a letter. Priests hear a lot of bad news; you would be amazed what one letter of affirmation can do to touch the heart and soul of your priest, and thus build him up.

K- Know. Increase your knowledge of the gift of the priesthood to the Church. The priesthood is the very core of our Church’s identity. As Jesus gave his very life two thousand years ago, our priests continue to hand on to us the Body of Christ and to reach out the hand of Christ in healing and absolving our sins. Appreciate the value of celibacy that your priests have entered into.

~ From the USCCB ~

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.>

Here I Am, Lord: Dedication to Jesus Prayer

DEDICATION TO JESUS

Lord Jesus Christ,

take all my freedom, my memory, my understanding, and my will.

All that I have and cherish you have given me.

I surrender it all to be guided by your will.

Your love and your grace are wealth enough for me.

Give me these, Lord Jesus, and I ask for nothing more.

Amen.

~ St. Ignatius Loyola (1491-1556) ~

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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.

Please Join Fr. Mark Kirby in a Novena in Honor of St. Peter Julian Eymard

If you didn't know before now about Fr. Mark Kirby's request to join him in praying a novena in honor of St. Peter Julian Eymard, it's not too late to begin--if you would be so kind. Fr. Kirby had this to say in the following excerpts from his blog post:

"Saint Peter Julian Eymard is one of the principal patrons of the work of the Cenacle here in Tulsa."

"...the need for funds to build the new Monastery of Our Lady of the Cenacle, dedicated to Eucharistic adoration for the sanctification of priests, compel me once again to propose the following novena for those who care to make it with me from January 6-14."

Some readers of Vultus Christi may recall that on October 26, 2007 I wrote:
"The desire of the Heart of Jesus is that there should be priest adorers and reparators: priests who will adore for those who do not adore, priests who will make reparation for those who do not. Our Lord asks me -- and will ask other priests as well -- to remain in adoration before His Eucharistic Face, offering all the priests of the Church to His Open Heart present in the Sacrament of His Love."

"This inspiration was confirmed by the splendid letter of Cardinal Hummes, published on December 7, 2007, inviting to adoration and reparation for priests."

"The Church is blessed with any number of communities of fervent Benedictines, who glorify Our Lord according to the gifts imparted to them, but nowhere does Our Lord find a house of priest-adorers to keep Him company in the Sacrament of His Love, and to offer themselves for their brother priests."

"The establishment of a new monastery is a daunting proposition. I might be tempted to lose heart, were it not for Our Lord's assurance that the measure of one's weakness is the measure of the deployment of His grace."

"A priest who, in adoration, assents to the friendship of Christ, will want for nothing and will make great strides along the path of holiness. Virtue is not difficult for one who abides in the friendship of Christ. The friendship of Jesus for His priests needs to become the subject of conversations, of reflection, of study, and of preaching; more than anything else it needs to become the lived experience of every priest."

"Priests who come to adore the Eucharistic Face of Jesus will quickly discover His Heart and, in His Heart they will discover the friendship for which He created them and to which He calls them. The single greatest deficiency of the clergy is that so many priests are ignorant of the tenderness and strength and fidelity of Our Lord's friendship for them. How can this deficiency be remedied? By adoration before the Eucharistic Face of Christ. This is the raison d'être of my work in the Diocese of Tulsa. Pray, then, that the radiance of the Eucharistic Face of Jesus will reach an ever greater number of priests, until, in all the Church, the Priesthood of Christ shines with all the splendour of His own holiness."

~ Fr. Kirby's entire blog post, including novena prayers, found at Eucharistic Novena: January 6-14 ~

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.

A Prayer for All Priests

A Prayer for Priests

O Jesus,
I pray for those men you have called to serve your people as priests.
I thank you for those who are engaged this day in active ministry,
for those who have retired after fruitful service,
and for those who are in formation preparing for ordination.

Bless them, Lord, with strength and joy;

may they continue to grow in your likeness

so that they can help me grow in your likeness.

I pray, too, Lord, for those priests who are not well,
and I commend to your mercy those priests who are dying.

I thank you for the ministry and witness

of those priests who now enjoy your presence in the kingdom,

and I pray for those still on the journey.

O Jesus, keep them all close to your Sacred Heart,

and bless them abundantly in time and in eternity. Amen!

~ Prayer from the Diocese of Wilmington ~

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.

Basic Information About the Priesthood

"IF WE FULLY REALIZED WHAT A PRIEST IS, WE WOULD DIE OF LOVE!"
~ St. John Vianney, Universal Patron of Priests ~

Pope Benedict XVI has proclaimed this the “Year for Priests”! This Year is meant to benefit our priests, but it is also meant to benefit us, the laity. Our priests give their lives for us—their lives are literally spent in service to us. Therefore, a Year dedicated for them is also for us.

Ordination is the sacramental act that integrates a man into the order of bishops, presbyters, or deacons. When a man is ordained, he receives a gift of the Holy Spirit that permits the exercise of a sacred power for the service of the faithful. This sacred power comes only from Christ Himself through His Church.

Only Christ is the true priest.
Yet through our baptism, we all share in His priesthood.

There are 2 ways to participate in Christ’s priesthood:
• the common (or baptismal) priesthood of the faithful
• the ministerial priesthood of bishops and priests.
The ministerial priesthood is at the service of the common priesthood. Priests’ lives are literally spent in service to us. The Church states that the priest’s office “is in the strict sense of the term a service.” Priests exercise their service to us in 3 ways: by teaching, divine worship, & pastoral governance. The ministerial priesthood is one way Christ builds up and leads His Church ... thus every priest is a GIFT to us from God!

In the natural order, a man and woman are united in matrimony as bridegroom and bride. In the spiritual or supernatural order, Christ is the Bridegroom; His people (we, the Church) are the Bride. Just as new life comes from the union of man and woman, new life comes from the union of Christ and the Church—this new life is GRACE: the life of Christ in the soul, sanctification, holiness.

At Ordination, the priest becomes a real image of Christ, he is betrothed to the Church, and he is given by God the sacred powers of administering the sacraments. When administering the sacraments, the priest acts in the person of Christ, and new life is generated within the Church: the new life of GRACE in the soul. At Baptism, every Christian receives spiritual life from Christ, ordinarily through the spiritual fatherhood of a priest. This spiritual life is nourished with further reception of the sacraments, most commonly those of the Eucharist and Penance.

Spiritually, the priest fathers us into mature life in Christ. Just as a family needs a father, we need priests. Just as a good husband and father undertakes countless sacrifices for his family, the priest lays down his life in service to the Church, giving not only his time, effort, and natural talents, but also an outpouring of sacramental grace. What an incredible gift God gives to us in each and every priest!

Celibacy—Gift for the Priest and Gift for the Church:
For the priest, celibacy is a priceless gift from God to be welcomed and continually renewed with a free and loving decision.

For the Church (the laity), celibacy is the priest’s gift of self, expressing his service to the Church in and with the Lord, so that the Church, as Bride of Christ, is loved by the priest in the total and exclusive manner in which Jesus Christ loved her.

The human vocation is TO LOVE. Two ways of realizing this vocation in lifelong consecration are: • marriage and • celibacy.

Marriage is a sign of the eternal union of Christ and the Church. Celibacy is a more immediate and direct participation in that union. The man who sacrifices marriage for the sake of the Kingdom, is “skipping” the sign in anticipation of the real thing; he is living in confident anticipation of what will be fulfilled in Christ. Celibacy is not a rejection of sexuality, but a living out of the deepest meaning of sexuality—union with Christ and His Church.

The celibate priest is set apart from the ordinary demands of married life, to free him for the extraordinary responsibilities of being a spiritual father to the whole household of faith that is the Church, the family of God. Celibacy is a personal choice empowered by a particular grace. Hence, this vocation must be understood as voluntary and supernatural. The celibate priest devotes himself entirely to the supernatural love of God, which he is able to live out potently and joyfully.

Celibacy embraces the heavenly marriage we all long for—that union of Christ and the Church.

When a man is ordained a priest, an indelible spiritual character is placed on his soul. The vocation and mission he receives at Ordination mark him permanently. If just reasons exist, a priest can be discharged from his priestly functions, but he cannot become a layman again. Once a priest, always a priest.

Priesthood necessarily involves the grace of the Holy Spirit. It was the grandeur of both this grace and the priest’s office that led the young priest St. Gregory of Nazianzus to say:
“We must begin by purifying ourselves before purifying others; we must be instructed to be able to instruct, become light to illuminate, draw close to God to bring Him close to others, be sanctified to sanctify . . .
Who then is the priest? He is the defender of truth, who stands with angels, gives glory with archangels, causes sacrifices to rise to the altar on high, shares Christ’s priesthood, refashions creation, restores it in God’s image, recreates it for the world on high and, even greater, is divinized and divinizes."

All of the above is taken from an excellent bulletin insert provided by the USCCB. It is likely that some busy pastors are unaware that this is available, would appreciate knowing about it, and might want to use it as a bulletin insert during this Year for Priests. That could be true of your pastor, as it was of mine.

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.

Sisters Speak About the Year for Priests

"The priest holds the key to the treasures of heaven:

it is he who opens the door;

he is the steward of the good Lord;

the administrator of His good..."

~ St. John Marie Vianney, Patron Saint of Priests ~

One of my very favorite inspiring true stories about the power of prayer for priests is also about Bishop William Ketteler, the same bishop mentioned by Sister in the above video. For more details about the God-given relationship between Bishop Ketteler and his humble spiritual mother, click here.

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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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AN APPEAL FOR ONE HOUR OF EUCHARISTIC ADORATION FOR PRIESTS

Venerable Concepcion Cabrera de Armida's Litany for Priests

Jesus said to Venerable Concepción Cabrera de Armida,

"My Father wants to see the priest transformed into Me,

not only during the Mass, but at all times.

He wants to see him transformed in such a way

that no matter where or when

the priest can truly say, in the interior of his soul, these blessed words,

constantly fulfilled in him by his transformation into Me:

This is My Body; This is My Blood."

The following Litany for Priests was written by Venerable Concepción Cabrera de Armida, spiritual mother of priests, on September 18, 1921.

LITANY FOR PRIESTS

For our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, R. Lord, give him your Heart of the Good Shepherd.

For the successors of the Apostles, R. Lord, give them fatherly concern for their priests.

For your Bishops chosen by the Holy Spirit, R. Lord, keep them close to your sheep.

For your Pastors, R. Lord, teach them to serve rather than to seek to be served.

For confessors and spiritual directors, R. Lord, make them docile instruments of your Spirit.

For those who announce Your Word, R. Lord, let them communicate your Spirit and Life.

For those who help the lay apostolate, R. Lord, encourage them to give witness.

For those who work with the youth, R. Lord, may they commit the youth to you.

For those who work among the poor, R. Lord, make them see and serve you in them.

For those who care for the sick, R. May they teach them the value of suffering, Lord.

For poor priests, R. Help them, Lord.

For sick priests, R. Heal them, Lord.

For elderly priests, R. Give them joyful hope, Lord.

For the sad and afflicted, R. Console them, Lord.

For anxious and troubled priests, R. Give them your peace, Lord.

For the ridiculed and persecuted, R. Defend their cause, Lord.

For lukewarm priests, R. Inflame them, Lord.

For the discouraged, R. Give them courage, Lord.

For those who aspire to the priesthood, R. Give them perseverance, Lord.

To all priests, R. Give them fidelity to you and your Church, Lord.

To all priests, R. Give them obedience and love for the Holy Father, Lord.

To all priests, R. Let them live in communion with their Bishop, Lord.

That all priests, R. Be one as you, Lord, and the Father are One.

That all priests, R. May promote the justice with which you, Lord, are just.

That all priests, R. Collaborate in the unity of the Presbyterate, Lord.

That all priests, filled with your presence, R. Live joyfully in celibacy, Lord.

To all priests, R. Grant them the fullness of your Spirit, Lord, and transform them into yourself.

In a special way, I pray for those priests through whom I have received your graces. I pray for the priest who baptized me and for those who have absolved me of my sins, reconciling me with you and with your Church. I pray for those priests in whose Masses I have participated and who have given me your Body as nourishment. I pray for those priests who have shared your Word with me, and for those who have helped me and led me to you. Amen.

Prayer: Divine Heart of Jesus, Heart full of zeal for the Glory of your Father, we pray for all your priests. By your Holy Spirit, fill them with faith, zeal and love. Amen.

Brief Form of the Litany: For all priests: Transform them into You, Lord. May the Holy Spirit possess them, and through them renew the face of the earth. Amen.

The Litany is from a brochure that also includes an Offering Holy Communion for Priests prayer. The brochure is available for printing from here.

If you missed it, some of you might have an interest in reading an earlier post on offering Holy Communion 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.

Pray for Priests: St. Padre Pio's Daily Novena Prayer

IRRESTIBLE NOVENA TO THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS

O my Jesus, Who didst say, “Indeed I say to you, ask and it shall be given you; seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be open to you.” Here I am, knocking, seeking and asking this grace…
Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be… O Sacred Heart of Jesus, in Thee I trust.

O my Jesus, who didst say, “Indeed I say to you, whatever you shall ask of the Father in My Name, it shall be granted to you.” Here I am, asking Thy Father in Thy Name for this grace…

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be… O Sacred Heart of Jesus, in Thee I trust.

O my Jesus who didst say, “Indeed I say to you, Heaven and Earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.” Here I am, and supporting myself on the infallibility of Thy holy words, I ask of Thee this grace…

Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory be… O Sacred Heart of Jesus, in Thee I trust.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom only one thing is impossible, and this is, not to feel compassion for miserable sinners, have pity on us, miserable sinners, and grant us the grace which we ask Thee through the Immaculate Heart of She who is Thy tender Mother, and also ours. Saint Joseph, friend of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Pray for us. Hail Holy Queen…

St. Padre Pio recited the above prayer every day for those who asked his prayers. The Archdiocese of Denver offers this prayer as a bulletin insert encouraging prayer for priests.

Video dated 9/22/09

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 voiceof His Church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests. Amen.

Epiphany of the Lord: Gifts for the King of Kings

"Let us imitate the Magi.

Thou seest him not now in the crib, but on the altar;

not a woman holding him, but the priest present,

and the Holy Ghost poured out abundantly upon the sacrifice."

~ St. John Chrysostom ~

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.

Pope John Paul II's Joy in the Eucharist

"Nothing means more to me or gives me greater joy than to celebrate Mass each day and to serve God's people in the Church. That has been true ever since the day of my ordination as a priest. Nothing has ever changed this, not even becoming Pope."

~ Venerable Pope John Paul II ~

Pope John Paul II's favorite song below:


Lord, You Have Come

1. Lord, you have come to the seashore,
neither searching for the rich nor the wise,
desiring only that I should follow.
Refrain
O, Lord, with your eyes set upon me,
gently smiling, you have spoken my name;
all I longed for I have found by the water,
at your side, I will seek other shores.
2. Lord, see my goods, my possessions;
in my boat you find no power, no wealth.
Will you accept, then, my nets and labor?
3. Lord, take my hands and direct them.
Help me spend myself in seeking the lost,
returning love for the love you gave me.
4. Lord, as I drift on the waters,
be the resting place of my restless heart,
my life's companion, my friend and refuge.

Song information and translation found here.

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.

Fr. John Hardon: Prayer to Mary, Mother of God and Mother of Priests

"In the name of God, I beg you, with all my being, to pray. Pray every day to our Lord. Pray for priests. Pray that priests may be priests not only in name, but in reality. What is a real priest? A real priest is one who loves Jesus crucified. A real priest is one who loves nothing more -- and I mean every syllable -- who loves nothing more than to suffer out of love for Jesus, who ordained him. A real priest is a living martyr. Pray for priests.

"For those of us who have remained faithful to the Christ who ordained us, pray for the priests who are struggling -- struggling, hear it, especially with temptations against the faith, and temptations against chastity. Pray that we priests, remain faithful believers, and thus be channels of the grace of faith to those who depend on our priestly ministry. Pray that we may preserve our chastity, even though it might mean martyrdom. From my first Mass, at every consecration, I have asked our Lord for the grace of martyrdom. Pray that we priests, if it is God's grace, die a martyr's death, that we might live, all of us, a martyr's life.

"I would like to close with a prayer:

"Mary, Mother of God and Mother of priests, we ask you to obtain from Jesus the light and strength for His priests to live a truly priestly life. So that, the priests that Jesus ordained might be priests who are living the lives of martyrs, who are ready to shed their blood for your divine Son.

"Mary, Mother of the Church, beg your Son to inspire thousands of young men to embrace the vocation to the priesthood, and thus become the communicators of grace; to a world which is starving, starving for the truth that priests are to teach; to a world that is dying, dying for the love that priests are to bring; a world that is suffering, but a world that shall love the cross, because priests have taught this world that the greatest joy on earth is to love Jesus crucified. Amen."

~ Servant of God Fr. John Hardon on his 50th anniversary of ordination ~

Prayer for the Beatification and Canonization of Father John Hardon

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 Father Hardon,
You provided for your Flock an extraordinary teacher of the faith.

You entrusted Father Hardon into the loving
care of the Blessed Virgin Mary
whose counsel, "Do whatever he tells you" (Jn 2:5)
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.
~ Prayer from here. ~

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 of Priests. Amen.