Saturday, July 31, 2010

Bishop Robert Morlino: Pray the Lord Will Calm Hearts With His Love and Truth

“We want to pray that indeed the Lord will calm the hearts of our brothers and sisters with his love … and with his truth,” the bishop said, as the counter-demonstrators became increasingly audible. (Read more here.)





"We bishops rely each and every blessed day on the prayers of the good and holy people of our diocese and of all those who have gone before us. We have no better intercessor than our Blessed Mother, the Mother of all the Apostles, the Mother of the Church. It gives me great serenity to know that so many women and men are turning to Mary, asking her special care and intercession for the bishops. As the Lord blesses the bishops through the intercession of Mary, may every person who takes part in the Rosary for the Bishop project also be blessed."

- Bishop Robert C. Morlino, Diocese of Madison

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, July 30, 2010

St. Peter Chrysologus: The Priesthood of the Christian




Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, Eternal High Priest, Mother of al 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, July 29, 2010

St. Padre Pio Asked for Prayers for His Priestly Ministry

"I ask you to pray hard for the efficacy of my ministry. I am afraid of displeasing the Lord in the exercise of my priestly activity. May Jesus arrange all things for His glory and our salvation."

~ St. Padre Pio ~


~ St. Pio, pray for priests and for those they shepherd! ~

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, July 28, 2010

Catholic: One of the Marks of Christ's Church



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, July 27, 2010

Offering of the Precious Blood for Priests

O Most Holy Word! I offer You Your Priests,
and on their behalf
I offer whatever is most dear to You in heaven and on earth,
in union with Your most Precious Blood.
I pray that you enable them to conceive of the high degree to which they are exalted
and to hold in extreme abhorrence
whatever can dishonor their dignity or contaminate their lives. Amen.

~ St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi ~

Eternal Father,
I offer Thee the merits of the Most Precious Blood of Jesus
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.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

23 Reasons Why a Priest Should Wear His Collar

"4. The wearing of the Roman collar is the repeated, ardent desire of Pope John Paul II. The Holy Father’s wish in this regard cannot be summarily dismissed; he speaks with a special charism. He frequently reminds priests of the value of wearing the Roman collar.In a September 8, 1982 letter to Ugo Cardinal Poletti, his Vicar for the Diocese of Rome, instructing him to promulgate norms concerning the use of the Roman collar and religious habit, the Pontiff observed that clerical dress is valuable “not only because it contributes to the propriety of the priest in his external behavior or in the exercise of his ministry, but above all because it gives evidence within the ecclesiastical community of the public witness that each priest is held to give of his own identity and special belonging to God.”In a homily on November 8, 1982 the Pope addressed a group of transitional deacons whom he was about to ordain to the priesthood. He said that if they tried to be just like everyone else in their “style of life” and “manner of dress,” then their mission as priests of Jesus Christ would not be fully realized."

Don't miss the rest of the excellent article from Homiletics and Pastoral Review written By Msgr. Charles M. Mangan & Father Gerald E. Murray and posted on Roman Catholic Vocations.

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, July 24, 2010

St. Sharbel Makhlouf: Eucharistic Life and Death

Saint Sharbel suffered a stroke on December 16th, 1898 while celebrating the Holy Liturgy. He was reciting the prayer, "Father of Truth, behold your Son, a sacrifice pleasing to you. Accept this offering of Him who died for me." He fell to the floor holding the Holy Eucharist in his hands. He died on December 24th. Sharbel had lived twenty-three years in solitude. A lifetime of saying "Yes" to Love prepared him for a fully Eucharistic death and an abiding mission in the Church, one that, even today, is prophetic.

~ Fr. Mark Kirby: excerpt from his post, Saint Sharbel Makhlouf ~

Holding vigil at the body of the Servant of God in church, were his companions of the hermitage, Father Macarius Mishmshany, and Brother Francis of Artaba, along with a group of monks from the monastery of St. Maron. As soon as they learned of the passing of Father Charbel they rushed to the hermitage to kiss his hands and to be blessed by touching his body while bidding him farewell. Many spent most of the night kneeling near him, praying.

The snow was coming down heavily, accumulating on the hermitage and on the neighboring mountains and valleys. It was extremely cold and windy, to such a degree that those keeping vigil around the saintly remains were trembling from the severity of the cold. Little wonder since the hermitage is one thousand and four hundred meters above sea level, on a high summit exposed to the wind.

Those keeping vigil were asking one another, "If we are suffering so much for only one night in this severe winter, how was Father Charbel able to live twenty-three years here spending every night of his life, kneeling on bamboo, in pain from midnight until the time of his Mass at 9:00 o'clock in the morning, fasting and immobile as the stone statue erected on the floor before the altar. Truly, this hermit was a saint. He endured fatigue, hunger, poverty and cold with the courage of a martyr. Every minute of his life was martyrdom, without complaint. No doubt he is now finding the reward of his marvelous martyrdom, with God." (Source)



Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ, 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, July 23, 2010

The 15 Prayers of St. Bridget of Sweden



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, July 22, 2010

St. Padre Pio: The Mass is Infinite Like Jesus..."

"Renew your faith by attending Holy Mass.
Keep your mind focused on the mystery that is unfolding before your eyes.
In your mind's eye transport yourself to Calvary
and meditate on the Victim who offers Himself to Divine Justice,
paying the price of your redemption."

"The Mass is infinite like Jesus. . .
Ask an angel what the Mass is, and he will reply to you in truth,
'I understand what it is and why it is offered,
but I do not, however, understand how much value it has.'
One angel, a thousand angels, all of Heaven know this and think like this."

~ St. Padre Pio ~


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, July 21, 2010

Pope Benedict XVI: Seventh-Oldest Pope in History


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

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

A Prayer for Pope Benedict XVI

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, July 19, 2010

Blessed Alexandrina da Costa: The Power of Sacrifice for a Priest

A story from the life of Alexandrina da Costa, beatified on 25 April 2004, reveals the transforming power and visible effects of the sacrifice made by a sick and forgotten girl.

In 1941, Alexandrina wrote to her spiritual director, Fr. Mariano Pinho, telling him that Jesus told her, “My daughter, a priest living in Lisbon is close to being lost forever; he offends me terribly. Call your spiritual director and ask his permission that I may have you suffer in a special way for this soul.”

Once Alexandrina had received permission from her spiritual director, she suffered greatly. She felt the severity of the priest’s errors, how he wanted to know nothing about God and was close to self-damnation. She even heard the priest’s full name. Poor Alexandrina experienced the hellish state of this priest’s soul and prayed urgently, “Not to hell, no! I offer myself as a sacrifice for him, as long as you want.”

Fr. Pinho inquired of the Cardinal of Lisbon whether one of the priests of his diocese was of particular concern. The Cardinal openly confirmed that he was, in fact, very worried about one of his priests, and when he mentioned the name of the priest, it was the same one that Jesus had spoken to Alexandrina.

Some months later, a friend of Fr. Pinho, Fr. David Novais, recounted to him an unusual incident. Fr. David had just held a retreat in Fatima where attended a modest gentleman whose exemplary behaviour made him pleasantly attractive to all the participants. On the last night of the retreat, this man suddenly had a heart attack. He asked to see a priest, to whom he confessed and received Holy Communion. Shortly thereafter he died, fully reconciled with God. It turned out that this man was actually a priest—the very priest for whom Alexandrina had suffered so greatly.

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, July 18, 2010

St. Alphonsus Liguori: Jesus Died to Institute the Priesthood

Jesus has died to institute the priesthood. It was not necessary for the Redeemer to die in order to save the world. A drop of his blood, a single tear, or prayer, was sufficient to procure salvation for all; for such a prayer, being of infinite value, should be sufficient to save not one but a thousand worlds. But to institute the priesthood, the death of Jesus Christ has been necessary. Had he not died, where should we find the victim that the priests of the New Law now offer, a victim altogether holy and immaculate, capable of giving to God an honor worthy of God? As has been already said, all the lives of men and angels are not capable of giving to God an infinite honor like that, which a priest offers to him by a single Mass.

~ From Dignity and Duties of the Priesthood by St. Alphonsus Liguori ~

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, July 17, 2010

Love and Praise for the Most Blessed Sacrament

"The Sacrament of the Body of the Lord puts the demons to flight,
defends us against the incentives to vice and to concupiscence,
cleanses the soul from sin,
quiets the anger of God,
enlightens the understanding to know God,
inflames the will and the affections with the love of God,
fills the memory with spiritual sweetness,
confirms the entire man in good,
frees us from eternal death,
multiplies the merits of a good life,
leads us to our everlasting home,
and re-animates the body to eternal life."

~ Saint Thomas Aquinas ~



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, July 16, 2010

Pope Benedict XVI Likely to Name New Cardinals


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, July 15, 2010

The Catholic Mass

"Dear young people, the happiness you are seeking, the happiness you have a right to enjoy has a name and a face: it is Jesus of Nazareth, hidden in the Eucharist. Only he gives the fullness of life to humanity!" - Pope Benedict XVI

"Hear Mass daily; it will prosper the whole day. All your duties will be performed the better for it, and your soul will be stronger to bear its daily cross. The Mass is the most holy act of religion; you can do nothing that can give greater glory to God or be more profitable for your soul than to hear Mass both frequently and devoutly. It is the favorite devotion of the saints." - St. Peter Julian Eymard

"Everyday, Jesus humbles himself just as He did when He came from His heavenly throne into the Virgin's womb; everyday He comes to us and lets us see Him in abjection, when He descends from the bosom of the Father into the hands of the priest at the altar." - St. Francis of Assisi

"The Blessed Eucharist is the perfect Sacrament of the Lord's Passion, since It contains Christ Himself and his Passion." - St. Thomas Aquinas

"Holy Communion is the shortest and safest way to heaven." - Pope Pius X

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, July 14, 2010

Blessed Kateri Tekawitha: Model of Devotion to the Eucharist

"Every morning, even in bitterest winter, she stood before the chapel door until it opened at four and remained there until after the last Mass."

"Out from her Caughnawaga cabin at dawn and straight-way to chapel to adore the Blessed Sacrament, hear every Mass; back again during the day to hear instruction, and at night for a last prayer or Benediction. Her neighbors sought to be near her when she received Holy Communion, as her manner excited devotion."

~ From the Catholic Network's biography of Bl. Kateri Tekakwitha ~

Prayer for the Canonization of Blessed Kateri Tekawitha

O God, who among the many marvels of your grace in the New World did cause to blossom on the banks of the Mohawk and the St. Lawrence the pure and tender lily, Kateri Tekakwitha, grant, we beseech you, the favor we beg through her intercession, that this young lover of Jesus will soon be counted among her Saints by Holy Mother Church, and that our hearts may be enkindled with a stronger desire to imitate her innocence and faith.

Through the same Christ Our Lord, Amen.

Imprimatur:
Most Rev. Howard J. Hubbard, DD
Bishop of Albany, NY

~ More information from the National Shrine of Blessed Kateri Tekawitha ~

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, July 13, 2010

Holy Mother Mary, Star of Hope, Protect, Guide and Pray for us!

49. With a hymn composed in the eighth or ninth century, thus for over a thousand years, the Church has greeted Mary, the Mother of God, as “Star of the Sea”: Ave maris stella. Human life is a journey. Towards what destination? How do we find the way? Life is like a voyage on the sea of history, often dark and stormy, a voyage in which we watch for the stars that indicate the route. The true stars of our life are the people who have lived good lives. They are lights of hope. Certainly, Jesus Christ is the true light, the sun that has risen above all the shadows of history. But to reach him we also need lights close by—people who shine with his light and so guide us along our way. Who more than Mary could be a star of hope for us? With her “yes” she opened the door of our world to God himself; she became the living Ark of the Covenant, in whom God took flesh, became one of us, and pitched his tent among us (cf. Jn 1:14).

50. So we cry to her: Holy Mary...at the foot of the Cross, on the strength of Jesus's own word, you became the mother of believers. In this faith, which even in the darkness of Holy Saturday bore the certitude of hope, you made your way towards Easter morning. The joy of the Resurrection touched your heart and united you in a new way to the disciples, destined to become the family of Jesus through faith. In this way you were in the midst of the community of believers, who in the days following the Ascension prayed with one voice for the gift of the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 1:14) and then received that gift on the day of Pentecost. The “Kingdom” of Jesus was not as might have been imagined. It began in that hour, and of this “Kingdom” there will be no end. Thus you remain in the midst of the disciples as their Mother, as the Mother of hope. Holy Mary, Mother of God, our Mother, teach us to believe, to hope, to love with you. Show us the way to his Kingdom! Star of the Sea, shine upon us and guide us on our way!

~ Pope Benedict XVI, excerpts from Spe Salvi, 2007 ~


Homily - Year of the Priest Mass from WorldPriest.com on Vimeo.

Year of the Priest Mass, Basilica of Our Lady Queen of Ireland, June 19th 2009

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, July 12, 2010

Rosary for the Bishop Spreads Throughout the World

On Friday, July 2nd, Wendy Weise interviewed Tom Reitz about Rosary for the Bishop on The Drew Mariani Show on Relevant Radio. If you missed the interview, you can listen here:

Please support this inspired and inspiring prayer initiative for Bishops!

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, July 11, 2010

St. Thomas Aquinas: Pange Lingua Gloriosi

"The celebration of the Holy Mass
is as valuable as the death of Jesus on the Cross."

~ St. Thomas Aquinas ~

PANGE LINGUA GLORIOSI

Of the glorious Body telling,
O my tongue, its mysteries sing,
And the Blood, all price excelling,
Which the world's eternal King,
In a noble womb once dwelling
Shed for the world's ransoming.

Given for us, descending,
Of a Virgin to proceed,
Man with man in converse blending,
Scattered he the Gospel seed,
Till his sojourn drew to ending,
Which he closed in wondrous deed.

At the last great Supper lying
Circled by his brethren's band,
Meekly with the law complying,
First he finished its command
Then, immortal Food supplying,
Gave himself with his own hand.

Word made Flesh, by word he maketh
Very bread his Flesh to be;
Man in wine Christ's Blood partaketh:
And if senses fail to see,
Faith alone the true heart waketh
To behold the mystery.

Therefore we, before him bending,
This great Sacrament revere;
Types and shadows have their ending,
For the newer rite is here;
Faith, our outward sense befriending,
Makes the inward vision clear.

Glory let us give, and blessing
To the Father and the Son;
Honour, might, and praise addressing,
While eternal ages run;
Ever too his love confessing,
Who, from both, with both is one.
Amen.

R. Thou hast given them bread from heaven.
V. Having within it all sweetness.

Let us pray: O God, who in this wonderful Sacrament left us a memorial of Thy Passion: grant, we implore Thee, that we may so venerate the sacred mysteries of Thy Body and Blood, as always to be conscious of the fruit of Thy Redemption. Thou who livest and reignest forever and ever.
R. Amen.


This hymn is exceedingly sublime in its expression of faith in Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament. The latter part of this hymn is mandated by the Church for use at Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. The last two stanzas, known as the Tantum Ergo, is usually sung at the beginning of the last part of Benediction; after any period of silence and before the priest blesses the congregation with Our Lord Himself. Even today this hymn is widely known and used frequently. It is one of the most famous chants in existence.

It was written by St. Thomas Aquinas, the Angelic Doctor. He is known as the Common Doctor of the Church. His angelic purity and holiness brought him very close to God. He wrote the hymn Pange Lingua (of which the Tantum Ergo is the last two stanzas) for the feast of Corpus Christi. A fellow priest and close friend attempted this task at the same time. When St. Thomas finished, he shared it with the priest, who was awe-struck at its sublimity and expression. He was so moved by its beauty that he immediately tore up his own work, which he professed was like so much garbage compared to this heavenly-inspired text.

The hymn is as beautiful and poetic as it is precise in expressing Catholic doctrine. It is peerless for its quality, sublimity, and facility with the Latin language. Verse 4 especially does a play on words, deftly arranged by a Latin master. St. Thomas Aquinas was a true man - as pious and humble as he was intelligent, as chaste as he was courageous, as meek as he was wise. Witness the heights a man can achive by God's grace and the cultivation of virtue - instead of descending toward the level of the lower animals (by sensuality, anger, unrestrained passions), he rather aims upward toward the level of the angels (by purity, humility, charity).
~ Source of information about the hymn and its translation ~

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, July 10, 2010

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone: The Mission of the Priest

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood at a recent Mass in St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, said the mission of the priest is “to bring heaven down to earth, to bring about the communion of all men and women with God.”

During his homily at the July 6 Mass in Rome, the cardinal explained that the mission of the priest “consists in giving hope to people, in proclaiming that God is good, in alleviating the sorrows of the afflicted, in bringing the meaning of heaven to those who overwhelmed by the tribulations of this earth." (From
CNA)


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, July 9, 2010

Fr. Mark Kirby: The Corruption of a Priestly Soul

"The priest who hates his priesthood, hates his very self, his truest self, his sacred identity. The priesthood is not a profession that one exercises, it is, rather, by virtue of the indelible character impressed upon his soul at ordination, a real identification with Christ the Eternal High Priest and Spotless Victim. Hatred for what is sacred is one of the signs of diabolical influence and activity. The devil knows the psychology of priests. Centuries of experience have given him a refined knowledge of which temptations work best in trying to bring down a priest. With his perverse intelligence, the devil can lead a priest from weakness to weakness, and vice to vice, into a state of despair and self-loathing. His ultimate goal, of course, is to cause the priest to despair of the mercy of God and, out of that despair, destroy himself. This doesn't happen overnight.

"The corruption of a priestly soul happens slowly, almost imperceptibly. Typically, it happens through one of three avenues: the lust for power, the lust for money and possessions, or the lust for sexual gratification. Although all three lusts are closely interconnected, one generally takes the lead, drawing the two others after it. Where one finds impurity, for example, one will also, in all likelihood, find ambition, greed, self-aggrandizement, and the appetite for power over persons and things."

~ Fr. Mark Kirby: Excerpts from his excellent post,
The Despairing Priest ~

PLEASE PRAY FOR PRIESTS, ESPECIALLY BEFORE THE MOST BLESSED SACRAMENT!

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, July 8, 2010

Rosary for the Souls of Priests in Purgatory

Rosary for the Souls of Priests in Purgatory
A 6 Decade Rosary

How to Pray the Rosary for the Souls of Priests in Purgatory:
The first five decades are meditations on the Sorrowful Mysteries.
The final decade is a meditation on the Lord's Holy Wounds and Precious Blood.

Preparation Prayers
•Make the Sign of the Cross
•Recite the Apostle's Creed
•Say:
◦One (1) Our Father
◦Three (3) Hail Marys (for the virtues of Faith, Hope, and Charity)
◦One (1) Glory Be
The First Decade
•Meditation: Lord Jesus Christ, through Your bloody sweat of fear that You shed on the Mount of Olives, we ask You to have Mercy on the Souls of Your Priests in Purgatory! Deliver them from their fear and pain and console them with the Cup of Heavenly Comfort!
•For each decade pray:
◦One (1) Our Father {Large Bead}
◦Ten (10) Hail Marys {Small Beads}
•Instead of the Glory Be, conclude with:
◦Lord, grant them Eternal Rest and let Perpetual Light shine upon them!

The Second Decade
•Meditation: Lord Jesus Christ, through Your painful Scourging which You tolerated so patiently for us sinners, we ask You to have Mercy on the Souls of Your Priests in Purgatory! Retract from them the pain of Your Anger and give them Eternal Relief.

The Third Decade
•Meditation: Lord Jesus Christ, through Your painful Crowning which You suffered so patiently for us sinners, we ask You to have Mercy on the Souls of Your Priests in Purgatory and give them the crown of Eternal Delight!

The Fourth Decade
•Meditation: Lord Jesus Christ, through Your painful Carrying of the Cross, which You suffered so patiently for us sinners, we ask You to have Mercy on the Souls of Your Priests in Purgatory! Remove from them the heavy burden of suffering and lead them into Eternal Peace.

The Fifth Decade
•Meditation: Lord Jesus Christ, through Your painful Crucifixion, which You suffered so patiently for us sinners, we ask You to have Mercy on the Souls of Your Priests in Purgatory! Turn Your Holy Face toward them and let them today be in Paradise with You!

The Sixth Decade
•Meditation: Lord Jesus Christ, through your five Holy Wounds and through all of Your Sacred Blood that You shed, we ask You to have Mercy on the Souls of Your Priests in Purgatory, and in particular {Insert the name of the particular priest for whom you are offering this rosary}! Heal their painful wounds and let them enjoy and participate fully in Your Salvation.

Conclusion
•Upon completion, say:
◦The Memorare
◦Hail Holy Queen
◦Prayers for the Intentions of the Holy Father
■One (1) Our Father
■One (1) Hail Mary
■One (1) Glory Be
•Conclude with the Sign of the Cross
Pope John Paul, II - pray for us!

~ Rosary for the Souls of Priests in Purgatory 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.




Wednesday, July 7, 2010

St. Joseph Cafasso: Model for Confessors and Spiritual Directors

"We are born to love, we live to love, and we will die to love still more."

"The spiritual theaters and places of amusement for Christians should be the sanctuaries and basilicas, and the tombs of the martyrs.

"The theatres, the spectacles, the festive halls for us priests to relax and take our recreation in, ought to be our churches, our oratories, our studies; our relaxations should be the administration of the Sacraments, visits to the sick, the works of our ministry."
~ St. Joseph Cafasso ~



In the matter of food, he mortified himself from his very infancy. One would imagine that he had no sense of taste for he preferred unsavory to tasty food. He fasted every Saturday even as a child, and from the time of his Ordination, every day was for him a fast day. For breakfast he took only a little bread without coffee or milk; for mid-day meal he took a plate of soup and a little bread but no fruit or sweets of any kind. When he became Rector, he began by waiting until dinner was nearly finished before he came; after some time, he did not come until dinner was over, and then he took a little bread and wine as he passed through the Refectory on his way to visit in the College Chapel.

He was a man of prayer; the views that he expresses in his Conference on Prayer were exemplified in his life. In spite of his many duties, he was able to find long hours for prayer. The secret of how he was able to do the work of several men and to do it well, and at the same time to find long hours for prayer lay in the fact that he spent little time eating, and little time sleeping. He was always last in the Church each night and was first up in the morning. After a long preparation, he began his Mass each morning at 4:30 a.m. He spent no time idly. He had taken two vows: one to do what was most perfect, the second to waste no time. St. John Bosco stated in his panegyric that in the thirty years that he had known him, he had never known him to waste time. Besides his fasting he practiced other rigorous austerities; he used instruments of penance: the hair-shirt, chains, the discipline. His undergarment was found each week by the woman who washed it to be stained with blood. Whenever a criminal was to be executed he watched the whole night before the Blessed Sacrament and often scourged himself to blood. (Source)

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, July 6, 2010

St. Maria Goretti: Martyr for Chastity, Victim of Pornography

"Our sexual behavior is never merely a “private” matter. Human sexuality is deeply linked to issues of identity, fertility and new life. Our sexual behavior always has social implications because it directly or indirectly impacts others. Therefore it helps shape the wider culture."

"Forty years ago, when steel mills pumped hundreds of tons of toxic waste each week into the Great Lakes — literally “killing” Lake Erie and damaging the health of tens of thousands of families — citizens got organized. They forced the mills to clean up or shut down. We need to do the same today. Citizens need to stop the pornography industry now — not out of some kind of Victorian prudery, but because pornography poisons the human heart, imagination and soul just as those steel mills once poisoned our air and water, only worse.

"Pornography is never “innocent entertainment,” no matter how private it might seem. It turns human beings into objects. It coarsens our appetites. It darkens our ability to see real human beauty. It creates impossible expectations about sexual intimacy. It kills enduring romance and friendship between the sexes. And ultimately it’s a lie and a cheat. Pornography is a cheap, quick, empty copy of the real thing — the real joy of sexual intimacy shared by a man and woman who have joined their lives in a loving marriage."
~ Archbishop Charles Chaput: Source ~

~ Homiletic and Pastoral Review: Pornography, Electronic Media and Priestly Formation ~

~ The Goretti Foundation: St. Maria Goretti, pray for us! ~

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, July 5, 2010

Pope Approves the Beatification of 26 Martyrs From the Spanish Civil War

The pope approved the decree to recognize the martyrdom of 26 Spanish martyrs. They are 10 Carmelites and 16 religious from the Sons of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who were killed during the religious persecution in Spain in 1936.

He also recognized the martyrdom of the Romanian Juan Scheffler, victim of communist persecution in 1952 and of three German priests, victims of the Nazi regime in 1943.

This decree is the first step toward beatification. The Congregation for the Causes of Saints proclaimed this through authorization from the pope.

On this occasion the pope also approved the declaration of the heroic virtues of Maria Carmen Albarracín, a religious Claretian who died in Barcelona in 1946.



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, July 4, 2010

Fr. Peter Whelan: The Angel of Andersonville

Fr. Peter Whelan--a Confederate chaplain who compassionately ministered to both Confederate and Union troops:

... in mid-June of 1864, having been asked to help out at Andersonville's POW camp for captured Union soldiers, Fr. Whelan was horrified to find 25,000 in a stockade built for 10,000.

Daily Whelan remained at Andersonville stockade, from dawn to dusk, hearing confessions, comforting the sick, and ministering to the dying. When a lung ailment, probably tuberculosis contracted from the vermin-covered prisoners, finally forced Whelan to leave, he spent all his own money and borrowed more to buy bread for the starving Union POWs.

Little wonder then that those Union POWs who survived never forgot the Confederate chaplain in the thread-bare and patched cassock who made the Gospel teaching come alive and real because he lived it in front of their eyes during those nightmare days of death and disease. His own health undermined by his POW chaplaincy experiences, North and South, Father Peter died in 1871.

Pvt. Henry M. Davidson, 1st Ohio Light Artillery, writing home while at Andersonville, summed up the feelings of his fellow POWs about Whalen:

"By coming here he exposed himself to great danger of infection... His services were sought by all, for, in his kind and sympathizing looks, his meek but earnest appearance, the despairing prisoners read that all humanity had not forsaken mankind."

~ Source for above information and for more about Fr. Whelan, click here. ~




This is a trailer for the documentary "Fighting the Good Fight: The Father Peter Whelan Story." This inspirational, one-hour DVD can be purchased at: www.deepwaterproductions.org. Known as "The Angel of Andersonville," Fr. Whelan was the only chaplain to remain for any length of time ministering to the more than 45,000 Union POW's.

His story is not very well known, and yet, in his lifetime he touched thousands, which is highlighted by the fact that his funeral in 1871 was the largest that the city of Savannah had seen up to that time. His work included missionary duties in North Carolina, the pastorate of Georgias first Catholic parish, and on two occasions served as administrator of the diocese of Savannah. Father Whelans most noteworthy contributions were the years spent serving as chaplain to confederate troops at Fort Pulaski near Savannah at the beginning of the Civil War. Present during the bombardment and capture of Fort Pulaski by Federal forces, he volunteered to remain with the troops during their imprisonment in New York. Later he volunteered to minister to the Union prisoners-of-war held at the infamous Andersonville prison camp in West Georgia. Known by survivors as the Angel of Andersonville, he was the only minister willing to serve within this prison that witnessed the death of 13,000 men in fourteen months. Because he was a man willing to rise above the political, social, racial and religious barriers of his day in order to preserve the dignity of each human person, he is truly a man for all seasons, and his story one that needs to be told.

Research for this film comes from the work of the late historian, Rev. Peter J. Meaney, O.S.B., entitled, The Prison Ministry of Father Peter Whelan, Georgia Priest and Confederate Chaplain, an article from the Georgia Historical Quarterly, produced by the Georgia Historical Society. Permission was granted by Rev. Meaney for use of his
research to create this film. The film also includes interviews from several historians and authorities on related subjects from the College of Charleston, Andersonville National Historic Site, the Andersonville Guild and Fort Pulaski National Monument.

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, July 3, 2010

Fr. John Corapi: The Consequence of Abusing Freedom

"One of the most common errors of all time is to confuse freedom and license. Today, frequently under the specious pretext freedom, mankind acts in a manner that is really license. We are not morally free to do whatever we choose to do. Only when rooted in truth and acting in objective truth can we hope to be free. No one has the moral right to do evil. No one has the moral right to choose to take an innocent life or to engage in actions that are out of accord with right reason or any objective standards of morality we have ever known.

"The inevitable consequence of abusing freedom is losing freedom. Soon, if we do not alter our present course, the United States will no longer be the home of the brave and the land of the free. Loss of personal freedoms, one at a time, is already well underway. One day we shall awake from our moral slumber and find that we have become slaves.

"We must live in truth and act in truth if we are to remain free. Abuse it and I assure you we shall lose it! Wake up America! God is not a disinterested spectator. Let’s thank God for our freedom, but let’s not sit by idly while the forces of darkness divorce freedom from truth. For, as Jesus says, “The man who sins is the slave of sin.” (John 8:34)

~ Fr. John Corapi, Excerpts from Independence Day Message ~

(Videos from 2008)


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, July 2, 2010

Fr. Mark Kirby: Offering of the Precious Blood for Priests

Offering of the Precious Blood for Priests

This chaplet of reparation and intercession is meant to be prayed on an ordinary five decade rosary.

Incline (+) unto my aid, O God; O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Alleluia. (After Septuagesima: Praise be to Thee, O Lord, King of eternal glory.)

On the Our Father beads:

Eternal Father, I offer Thee
the Precious Blood of Thy Beloved Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Lamb without blemish or spot (1 Peter 1:19)
in reparation for my sins
and for the sins of all Thy priests.

On the Hail Mary beads:

By Thy Precious Blood, O Jesus, purify and sanctify Thy priests.

In place of the Glory be to the Father:

O Father, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and on earth is named (Ephesians 3:14), have mercy on all Thy priests, and wash them in the Blood of the Lamb.

~ From Fr. Mark Kirby on Vultus Christi ~


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, July 1, 2010

Fr. Mark Kirby: Eucharistic Adoration Prayer for Priests

Here are the prayers that I use to open and close Eucharistic adoration
in the Cenacle of the Diocese of Tulsa:

At the beginning of the hour of adoration:

Lord Jesus Christ, Priest and Victim,
behold, I kneel before Thy Eucharistic Face
on behalf of all Thy priests:
(Fathers N. and N.)
and especially those priests of Thine,
who at this moment are most in need of Thy grace.
For them and in their place,
allow me to remain,
adoring and full of confidence,
close to Thy Open Heart
hidden in this, the Sacrament of Thy Love.

Through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary,
our Advocate and the Mediatrix of All Graces,
pour forth upon all the priests of Thy Church
that torrent of mercy that ever flows
from Thy pierced side:
to purify and heal them,
to refresh and sanctify them,
and, at the hour of their death,
to make them worthy of joining Thee
before the Father in the heavenly sanctuary
beyond the veil (Hb 6:19)
where Thou art always living
to make intercession
for us (Hb 7:25). Amen.

At the end of adoration, three times:

Eucharistic Face of Jesus, sanctify Thy priests!

~ From Vultus Christi ~

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.