Laity Asked to Fast for Priests on October 23, 2010

”…prayer united with fasting is the most powerful force in human history.”

~  Pope John Paul II ~

The Fifth annual, worldwide Lay Fast for Priests will take place on Saturday, 23 October 2010.

Every lay member of the Body of Christ is invited to join the global fasters from all corners of

the Universal Church who want to lift up our priests to Almighty God for their protection, divine

sustenance and fidelity to the ministry of Holy Orders.

Suggested Format of Fast:

FAST will be from Dawn until 3.00 PM.
Participants can fast from any thing that will allow each to share in some way in the sacrifice of Our Lord. Fasting from Food, Television, Speech,Cigarettes or anything else will be offered for the fast hours on behalf of our priests in the local, national and Universal Church.

~ For more information on Day of Fast for Priests, click here. ~

St. Therese of Lisieux's Prayer for Priests

St. Thérèse’s devotion to the Priesthood is to be found in all its fullness in a prayer which she
used to say daily and which she learnt off by heart; this is all the more remarkable in view of
her known distaste for lengthy set forms of prayer.

"O Holy Father, may the torrents of love flowing from the sacred wounds of Thy Divine Son bring forth priests like unto the beloved disciple John who stood at the foot of the Cross; priests: who as a pledge of Thine own most tender love will lovingly give Thy Divine Son to the souls of men.

May Thy priests be faithful guardians of Thy Church, as John was of Mary, whom he received into his house. Taught bythis loving Mother who suffered so much on Calvary, may they display a mother’s care and thoughtfulness towards Thy children. May they teach souls to enter into close union with Thee through Mary who, as the Gate of Heaven, is specially the guardian of the treasures of Thy Divine Heart.

Give us priests who are on fire, and who are true children of Mary, priests who will give Jesus to souls with the same tenderness and care with which Mary carried the Little Child of Bethlehem.
Mother of sorrows and of love, out of compassion for Thy beloved Son, open in our hearts deep wells of love, so that we may console Him and give Him a generation of priests formed in thy school and having all the tender thoughtfulness of thine own spotless love."

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.