The Consecrated and Holy Hands of Catholic Priests

“O wonderful dignity of the priests,” cries out St. Augustine;

 “in their hands, as in the womb of the Blessed Virgin, the Son of God becomes incarnate.”

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

~ Related post:  The Beautiful Hands of a Priest ~

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.

Film About St. Josemaria Escriva: "There Be Dragons" Coming Soon

“This film served to remind me of the thousands of priests, from years past but also the current generation, they spend their lives with joy in the service of souls, in the service of society.”

~ Bishop Javier Echevarrí, Prelate of Opus Dei ~

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. P. Josef Moreno: Discourse to Priests on Devotion to Saint Joseph

"To you I now turn, venerable Ministers of the Altar, Priests of the Most High, wise dispensers of the Blood of Jesus Christ, and entreat you to execute the command which God has given to you, by the mouth of a great king : 'Go to Joseph, and do all that he shall say to you'.(1) And, since one of the most illustrious Doctors who have flourished in the schools assures us that St. Joseph must be regarded as the exemplar of all those who held any considerable position in the Church, (2) you cannot excuse yourselves from choosing him as the object of your particular devotion. You, then, I conjure who so often touch the Body of Jesus Christ, love this saint, who was the first of all men who had the honour to receive the Saviour into his hands. You, who sacrifice Jesus on the altar during the Divine Mysteries, venerate this saint, who may glory in having offered to the Eternal Father the first-fruits of the Adorable Blood of the Incarnate Word in His Circumcision. Consider Jesus on the altar lying on the sacred corporal, as Joseph contemplated Him in the Crib wrapped in His poor swaddling-bands; bear this Man-God through the streets of our cities, and to the houses of the sick, but let it ever be with the same sentiments of piety with which St. Joseph was animated when he held Him in his arms during the journeys he made. Finally, distribute to the faithful this Divine Saviour hidden under the appearance of bread, but endeavour at the same time to do this with all the reverence wherewith St. Joseph presented Him to the shepherds who came to adore Him." (3)

1 Gen. xli. 55.    2 Albert the Great, in Lucam, cap. i.    3  Fr. P. Josef Moreno, Diicurso viii.

 ~ Fr. P. Josef Moreno ~ 

Excerpt from The Life and Glories of Saint Joseph by Edward Healy Thompson, M.A.

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.

Falsely Accused Priests: Diabolical Attacks Against Jesus Christ and His Church

“When people wish to destroy religion, they begin by attacking the priest,

 because where there is no longer any priest there is no sacrifice,

and where there is no longer any sacrifice there is no religion.”

~ St. Jean Vianney, Patron Saint of  Priests ~

"An accusation leveled at a priest is a horrible thing, because it is nearly impossible today for a priest to have a fair hearing. There is no perfect justice or charity in this world, but these days falsely-accused priests don’t get anything like even the world’s “justice”. But even when priests are guilty of that by which they are accused, it doesn’t surprise me that priests are sinners or in the worst cases commit bad crimes. Yes, priests and bishops should be held to high standards. After all, even the devil holds them to high standards. The devil hates priests and works tirelessly to trip them. Holy Orders doesn’t make a man less human. Should I be surprised that priests are sinners? I am a sinner.

"The bottom line is that you cannot depend on the personal holiness of priests or bishops for your own personal holiness. The only true Holy One is the Lord."

~ Fr. John Zuhlsdorf , excerpt from here ~

~ Father Corapi,  A Call for Prayer ~

~ Father Corapi:  Convicted Already? Updated! ~

"As God is my witness, I swear as I swore on a Bible before the diocesan officials, these allegations are totally and completely untrue. My mind and my soul are bruised, beaten and trampled down. My parishioners are most supportive but I am not permitted to visit them and I cannot afford to call them by telephone. My health is not good and I had avoided many appointments with my doctors. This past Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were the worst emotionally devastating events I have ever had to endure. I was close to suicide. I suffer panic attacks, acute anxiety and severe depression. Worst of all, there is nobody that can really understand or share this onerous burden that I bear."

~ Father 'John' (not true identity), excerpt from Was Priest Falsely Accused? ~

~ Media Coverage of Opus Bono Sacerdotii ~

~ When Priests are Falsely Accused by Fr. Gordon MacRae ~

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.

Consecration of Holy Mass: The Supernatural Powers of the Ministerial Priesthood

Who is the one who prepares the Holy Eucharist for us and gives Our Lord to us? It is the priest. If there were no priests, there would be no Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, nor Holy Communion, nor the Real Presence of Jesus in the tabernacle.

And who is the priest? He is the "man of God" (2 Tim. 3:17). It is God alone who chooses him and calls him from among men for a very special task. "No man takes the honor to himself; he takes it who is called by God, as Aaron was" (Heb. 5:4). God sets him apart from everyone else "to preach the Gospel of God" (Rom. 1:1). God signs him with a sacred character that will endure forever, making him "a priest forever" (Heb. 5:6) and bestowing on him the supernatural powers of the ministerial priesthood so that he is consecrated exclusively for the things of God. The priest, being "taken from among men, is ordained for men in the things that appertain to God, that he may offer up gifts and sacrifices for sins" (Heb. 5:1-2).

~ From Jesus Our Eucharistic Love by Fr. Stefano Manelli ~

  

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.

Archbishop Timothy Dolan: Preserving the Timeless Heritage of the Church

"I would bristle at being termed right wing. But if somebody means enthusiastically committed and grateful for the timeless heritage of the church, and feeling that my best service is when I try to preserve that and pass that on in its fullness and beauty and radiance, I'm a conservative, no doubt."

"I don't wanna see changes in the church when it comes to celibacy or women priests or our clear teaching about the sanctity of human life and the unity of marriage between one man and one woman forever. I'd love to see changes in the church in the very area that you're hinting at over and over again, in the perception of the church as some shrill scold. We need to change that."

~ Archbishop Timothy Dolan, excerpt from CBS News ~

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.

Prayer to St. Joseph for Priests

Blessed Joseph, you both saved and served the Word of God,

and the Living Bread come down from heaven.

Look down upon the priests of the Church,

which had its origins in the household over which you presided,

and pray for them that they, too, serve perseveringly the people entrusted to their care.

May priests teach the people faithfully the Word of God,

and break for them daily the Bread of Life.

May they strengthen them in faith and in hope,

console them in hardship and disappointment;

and pray to your Jesus to crown their service of Him on earth

with eternal life with Him in the happiness of heaven for ever.

Amen.

 

Source: the booklet "Devotions to Saint Joseph" by Brian Moore, S.J.,

printed and published by the Society of St. Paul.

 

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. 

Our Lady of Akita, Japan: Pray the Rosary for the Pope, Bishops and Priests

"Pray very much for the Pope, Bishops, and Priests. Since your Baptism you have always prayed faithfully for them. Continue to pray very much… very much."

"Each day recite the prayers of the Rosary. With the Rosary, pray for the pope, the bishops, and the priests."

"The work of the devil will infiltrate even the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against other bishops. The priests who venerate Me will be scorned and opposed by their conferees…churches and altars sacked, the Church will be full of those who accept compromise and the demon will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord. The demon will be especially implacable against souls consecrated to God. The thought of the loss of so many souls is the cause of My sadness. If sins increase in number and gravity, there will be no longer pardon for them."

~ Our Lady of Akita to Sr. Agnes ~



PRAYER OF THE HANDMAIDS OF THE EUCHARIST

"Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, truly present in the Holy Eucharist,

I consecrate my body and soul to be entirely one with Your Heart,

being sacrificed at every instant on all the altars of the world and giving praise to the Father,

pleading for the coming of His Kingdom.

Please receive this humble offering of myself.

Use me as You will for the glory of the Father and the salvation of souls.

Most Holy Mother of God, never let me be separated from your Divine Son.

Please defend and protect me as your special child.

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, through the voice of His church, to offer up to God Eucharistic adoration for priests.  Amen.

Servant of God Msgr. Aloysius Schwartz: Strength from the Holy Eucharist

"Our strength to love and to serve others comes from the Holy Eucharist, the Bread of Life "

~ Servant of God Msgr. Aloysius Schwartz ~

In 1989, he was diagnosed to have a terminal illness. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). He accepted with it with joy, serenity and courage, and regarded it as a gift from God. In spite of his deteriorating health, he established Boystown and Girlstown in Mexico, which he called his "unfinished symphony".

With humility, courage, and unwavering faith, he suffered and accepted a lot of humiliations, criticisms, pains, incredible trials, and difficulties. He did his best to relieve the suffering of the poor. His illness made him immobile, still even on a wheelchair, he continued to fulfill his duties with joy. He spent hours before the Blessed Sacrament, praying the rosary, hearing confessions, and preaching in words and examples the virtues of truth, justice, chastity, charity and humility, penance and fortitude. His love for God and the poor consumed him. He did not only help the poor but also he lived poorly. (Source)

Father Al died at 7:00 pm, Monday, March 16, 1992, in his room on the 7th Floor of the Manila Girlstown building. His body remained in a temporary tomb from March 25, 1992, until June 21, 1992, and then he was buried under the altar of the Chapel of the Virgin of the Poor built in Silang Boystown complex.

Upon his instruction, the words written on the plaque placed on the tomb read as follows:

"Here lies Father Al Schwartz. All praise honor

and glory and thanksgiving to the Virgin of the Poor."

The following prayer is being used around the world, asking Father Al to intercede with God for the petitions of those who need a miracle.

Almighty, ever-living God, giver of all good gifts, You have filled Father Al with an ardent love for You and for souls.

You have inspired him to dedicate his life to relieve the suffering of the orphans, abandoned, the sick and the poor, especially the youth, which he did with all humility and courage until the end of his life.

I ask you to bestow upon me, through the intercession of Father Al:

(Tell God, through Father Al, the favor that you request.)

I ask this through our Lord, Jesus Christ, your Son, and the maternal aid of Mary, the Virgin of the Poor. Amen.

~ For source of prayer and information, click 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.

Cardinal Piacenza: The Importance of Eucharistic Adoration

"We cannot overestimate the importance of adoring the Lord in the Most Blessed Sacrament, knowing that worship is the highest act of the People of God and an effective means toward promoting the sanctification of the Clergy, reparation for sin, and vocations to the Priesthood and to the Consecrated Life. With courage, we must ask the Lord to send forth new laborers into the harvest, and in every diocese there should be at least one church, chapel, or shrine set aside for perpetual adoration of the Eucharist, specifically for the intention of the promotion of new vocations and for the sanctification of the Clergy."

~ Mauro Cardinal Piacenza, Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, excerpt 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.

Pope Benedict XVI and Others in Defense of Pope Pius XII

“At the present time, we have new, clever people who say that, while he did save many lives, he had old-fashioned ideas about Jews that fall short of Vatican II (the 1962-65 Church Council). But that is not the question. The decisive thing is what he did and what he tried to do, and on that score we really must acknowledge, I believe, that he was one of the great righteous men and that he saved more Jews than anyone else.”

~ Pope Benedict XVI,

from Light of the World: The Pope, the Church, and the Sign of the Times by Peter Seewald ~

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.

Saint John Eudes: Characteristics of a Worthy Priest

"The worthy priest is an angel of purity in mind and body,

a cherub of light and knowledge,

a seraph of love and Charity,

an apostle of zeal in work and sanctity,

 a little god on earth in power and authority, in patience and benignity.

He is the living image of Christ in this world,

of Christ watching, praying, preaching, catechizing, working, weeping,

going from town to town, from village to village,

suffering, agonizing,

sacrificing Himself and dying for the souls created to His image and likeness...

He is the light of those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.

 He is the destroyer of error, schisms and heresies,

 the converter of sinners,

the sanctifier of the just,

 the strength of the weak,

the consolation of the afflicted,

the treasure of the poor.

He is the confusion of hell,

the glory of heaven,

 the terror of demons,

the joy of angels,

the ruin of Satan's kingdom,

the establishment of Christ's empire,

the ornament of the Church..."

~ Saint John Eudes ~

~ Saint John Eudes, pray for priests and pray for the souls entrusted to their care. ~

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.

 

Blessed Pope John XXIII: A Video of Quotes and Pictures

"It often happens that I wake at night,

begin to think about a serious problem and decide

I must tell the pope about it.

Then I wake up completely and remember I am the pope."

~ Pope John XXIII

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, Bishop Xavier Novell, and World Youth Day

"There are many priests, seminarians and consecrated persons here today; be close to them and support them! And if, in the depths of your hearts, you feel the same call to the priesthood or consecrated life, do not be afraid to follow Christ on the royal road of the cross! At difficult moments in the Church's life, the pursuit of holiness becomes even more urgent. And holiness is not a question of age: It is a matter of living in the Holy Spirit, just as Kateri Tekawitha and so many other young people have done. You are young and the Pope is old and a bit tired. But he still fully identifies with your hopes and aspirations. Although I have lived through much darkness, under harsh totalitarian regimes, I have seen enough evidence to be unshakably convinced that no difficulty, no fear is so great that it can completely suffocate the hope that springs eternal in the hearts of the young.

"Do not let that hope die! Stake your lives on it! We are not the sum of our weaknesses and failures; we are the sum of the Father's love for us and our real capacity to become the image of His Son."

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.

Celebrating Catholic Priests

“The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus.

~ 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.

Pope John Paul II: The Priestly Vocation--A Call to Sanctity

"The priestly vocation is essentially a call to sanctity,

 in the form that derives from the Sacrament of Holy Orders.

Sanctity is intimacy with God;

it is the imitation of Christ, poor, chaste and humble;

it is unreserved love for souls and self-giving to their true good;

it is love for the church which is holy and wants us to be holy,

 because such is the mission that Christ has entrusted to it.

Each one of you must be holy also

in order to help your brothers pursue their vocation to sanctity."

~ Pope John Paul II ~ 

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 Benedict XVI: Answering Christ's Call to Priesthood

“Do not be afraid to give your life to Christ!

Nothing will ever replace the ministry of priests at the heart of the Church!

Nothing will ever replace a Mass for the salvation of the world!

Dear young and not so young who are listening to me,

do not leave Christ's call unanswered.”

~ 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.