There will always be priests. I will give you shepherds after my own heart; (Jer 3,15). This promise of God is fully fulfilled in Jesus Christ: I am the Good Shepherd (Jn 10:11). He entrusts the apostles and their successors with the ministry of shepherding the flock of God.
Without priests the Church could not live the mandate of Christ to announce the Gospel, and to renew the sacrifice of his Body and Blood every day.
We know by faith that the Lord promise cannot fail: I will be with you every day until the end of the world(Mt 28:20). Priests will never be lacking in the Church, and not just any priests, but shepherds according to the Heart of Christ, the Good Shepherd.
PRAY FOR VOCATIONS
For there to be a priests to be in Russia or anywhere on earth, three wills have to coincide: that of God, who wants me to be a priest, that of the Bishop who confers ordination, who sees in me a suitable candidate, and of the candidate, who indeed yearns to be a priest.
Furthermore, preparation must be given to be able to carry out with professionalism the mission entrusted to the priest. The virtue of piety makes up for many deficiencies. A pious and dedicated priest carries out tasks that are humanly impossible.
Today more than ever we need to pray for abundant and holy priestly and religious vocations; and for priests to be saints, people who are credible for what we say and for what we do, because we let the life of Jesus Christ become visible and others see Christ passing by in us.
The Church needs priestly vocations
The limited presence and availability of priests creates serious problems. The Church can never stop begging the owner of the harvest to send workers to his harvest (cf.Mt 9:38).
This shortage of vocations can unexpectedly cease in a short time, - as the current experience shows in so many flourishing seminaries - ardently fostering the desire for priestly vocations, and requesting the prayer of the entire People of God, especially from priests, the sick and elderly, children and young people, ... and entire families, crying out without ceasing: Give us vocations! Give us holy priests! Oh Jesus, give us shepherds according to your Heart!
I propose that you pray the following prayers frequently. You will be providing the means for the priestly and religious vocations that the Church needs to emerge and take root.
Prayer to ask for the sanctity of priests
O Our Redeemer, accept to live in the priests, transform them into You. Make them by your grace ministers of your mercy, work through them and, by faithfully imitating your virtues, make them clothe themselves in all of You, and act in Your name and with the power of your Spirit.
Contemplate, Lord Jesus Christ, how many are still those who sleep in the darkness of error, how many are the sheep that walk on the edge of the precipice. Direct your gaze to so many poor, hungry and weak, who cry in the midst of their loneliness. You return to us through your priests.
Show yourself in them and, working through them, travel the world again, teaching, forgiving, offering sacrifices and renewing the bonds of love between your divine Heart and our poor hearts. Amen.
As in all times, but especially in this one, the Church needs good priests, holy priests. We all have an obligation to pray for this intention. I am going to pray in a particular way for my Parish priest.
V. To obtain forgiveness of sins. R. Lord, give us holy priests.
V. So that we always have the Holy Eucharist. R. Lord, give us holy priests.
V. To preach Christ, and Him crucified. R. Lord, give us holy priests.
V. To bear witness to the Truth. R. Lord, give us holy priests.
V. For the children to keep Grace. R. Lord, give us holy priests.
V. So that the youth know and follow Christ. R. Lord, give us holy priests.
V. For the elderly to shape their lives according to the Law of God. R. Lord, give us holy priests.
V. So that we have Christian homes. R. Lord, give us holy priests.
V. So that in our peoples union and Christian charity may be lived. R. Lord, give us holy priests.
V. For the sick to receive spiritual aid. R. Lord, give us holy priests.
V. To accompany us at the time of our death, and offer Holy Mass for us. R. Lord, give us holy priests.
Holy Mary, Mother of the Church, Queen of the Apostles, many holy priests reach out to us from the Lord. Amen.
Prayer for priestly and religious vocations
Our Lord Jesus Christ, You said to your Apostles the harvest is great but the workers are few; pray to the Lord of the harvest to send workers to his field. We humbly beg you to send numerous holy priestly and religious vocations to your Church. We ask this through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Mother, and for that of our Holy Patrons and Protectors, who with their lives and merits sanctified our soil. Amen.
Daily offering of oneself for priestly vocations
O Jesus, my Savior, You who entrusted to the priests: - and only to them-, the power to celebrate the Eucharist, the main purpose of their priestly ordination, forgive sins, administer other Sacraments, preach with authority the Word of God and directing the rest of the faithful to look and to come up towards you, through your Blessed Mother, I offer you for the sanctification of priests and seminarians, during this day, all my prayers, works and joys, my sacrifices and sufferings. Give us, Lord, truly holy priests who, inflamed with the fire of Your love, seek nothing but Your glory and the salvation of those whom You have entrusted. Amen.
I am going to pray in particular for those boys that I know, who may be able to receive the priestly vocation, and respond to Gods call: Look, Jesus, your Church and the world need generous men who give themselves to You to be your apostles. Choose the ones you want; Call and give the courage to leave everything and follow you to be sowers of your doctrine of love and bearers of your salvation. Amen.
PRAY FOR VOCATIONS TO ARISE AND ROOT
For parents: Prayer for the Vocation of Children
Oh God, You have given me these children. I know that a large part of vocations arise in Christian families, attracted by the exemplary life of faithful priests. Choose any of my sons to be a priest. I know that the Church needs them to continue the mission of your Son Jesus. Help me not to spare any means so that your call can be found in any of them, and I entrust the rest to your Spirit. Keep them in your love, guide them and protect them. Amen.
For the Seminary
Lord Jesus Christ, you were the first to be concerned with the priestly formation of the Apostles, and then send them to preach (cf. Mk 3,13); Following in your footsteps, and - so that vocations take root - we ask that the seminary professors be priests intimately united to You, with exemplary life, men of faith and full of love for the Church. Amen.
Love and veneration for the priest
- The priest is another Christ. - He is Gods representative, I must trust him and respect him. - He is my benefactor, I will be grateful to him. - In the confessional, he is the doctor of my soul, I will show him my wounds. - He is my guide, I will follow his advice. - He is a judge of my actions, I will obey his warnings. - At the altar offer my prayers to God, I will not forget him. - He prays for me, for mine and for the souls in Purgatory; I will ask God for mercy for me and for him. - In his daily life he is a man, I will not condemn him. - If I observe defects in him, I ask God to enlighten him and encourage him to correct them. - He is a man, a word of affection will cheer him up. - He has a great responsibility, I ask God to guide him in his life and have mercy on him in the moment of death.
From my experience of more than 40 years
With the grace of God, I have guided quite a few young men in their divine call, and I have always instilled in them: ach traveler goes follows his own way.Today, some are Religious. Others belong to the secular clergy. On more than one occasion a young man wanted to go to a particular seminary. And I answered him sharply, there they will corrupt you. They did not listen, and today. all are bounced. A year in those seminars was enough for them to verify that what he told them was true.
If you know someone who wants to be a priest, or who has considered being one, you can contact: Javier Martínez jmc2222@gmail.com or much better with: Bidasoa International Ecclesiastical School www.ceibidasoa.org International seminar in Pamplona (Spain). - Contact us: Telefon: (646) 558-6490 turn. theformationfoundation.org E-Mail: info@theformationfoundation.org The International Church College, Sedes Sapientiae Via dei Genovesi, 30 - 00153 Roma, Italia Tel. +39-06-58333756 Fax. +39-06-58333772 info@sedessapientiae.it sedessapientiae.it/?lang=en
