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PRAY for our Priests

Dcn. Gerard AlmeidaFrom the Deacon's DeskOctober 24, 2022
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The importance of praying for struggling priests

Many saints would repeatedly encourage others to pray for priests, that they would remain faithful to their vocation.

Being a Catholic priest in the 21st century is not an easy task. Priests in the English-speaking world are generally not viewed favorably by the secular culture and are constantly under suspicion.

Furthermore, parish priests in particular are often alone, living in an old rectory.

This type of isolation can often lead to an increase in spiritual attacks, where a priest starts to doubt his vocation and turn inward to seek consolation from his own vices.

With this in mind, it should come as no surprise that many saints would dedicate their entire lives in praying for priests, encouraging other to do the same.

St. John Paul II gave a speech to priests in the United States in 1979, in which he made an appeal to the local Catholic population to pray for priests.

At times we hear the words, “Pray for priests.”

And today I address these words as an appeal, as a plea, to all the faithful of the Church in the World.

Pray for priests, so that each and every one of them will repeatedly say yes to the call he has received, remain constant in preaching the Gospel message, and be faithful forever as the companion of our Lord Jesus Christ.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux was another saint who was passionate about praying for priests, as can be seen in her many letters.

Praying for sinners fascinated me, but praying for the souls of priests, whom I thought were purer than crystal, seemed strange to me!

The only purpose of our prayers and our sacrifices is to be an apostle of the apostles, to pray for them whilst they evangelize souls by words and above all by example.

St. John Vianney composed his own prayer for priests, praying that “they be worthy representatives of Christ the Good Shepherd.”

Dom Jean-Baptiste Chautard wrote in his book The Soul of the Apostolate a helpful illustration that shows why we need to pray, not only for priests, but good and holy priests.

If the priest is a saint, the people will be fervent;

if the priest is fervent, the people will be pious;

if the priest is pious, the people will at least be decent;

if the priest is only decent, the people will be godless.

The spiritual generation is always one-degree less intense in its life than the one who begets it in Christ.

As priests continue to struggle to stay faithful to their vocation in the modern world, be sure to pray for them on a daily basis.

As spiritual leaders, priests are often attacked by various temptations of the devil. It should come as no surprise that Satan actively seeks the ruin of all priests, making their vocation a perilous one.

Yet, these priests can be aided by our prayers and support, crying out to God that they be protected from such assaults.

Here is a prayer from St. Peter Julian Eymard, asking God to surround the priest with his love and keep him from temptation.

“O Jesus, Eternal High Priest, keep your servants within the shelter of your sacred Heart where none may harm them. Keep unstained their consecrated hands which daily touch your sacred body.

Keep unsullied their lips purpled with your precious blood. Keep pure and holy their hearts sealed with the sublime character of your priesthood.

Let your holy love surround them and shield them from the world’s contagion.

Bless their labors with abundant and lasting fruit.

May they to whom they minister be their joy and consolation here on earth and their beautiful crown and everlasting glory in heaven.”