Why pray for priests?

St. Luke tells the story of King Herod’s persecution of the early Church; how, after he beheaded James the brother of John and saw that this pleased the Jews, he decided to arrest Peter as well.

“He put Peter in prison, assigning four squads of four soldiers each to guard him in turn. Herod meant to try Peter in public after the end of Passover week. All the time Peter was under guard, the Church of God prayed for him unremittingly."

“ (Acts 12:2-5)”

“In like manner, St. Paul, in what is considered his first inspired Letter, closed the Epistle to the Thessalonians with the earnest plea, ‘Pray for us, my brothers."

“ (1 Thess. 5:25)”

Here we have the revealed teaching of the Holy Spirit, as a practice (for Peter) and a petition (by Paul) that among the duties of a Christian, one is to pray for priests. Surely if Peter, the first Pope, and Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, needed prayers, how much more their successors in the papacy, episcopate and the priesthood are in dire need of our unceasing prayers in this chaotic generation where the forces of darkness are unleashed against the Church!

We can ask the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity, to guide all priests as they live out their vocation. Also, we can ask the intercession of Mary, Mother of All Priests, St. Therese the Little Flower and St. John Vianney, Patron Saints of priests.

In days past in some parts of the world, it was customary to set aside one Saturday of the month as a day devoted to praying for priests. This would be a beautiful custom to bring back! When Pope Benedict XVI emphasised Eucharistic Adoration for the sanctification of the clergy, the emphasis has been placed on Thursday adoration hours!

O Jesus, Eternal High Priest, have mercy on your priests!

This is a call for every Catholic to have a heart to pray for the chosen souls who are entrusted with the salvation of our souls but are human beings with human weaknesses.

The Prayers

OPENING PRAYERS (The opening prayers are necessary)

Lord, open my lips to praise your Holy Name. Cleanse my heart of any worthless, evil or distracting thoughts. Give me the wisdom and love necessary to pray with attention, reverence and devotion. Almighty Father, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I place the Precious Blood of Jesus on my lips before I pray, that my prayers may be purified before they ascend to your divine altar.

ACT OF CONTRITION

O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended You, and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of hell; but most of all because they offend You, my God, You Who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of your grace, to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.

Come, Holy Spirit grant me the gift of the Fear of the Lord.

O Holy Spirit, Omnipotent Spirit of God above, take me as your disciple; guide me, illuminate me, sanctify me. Bind my hands that I may not do evil; Cover my eyes that I may not see it; Sanctify my heart and mind that evil may not rest within me. Be Thou my God! Be Thou my guide! Wherever you lead me, I will go; whatever you forbid me, I will renounce, and whatsoever you command in your Strength, I will do. Amen. Recite 7 Glory Bes in honor of the Holy Spirit.

ACT OF THANKSGIVING AND CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY SPIRIT

Holy Spirit, Divine Consoler, I adore you as my true God, I bless you and unite with all Angels and Saints in praising you. I offer you my whole heart, and I render you sincere thanks for all the benefits you have bestowed upon me and continue to bestow upon the whole world. I wish to praise you and thank you especially, on behalf of all those Christians who, either through neglect, ignorance or thoughtlessness, never render you any special homage. You who are the author of all supernatural gifts and who enriched with immense favours the soul of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, I beseech you, to visit me by your grace and your love, and to grant me your sevenfold gifts, in order that I may with constant love and perseverance, walk in the way of eternal salvation. Amen.

PRAYER FOR PROTECTION OF THE CHURCH AND HER MEMBERS

O glorious St. Michael, guardian and defender of the Church of Jesus Christ, come to the assistance of this Church, against which the powers of hell are unchained, guard with special care her august Head, and obtain that for him and us the hour of triumph may speedily arrive. O glorious Archangel St. Michael, watch over us during life, defend us against the assaults of the demon, assist us especially at the hour of death; obtain for us a favorable judgment, and the happiness of beholding God face to face for endless ages. Amen.

PRAYER FOR HELP AGAINST SPIRITUAL ENEMIES

Glorious St. Michael, Prince of the heavenly hosts, who stands always ready to give assistance to the people of God; who didst fight with the dragon, the old serpent, and didst cast him out of heaven, and now valiantly defends the Church of God, that the gates of hell may never prevail against her: I earnestly entreat thee to assist me also, in the painful and dangerous conflict which I have to sustain against the same formidable foe. Be with me, O mighty Prince! That I may courageously fight and wholly vanquish that proud spirit, whom thou hast, by the Divine power, so gloriously overthrown, and whom our powerful King, Jesus Christ, has in our nature, so completely overcome; to the end that, having triumphant over the enemy of my salvation, I may with thee and the holy angels, praise the clemency of God, who having refused mercy to the rebellious angels after their fall, has granted repentance and forgiveness to fallen man. Amen.

PRAYER OF PERSEVERENCE

O God, who didst render blessed Michael, Thy Archangel, victorious over the proud Lucifer and all the wicked spirits, we beseech Thee that, combating under the Cross and ever adopting his maxim, “Who is like unto God,” may your priests be victorious over all their enemies, and delivered from all impediments. Do Thou regulate their lives according to Thy will and commandments? Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen

MORNING OFFERING PRAYER FOR PRIESTS

Most merciful Father, I offer Thee the prayers, works, joys, and sufferings of this day by placing them in the holy and venerable hands of Jesus, the Eternal High Priest, and by saying, as He did upon entering the world, “Behold, I come to do Thy will”(Hebrews 10:9). For the sake of all His priests, and in particular for the priests entrusted to my intercession,(mention the names)I entreat Thy beloved Son to unite my offering to the Sacrifice of the Cross, renewed upon the altars of Thy Church from the rising of the sun to its setting(Malachi 1:11)
.Holy Father, look upon these men chosen by Thy Son to show forth His death until He comes (1 Corinthians 11:26); keep them from the Evil One (John 17:15) and sanctify them in the truth (John 17:17). Bind them by a most tender love to the Virgin Mary their Mother, that by her intercession, they may be overshadowed by the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35) in every act of their sacred ministry; thus may their priesthood reveal the Face of Jesus and the merciful love of His Heart, for the fruitfulness of His Spouse, the Church and the praise of Thy glory. Amen. By Father Mark Kirby, OSB

SPIRITUAL MOTHER’S DEDICATION PRAYER

Eternal Father, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mother of the High Priest, I offer myself as a spiritual mother for the sanctification of priests. I ask for special graces and virtues to help me in my maternal role so that I may faithfully carry out this holy duty with humility, holiness and great zeal. I am not worthy to assume such a title and as I acknowledge my nothingness, I unite my self-offering to the Most Worthy Mother of the High Priest, Mary Most Holy.
I am at her disposal and offer my poor hands and heart that she may place in them all her priest-sons who are also my fathers that I may be a vessel to obtain for them the sanctity pleasing to You. I surrender myself to the Holy Spirit that I may be docile and offer my fiat in the same way the Blessed Virgin Mary offered herself to bring forth the Son of God. May my humble offering bring new life to all priests and seminarians I have adopted so that they may obtain the holiness required in their sublime vocation. May Jesus, the Eternal high priest bless my self-offering through His Sacred Heart.

PRAYER OF PERSEVERENCE

O God, who didst render blessed Michael, Thy Archangel, victorious over the proud Lucifer and all the wicked spirits, we beseech Thee that, combating under the Cross and ever adopting his maxim, “Who is like unto God,” may your priests be victorious over all their enemies, and delivered from all impediments. Do Thou regulate their lives according to Thy will and commandments? Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen