Jesus, Good Shepherd, You sent us the Holy Spirit to guide Your Church and lead her faithful to You through the ministry of Your priests. Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, grant to Your priests wisdom in leading, faithfulness in teaching, and holiness in guarding Your sacred Mysteries. As they cry out with all the faithful, "Abba, Father!" may Your priests be ever more closely identified with You in Your divine Sonship and offer their own lives with You, the one saving Victim. Make them helpful brothers of one another, and understanding fathers of all Your people. On this day, renew in Your priests deeper faith, greater trust in You, childlike reliance on our Mother Mary, and unwavering fidelity to the Holy Father and his bishops. Holy Mary, intercede for your priests. St. Joseph, protect them. St. Michael, defend them. St. John Vianney, pray for them. "...The priesthood is the supreme gift, a particular calling to share in the mystery of Christ, a calling which confers on us the sublime possibility of speaking and acting in his name. Every time we offer the Eucharist, this possibility becomes a reality. We act in 'persona Christi ' when, at the moment of the consecration, we say the words: "This is my body which will be given up for you.... This is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven. Do this in memory of me." We do precisely this: with deep humility and profound thanks. This exalted yet simple action of our daily mission as priests opens up our humanity, so to speak, to its furthermost limits....." Pope John Paul II, March 13, 1994 Image and novena from the EWTN website. We pray his novena in hope that the call of Jesus from the Tabernacle will bring Fr Alberto Cutie home to the Catholic Church |
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