A Priest Forever

Today, my mom and I went to the nearby hospital to visit a dear, elderly Franciscan who recently took a turn for the worse and now needs the constant presence of someone to help meet his basic needs. We sought to offer comfort in whatever small ways possible...food, water, and conversation being some chief ways. I sang and read from one of my sister's brilliant Scripture exegeses to help take his mind off the pain of his tired body. Despite his physical weakness, Father's famous wit was still strong, and spontaneous plays-on-words interspersed his dialogue in the charming way they always have.

It was difficult yet meaningful — and especially Lenten — to watch a dear one suffer and be able to do very little about it. I also couldn't think of a more grace-filled way to spend a Sunday afternoon than experiencing this spiritual work of mercy.

The thing that struck me most, however, was when this suffering priest of 80-something years imparted his farewell blessing to his visitors. Despite the fact that the littlest movement was torturous for him, he made every effort to raise the arm lying limp on the pillow in order to bless us not only with his words, but with his I.V.-laden hand. Such a picture of fidelity. Such a picture of a priest whose identity runs in every fiber of his being! Such a picture of Christ.

Blessed

I am one blessed gal. Between my loving family and abundant, kind friends, I was simply showered with joys on my birthday! And it's the little, thoughtful things (that aren't little to me). Dad and David singing Happy Birthday while waking me. The lovely pashmina from my mom. A surprise homemade skirt by Veronica (I'm wearing both here). Birthday kisses and a coupon good for 22 back rubs from David. So many birthday greetings on Facebook, I lost count. Six red roses from one of the catchesists in my RE Program. Tulips from my goddaughter. Sweet posts by friends and sisters. A swivel seat for my troubled back, wrapped so beautifully and dropped on my porch by friends. Heartwarming homemade cards by little ones. Phone calls and "singing telegrams". E-cards. Cards in the mail. The university choir serenading me at practice...

I thank our Lord, and I thank you... (Phil 1:3).

Please keep me in your prayers this weekend as I speak at the "Embracing Your Call to Holiness" Women's Conference for the Diocese of LaCrosse, WI!

P.S. Many thanks to everyone who responded to this post. Not all quotes fit into the print booklet, but it will be great to have a testimonies section of the website when I expand it! Keep responding!

P.P.S. Sorry that I slipped posting on Days 6-9 of the Novena for Priests. Let's not cease interceding for them every day. Consider a perpetual novena for the rest of the Year for Priests.

Praying for Priests — Novena Day 5

Responsorial...

Priests are called to consecrate their lives to God for the salvation of his people and to unite themselves more closely every day to Christ the High Priest.

Intercession...

United with Jesus Christ the Great High Priest, we pray;
Lord, show us your face!

That priests will renew and intensify their devotion to daily prayer;
Lord, show us your face!

That priests will prayerfully meditate on the law of God and put into practice what they teach;
Lord, show us your face!

That priests will sustain God's people by sharing with them the fruits of their own prayer lives;
Lord, show us your face!

Pray the Prayer to the Mother of God shared on Day 1.

Prayer for Priests — Novena Day 4

"O Jesus, eternal Priest, keep your priests within the shelter of Your Sacred Heart, where none may touch them."

Pray the Prayer to the Mother of God shared on Day 1.

If you're on Facebook, look up this wonderful group started by some friends of mine: Humble Prayers for Holy Priests.

Prayer for Priests — Novena Day 3

The Wisdom of the Church:

"A priest's office is to be a mediator between God and his people, for as much as he bestows divine blessings on the people and offers up their prayers to God, and in some manner renders satisfaction to God for their sins...Because he is placed between God and man, the priest should touch God by his prayer and touch man by his mercy and compassion."

(St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica)

Pray the Prayer to the Mother of God shared on Day 1.

Prayer for Priests — Novena Day 2

Insights of St. John Vianney:

"Oh, how great is the priest! If he understood himself he would die...God obeys him; he speaks two words, and Our Lord comes down from heaven at his voice, and shuts himself up in a little Host...

If man well understood this mystery, he would die of love."

Pray the Prayer to the Mother of God shared on Day 1.

Prayer for Priests — Novena Day 1

I decided there would be no better time than today to begin a novena for priests. I've had the Magnificat Year for Priests companion sitting in my book basket for at least a few months...



Won't you join me? Drop me a comment to let me know that you're participating in this spiritual effort, and if you have your own prayer source, do share it with us!



I will try to share a portion of the Magnificat Novena each day...

A Prayer to the Mother of God for Priests by St. Charles Borromeo

O Holy Mother of God, pray for the priests you Son has chosen to serve the Church. Help them, by you intercession, to be holy, zealous, and chaste. Make them models of virtue in the service of God's people. Help them be pious in mediation, efficacious in preaching, and zealous in the daily offering of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Help them administer the Sacraments with love and joy. Amen.

You can learn more about the wonderful Magnificat booklet here (it's only $3.95, and I found mine free at a nearby parish), or there is a beautiful prayer from EWTN here.

"How great is the priest!

He will only rightly understand himself in heaven.

To understand the priesthood on earth

would make one die, not of fear, but of love.

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

(St. John Marie Vianney, Cure of Ars)

Prayer for Priests

I've seen trial and difficulty come lately to too many priests I know. We can always use a reminder to pray for our priests!

Jesus, Good Shepherd, Great High Priest, today I lift to You in prayer all of our priests. You left us Yourself in the person of the priest. Mold them into what You want them to be. Let them be You to each person they meet. May they fill all the needs of those who turn to them today. Send someone to lift their spirit and to be Jesus to them when others knock them down, to encourage them when their hope is gone. Give them all the strength and courage they need to persevere in holiness when under trial or just worn out from saving souls. Please bless us with many more holy priests. Teach us to love and appreciate all of our priests and to see You in them.

I consecrate all priests to the Immaculate Hands and Heart of Mary, Our Mother of Divine Love Patroness of Priests. I thank You for their priesthood. Keep them close to You. Please enfold and protect them in Your Mantle of Divine Love. My Lord Jesus I trust in You! Amen.

No One Says It Like Father Corapi

And the other morning as I listened to him on Relevant Radio, I couldn't help but write some quotes down!

"The only way for you to become a saint - and, by the way, that's the only reason we're here, folks - is to do God's will."

"Our Lady led me to one place... to the Eucharist. If you piled up all the other goods of the Church over there, and put the Eucharist over here, that over there would be nothing in comparison... all other power - from preaching or teaching, or anything else, is a speck compared with the Eucharist."

"If we announced that Jesus Christ was coming to visit here tomorrow morning at 10, all the trafficways would be bottlenecked. Folks, He IS coming! If the Lord gave us Himself in the Eucharist, that means we need Him!"

"Why are Catholics who receive the Eucharist every week no different from the rest of the world? Because you receive only what you're ready to receive. The graces are infinite - but you have to be ready to receive them... If you begin to live the Gospel, your channel of grace will be widened."

"I'll tell you one thing that never wears off: the Blessed Sacrament. Get your priests to make a daily Holy Hour. When priests start living the only reason for their priesthood, the Church will turn around."

"Sometimes the last thing in the world we would choose to do is the very thing the power of God can choose to work through us... often the very thing we don't want to do, that doesn't come naturally to us, this is the very path that God chooses for our salvation."

"The lay state is not the absence of a vocation... it is a vocation."

What can I add? That's enough to meditate on for a while!

Hands and the Priesthood

Contemplation of the "Hands" reflection, simultaneous with joyful anticipation of this coming weekend's priestly ordination of a wonderful seminarian friend of ours, brought this to me...


A dish of water in my hands is...a dish of water.
A dish of water in the hands of a priest is a powerful weapon.
It depends on whose hands it's in.

A drop of oil in my hands is sufficient for cooking.

A drop of oil in the hands of a priest is a means of healing.

It depends on whose hands it's in.

A piece of bread in my hands is a small snack.
A piece of bread in the hands of a priest is the Body of my Lord.
It depends on whose hands it's in.

A cup of wine in my hands is enough for a toast.
A cup of wine in the hands of a priest is the Blood of my Savior.
It depends on whose hands it's in.

Father, bless our priests who bring Your Life to us!