Prayers, Booklet, & Brochure

O Jesus,
You perfectly revealed the Merciful Love of Your Sacred Heart on the Cross.
At the Last Supper You gave us the sacraments of the Holy Eucharist
and of Holy Orders to perpetuate Your Loving Presence in our midst. 
Help us to keep a sense of awe and gratitude at Your hidden presence in the Host
and respect for how You come to us
through the human instruments of priests and bishops.

On this the Feast of your Sacred Heart
and the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests,
I, __________ (your name), commit myself
to making an hour in Your Eucharistic Presence each week for the coming year
to intercede for and raise up before Your throne
_____________ (name of priest/bishop), begging for him:

Strength when he is tired or weak,
Perseverance when the spirit of prayer or apostolic zeal wanes,
Guidance when he is discerning or lost,
Consolation when he is suffering,
Hope when the sacrifices seem too heavy,
And manifold blessings upon him and his ministry.

Give me the grace to be like Our Lady and Saint Mary Magdalene, 
faithful at the foot of the Cross.
May I be selfless and humble in this work of adoration
and in all the ways you lead me as Your disciple.

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus,
Have mercy on our Holy Father Pope Francis,
Have mercy on _________ (name of priest/bishop),
Have mercy on all bishops and priests,
Have mercy on me and all Seven Sisters,
Have mercy on the whole world!

O h Jesús,
Revelaste perfectamente el Amor Misericordioso de Tu Sagrado Corazón en la Cruz.
En la Última Cena Tú nos diste los sacramentos de la Sagrada Eucaristía
y de las Órdenes Sagradas para perpetuar Tu Presencia Amorosa en medio de nosotros.
Ayúdanos a mantener un sentido de asombro y gratitud en Tu presencia oculta en la Hostia
y respeto por cómo vienes a nosotros
a través de los instrumentos humanos de sacerdotes y obispos.

En esta, la fiesta de tu Sagrado Corazón
y el Día Mundial de Oración por la Santificación de los Sacerdotes,
Yo, __________________(tu nombre), me comprometo
a hacer una hora en Tu Presencia Eucarística cada semana para el próximo año
para interceder y levantar ante Tu trono
_____________ (Nombre del Sacerdote/ Obispo), suplicando para él:

Fuerza cuando esté cansado o débil,
Perseverancia cuando el espíritu de oración o el celo apostólico mengua,
Orientación cuando esté discerniendo o perdido,
Consuelo cuando esté sufriendo,
Esperanza cuando los sacrificios parecen demasiado pesados,
Y múltiples bendiciones sobre él y su ministerio.
Dame la gracia de ser como Nuestra Señora y Santa María Magdalena,
fieles al pie de la Cruz.

Que pueda ser desinteresada y humilde en este trabajo de adoración
y de todas las formas en que me conduces como tu discípulo.
Sagrado Corazón de Jesús,
Ten piedad de nuestro Santo Padre Papa Francisco,
Ten piedad de _______________(Nombre del Sacerdote/ Obispo),
Ten piedad de todos los obispos y sacerdotes
Ten piedad de mí y de todas las Siete Hermanas,
¡Ten piedad del mundo entero!

This prayer can be the framework of a beautiful rhythm of intercession that includes both recurring elements and those that reflect specific weekly changes in the priest’s life. Since prayers are offered every week by any given Seven Sister, her prayers need only cover the priest’s needs of that day and the days of the upcoming week!

I.  O my Jesus, you have said: “Truly I say to you, ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you.” Behold, I knock, I seek and I ask for the grace of… (name your request).
Suggested intention: the physical needs of the priest
Examples: Proper nutrition and rest. Safety and regularity in exercising.  If called to fast, fidelity to fasting. If summoned in wee hours for pastoral care, alertness, safety in travel, ability to rest later in day. Prayers for current/chronic health issue(s)/challenge(s) if shared by pastor (e.g. cancer/diabetes/heart condition/impending surgery/broken bone, etc.)
Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be…
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in You. 

II.  O my Jesus, you have said: “Truly I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father in My name, He will give it to you.” Behold, in Your name, I ask the Father for the grace of… (name your request).
Suggested intention: the emotional/social needs of the priest
Examples: Healthy, godly friendships and recreational activities. If otherwise, may God intervene to heal, bring order to them or disband. Fraternal support from his brother priests. Prudence in time management, boundaries, delegation of tasks to others. Support from staff/congregation in shepherding the parish. Professional help if/when needed.
Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be…
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in You.

III. O my Jesus, you have said: “Truly I say to you, heaven and earth will pass away but my words will not pass away." Encouraged by Your infallible words I now ask for the of… (name your request).
Suggested intention: the spiritual needs of the priest
Examples: Deepening devotion to Our Lady (This intention is offered every Seven Sister Holy Hour). God’s will and way. Fidelity to daily Divine Office and whatever specific devotions Our Lord has called this pastor to embrace (NOTE: no need for Seven Sister to know what these devotions are). Personal encounter with Jesus in each Mass celebrated this week.  Growth in life of the Beatitudes, specific virtues (may name each week). Loyalty to Magisterium, Scripture, proper celebration of the sacraments. Counsel of the Holy Spirit during Confessions heard this week. Fidelity to prep time for homilies, inspiration and guidance in his preaching. Deepening of the graces of the Sacrament of Holy Orders.
Our Father....Hail Mary....Glory Be…
Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place all my trust in You. 

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted, have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us the grace which we ask of You, through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, Your tender Mother and ours.
Hail, Holy Queen…
St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus, pray for us.

Mary, Mother of Jesus throw your mantle of purity over our priests.  Protect them, guide them and keep them in your heart.  Be a mother to them especially in times of discouragement and loneliness.  Love them and let them belong completely to Jesus.  Like Jesus, they too are your sons, so keep their hearts pure and virginal.  Keep their minds filled with Jesus, and put Jesus always on their lips, so that He is the one they offer to sinners and to all they meet.  Mary, Mother of Jesus, be their Mother, loving them and bringing them joy.  Take special care of sick and dying priests and the ones most tempted.  Remember how they spent their youth and old age, their entire lives serving and giving all to Jesus.  Mary, bless them and keep a special place for them in your heart.  Give them a piece of your heart, so beautiful and pure and immaculate, so full of love and humility so that they, too, may grow in the likeness of Christ.  Dear Mary, make them humble like you and holy like Jesus.  Amen.

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

Keep unstained their anointed hands,
which daily touch Your Sacred Body.
Keep unsullied their lips,
daily purpled with your Precious Blood.
Keep pure and unearthly their hearts,
sealed with the sublime mark of the priesthood.

Let Your holy love surround them and
shield them from the world's contagion.
Bless their labors with abundant fruit and
may the souls to whom they minister be their joy and consolation here
and in heaven their beautiful and everlasting crown. Amen.

O my Jesus, I beg You on behalf of the whole Church: Grant it love and the light of Your Spirit, and give power to the words of priests so hardened hearts may be brought to repentance and return to You, O Lord. Lord, give us holy priests; you yourself maintain them in holiness. O Divine and Great High Priest, may the power of Your mercy accompany them everywhere and protect them from the devil's traps and snares which are continually being set for the souls of priests. May the power of Your mercy, O Lord, shatter and bring to naught all that might tarnish the sanctity of priests, for You can do all things.

Lord Jesus, we your people pray to You for our priests. You have given them to us for OUR needs. We pray for them in THEIR needs.

We know that You have made them priests in the likeness of your own priesthood. You have consecrated them, set them aside, annointed them, filled them with the Holy Spirit, appointed them to teach, to preach, to minister, to console, to forgive, and to feed us with Your Body and Blood.

Yet we know, too, that they are one with us and share our human weaknesses. We know too that they are tempted to sin and discouragement as are we, needing to be ministered to, as do we, to be consoled and forgiven, as do we. Indeed, we thank You for choosing them from among us, so that they understand us as we understand them, suffer with us and rejoice with us, worry with us and trust with us, share our beings, our lives, our faith.

We ask that You give them this day the gift You gave Your chosen ones on the way to Emmaus: Your presence in their hearts, Your holiness in their souls, Your joy in their spirits. And let them see You face to face in the breaking of the Eucharistic bread.

We pray to You, O Lord, through Mary the mother of all priests, for Your priests and for ours. Amen.

March, 1995

from the Saint Teresa of Calcutta Vocation Society

Lord Jesus, You have chosen Your priests from among us and sent them out to proclaim Your word and to act in Your Name.  For so great a gift to Your Church, we give You praise and thanksgiving.  We ask You to fill them with the fire of Your love that their ministry may reveal Your presence in the Church. 

Since they are earthen vessels, we pray that Your power shine out through their weakness. In their afflictions let them never be crushed; in their doubts never despair; in temptation never be destroyed; in persecution never abandoned.  

Inspire them through prayer to live each day the mystery of Your dying and rising. In times of weakness send them Your Spirit, and help them to praise Your heavenly Father and prayer for poor sinners. By the same Holy Spirit put Your word on their lips and Your love in their hearts, to bring good news to the poor and healing to the broken-hearted.

And may the gift of Mary be Your gift to every priest. Grant that she, who formed You in her human image, may form them in Your divine image, by the power of Your Spirit, to the glory of God the Father.  Amen.

O Jesus, our great High Priest, Hear my humble prayers on behalf of your priest, Father [N].
Give him a deep faith, a bright and firm hope and a burning love which will ever increase in the course of his priestly life. 
In his loneliness, comfort him
In his sorrows, strengthen him
In his frustrations, point out to him that it is through suffering that the soul is purified,
and show him that he is needed by the Church, he is needed by souls, he is needed for the work of redemption. 
O loving Mother Mary, Mother of Priests, take to your heart your son who is close to you because of his priestly ordination,
and because of the power which he has received to carry on the work of Christ in a world which needs him so much. 
Be his comfort, be his joy, be his strength, and especially help him to live and to defend the ideals of consecrated celibacy.
Amen.

Merciful Father, In the name of Jesus, the Virgin Mary and all the saints,  
We pray that Fr.___, be washed in the Precious Blood of the Lamb
and be filled with all the gifts and fruits  of the Holy Spirit. 
St. Faustina, we pray that Fr. ____ will be blessed by your mission of Divine Mercy
and through your intercession help prepare him to offer himself totally to Merciful love
and be filled with a great love of Divine Mercy. 
Holy Spirit, Fire of Mercy, inspire Fr. ___ to help save every member of ______ Parish
as a powerful missionary of Divine Mercy.
We thank you Heavenly Father for all the graces and blessings you continue to pour out upon Fr. ____,
and for making him a great apostle of Divine Mercy. We pray in Jesus name.  Amen.

Vultus Christi

O my beloved Jesus,
I bring Thee the poverty of Thy priests, that Thou wouldst enrich them.
I bring Thee the emptiness of Thy priests, that Thou wouldst fill them.
I bring Thee the coldness of Thy priests, that Thou wouldst warm them.

I bring Thee the loneliness of Thy priests, that Thou wouldst embrace them.
I bring Thee the sorrows of Thy priests, that Thou wouldst console them.
I bring Thee the illnesses of Thy priests, that Thou wouldst heal them.

I bring Thee the impurities of Thy priests, that Thou wouldst wash them clean.
I bring Thee the nakedness of Thy priests, that Thou wouldst clothe them.
I bring Thee the silence of Thy priests, that Thou wouldst speak to them.

I bring Thee the brokenness of Thy priests, that Thou wouldst repair them.
I bring Thee the infirmities of Thy priests, that Thou wouldst heal them.
I bring Thee the nothingness of Thy priests that Thou wouldst be their all.

I bring Thee the darkness of Thy priests, that Thou wouldst illuminate them,
I bring Thee the bitterness of Thy priests,
that Thou wouldst give them to taste of Thy sweetness.
I bring Thee the struggles of Thy priests, that Thou wouldst be victorious in them.

I give Thee the blindness of Thy priests that Thou wouldst give them clear vision.
I bring Thee the weariness of Thy priests that Thou wouldst be their rest.
I bring Thee the thirst of Thy priests that Thou wouldst quench it.

I bring Thee the fears of Thy priests that Thou wouldst give them confidence.
I give thee Thee the doubts of Thy priests that Thou wouldst strengthen their faith.
I bring Thee the despondency of Thy priests that Thou wouldst infuse them with hope.

I bring Thee the sadness of Thy priests that Thou wouldst be their joy.
I bring Thee all Thy priests, especially those in their last agony, those who are locked in spiritual combat,
and those being tempted to sin against faith and against hope.
I bring Thee the death of Thy priests that Thou wouldst be their life eternal.
I bring Thee all those priest of Thine for whom Thy presence in the Most Holy Sacrament
has become a matter of indifference, of routine, and of neglect.

Beloved Lord Jesus, have mercy on those priests of Thine whose minds have grown dark,
whose hearts have grown cold, and who have succumbed to the enticements of the world,
the weariness of the flesh, and the deceits of the devil.
Deliver them all, O Jesus, for they are Thine, and Thou wilt not deny Thine own.