Do you consciously pray for priests? For those local priests whom you know and those far away? For those whom you love? For those who are annoying or obviously in grave spiritual danger?
On the sidebar I have an image of a holy card of Our Lady Queen of the Clergy, which is a devotion that started in France (I think). I found a chapel dedicated to Our Lady under this title in Paris, at Saint-Nicolas du Chardonnet, which is under the care of the SSPX. There was seated there also a Confraternity of the same. There’s a fascinating conversation about this image on this blog HERE. The painter was Jules Breton, whose more famous Song of the Lark, a farm girl in a field holding a sickle at sunset, listening to the bird song in rapt amazement. It’s in the Chicago Art Institute. Willa Cather’s book is named after it.
That image of Our Lady Queen of the Clergy links to a page with a prayer for priests. Please use it, daily?
And here is another one, penned by my dear Saint Thérèse of Lisieux
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 pray for poor sinners.
By the same Holy Spirit, put Your words on their lips and Your love in their hearts, to bring good news to the poor and healing to the brokenhearted. And may the gift of Mary Your mother, to the disciple whom You love, be your gift to every priest. Grant that she who formed You in her human image may, by her intercession, help to form them in Your divine image by the power of the Holy Spirit, to the glory of God the Father. AMEN.
O Jesus, Eternal Priest, keep Your priests within the shelter of Your Most Sacred Heart, where none can touch them. Keep unstained their anointed hands which daily touch Your sacred Body. Keep unsullied their lips daily tinged with Your precious Blood. Keep pure and unworldly their hearts, sealed with the sublime mark of the priesthood. Let Your holy love surround and protect 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 their everlasting crown in eternity. AMEN.
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In my morning offering, I offer the day for the sanctity of priests and then there is a long list of specific priests, bishops, archbishops, and cardinals. You are on that list.
I daily pray for persecuted faithful priests, for priests who are in error, and for the physical and spiritual well-being of Pope Francis, and for his happy and holy death. He is also one of my intentions in my daily Rosary.
I am going to add St. Thérèse’s extraordinarily good prayer to my list of morning prayers. Thank you for posting it.