The Men in Black

Happy Birthday to our Blessed Mother.

Yes, today is the Beautiful Feast of the Birth of our Blessed Mother.

With that in mind today is a wonderful day for the follow-up of yesterdays post, emphasizing the NEED to PRAY Daily, for the men in black.

Our priests are under constant attack from Satan. Throughout the summer I have heard numerous stories that reiterate the need to pray for our priests. In one such conversation the discussion led to how you would confront the priest if you felt the need to and rather or not that was ever appropriate. I would like to use that question to remind each of us of a few things.

1. Priests are only human.
2. We NEED to use charity. If we ever feel the need to discuss something with a priest any priest we need to have respect for the position that they hold as a priest and we need to have love and compassion for them. I.E. never telling a priest boldly outright that they are wrong - even if we would like to.
3. Understand to the best of our ability that they are constantly being bombarded and attacked from every angle.
4. We need to befriend our priests, to the best of our ability. Especially families, inviting them into our homes making them feel welcome. We once had a family gathering and invite a dear priest friend of ours to come and bless our home. It was an amazing experience for all of us, and it was great to see how the priest enjoyed himself. Taking a moment to be part of our community, our family. They need community, so make them feel welcome.
5. Last but definitely not least PRAY-PRAY-PRAY!


I am going to end today with a beautiful prayer, offering, for our priests, entrusting them to the hands of our Blessed Mother.

Divine Savior, Jesus Christ, 

who has entrusted the whole work of your redemption, 

the welfare and salvation of the world, to priests as your representatives, 

I offer you through the hands of your most Holy Mother Mary, 

this present day, whole and entire, with all its prayers, works, and sacrifices, 

its joys and sorrows, for the sanctification of your priests, 

and for all those preparing for the priesthood. 

Give us truly holy priests, infamed with the fire of your divine love, 

who seek nothing but your greater glory, and the salvation of souls. 

And you, Mary, good Mother of priests, 

protest all priests from dangers to their holy vocation, 

and with the loving hand of a mother, 

lead back to the Good Shepherd those unfortunate priests who, 

unfaithful to their exalted vocation, have astray. 

AMEN. 

(From the Manual of Prayers, Pontifical North American College Rome)

Blessings,

Joy