East Anglia Seminarians: End of the Devout Life!

Sunday, 29 March 2009

End of the Devout Life!

I don't mean the seminary has suddenly become immoral, but that we've finished the Introduction to the Devout Life which we've been reading for the past four weeks. It's been a wonderful chance to read a spiritual classic as a community, and to see how it has become a part of our life here, whether it be in mealtime discussions or in priests' homilies. But more than that, St Francis has a greater knowledge of the human person, of what it is like strive in the way of Christ, and his advice is not high-flown or abstract, but suitable to our daily lives. I shall no doubt be returning to him in the future!

Here is last reading from St Francis de Sales:

Consider the eternal love which God has had for you; for already before our Lord Jesus Christ, as man, suffered on the cross for you, his divine Majesty foreknew you in his sovereign goodness and loved you infinitely. But, when did he begin to love you? When he began to be God. And when did he begin to be God? Never, for he has ever been God, without beginning and without end; and so he has always loved you from all eternity: and therefore he prepared the grace and favours which he has conferred on you.

Tomorrow we start a five day silent retreat before Holy Week. (Judging by the posts recently, you might think we're always on retreat, but Mount St Bernard's was just for the 2nd years - this is our annual Lenten retreat for the whole house.) It will be nice to be silent and reflect on what God has been doing in our lives. Inevitably, this means no blogging for a week... See you on the flipside!

1 comment:

Fr Paul Johnson said...: May it be a blessed and fruitful retreat. I keep you all, as ever, much in my thoughts and prayers. I'm sure those wonderful Jesuits will lead you all toward a most devout life! P; 30 March 2009 at 14:21

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Prayer for Priestly Vocations

O Lord Jesus Christ, Who moved to pity at the sight of the multitudes, scattered like sheep without a shepherd, didst say to Thy disciples: "The harvest indeed is great, but the labourers are few. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He send labourers into His harvest," deign to turn Thine eyes of pity on this our diocese, and to call to Thy priesthood young men, who will spend themselves and be spent for Thy honour and glory, and for the souls whom Thou has redeemed with Thy Most Precious Blood, Who livest and reignest for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayer for Seminarians

O Lord Jesus Christ, great High Priest, I pray that You call many worthy souls to Your holy priesthood.

Enlighten the Bishop in the choice of candidates, the Spiritual Director in molding them, and the professors in instructing them.

Lead the seminarians daily in Your unerring footsteps; so that they may become priests who are models of purity, possessors of wisdom and heroes of sacrifice; steeped in humility and aflame with love for God and man; apostles of Your glory and sanctifiers of souls.

Amen.

Prayer for the Pope

V. Let us pray for our Pontiff, Pope Benedict.
R. The Lord preserve him, and give him life, and make him to be blessed upon the earth, and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies

Our Father. Hail Mary.

Let us pray.

Almighty and everlasting God, have mercy upon Thy servant, Benedict, our Supreme Pontiff, and direct him, according to Thy loving-kindness, in the way of eternal salvation; that, of thy gift, he may ever desire that which is pleasing unto thee and may accomplish it with all his might. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen

Prayer for the Queen

V. O Lord, save Elizabeth, our Queen.
R. And hear us on the day we call upon you.

V. O Lord, hear my prayer.
R. And let my cry come before you.

[V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with your spirit.]

Let us pray

Almighty God, we pray, that your servant Elizabeth, our Queen, who, by your providence has received the governance of this realm, may continue to grow in every virtue, that, imbued with your heavenly grace, she may be preserved from all that is harmful and evil and, being blessed with your favour may, with her consort and the royal family, come at last into your presence, through Christ who is the way, the truth and the life and who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.