East Anglia Seminarians: Back in the loop

Monday, 6 April 2009

Back in the loop

We've finished our retreat from last week, which for me at least was a very fruitful one - it's always nice to get away from work and be generous with our prayer! This week also is without any lectures, so that we can take part in the litugies of Holy Week, particularly at Birmingham Cathedral, and enter into the spirit of Passiontide. We were at the Cathedral yesterday for Palm Sunday, a packed Mass, and today we had a communal Stations of the Cross. The priest at our seminary Mass today spoke in his homily of our need to echo the extravagance of Mary for Jesus in today's Gospel, when she pours the precious ointment on Him. We too can use this week to show extravagant devotion to the Lord.

Congratulations and best wishes to Archbishop Vincent Nichols for his appointment to Westminster. We hope his ministry there will be extremely blessed, and we will keep him in our prayers especially. It will be nice to have him come, as usual, to celebrate the Easter morning Mass at Oscott this year, as it will be one of the last times we see him in his present capacity!

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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.