East Anglia Seminarians: Year of the Priest!

Friday, 19 June 2009

Year of the Priest!

Today, the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, marks the start of the Year of the Priest, inaugurated by Pope Benedict to coincide with the 150th anniversary of the death of St John Vianney, patron of parish priests (and next year all priests). This is a wonderful occassion for priests to renew their commitment to the Lord, for seminarians to be encouraged in their discernment of the priestly life, and for everyone to support those who have given themselves as priests, praying that more men will hear and answer God's loving call to provide pastors in His Church. At the seminary we are having a Holy Hour tonight to pray for priests and a renewal in priestly vocations, about the same time that the Pope will be officially opening the year with Vespers in Rome. Perhaps you all could say a prayer today for the same intentions, and pray that this year will bring many graces for the Church. Let's pray that God will even surprise His Church with the graces that come from this year!

Apologies that there's been no posting for a while - after our pilgrimage to Assisi I and the other members of Year 2 received Lectorate (the ministry of reader), and then I fell ill, so there was no chance to post about Assisi. Maybe at a later stage!

Right, I'm off to read the Pope's letter to mark the start of this new year. Exciting times...

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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.