THE YEAR OF THE PRIEST.
 |
THE MASS |
Welcome to my second post on 'The Year of the
Priest' Series. Each week until end of June 2010, this series will provide food
for thought on the Year of the Priest’, examine how we, as laity, can
appreciate the gift of Priesthood in the Sacrament of Holy Orders, and
encourage our priests in this special year. If you missed my first post on this
series, why not take a look.
In the next 6 posts, I wish to focus our attention
on how we might actively help our priests. I will use the acrostic form
P-R-I-E-S-T
PRAY
REFLECT
IMAGINE
ESTEEM
SUPPORT
THANK
PRAY
Let us commence this week with PRAY.
- Jesus highlighted the need to pray : 'the harvest is rich but
the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send out
labourers to His harvest (Mt 9:37-38) . The late Pope John
Paul 11 urged us to pray for vocations by gathering in prayer with a
renewed expectation of the Holy Spirit's coming, so that vocations will
renew our world.
- As laity, we can choose to belong to the worldwide Apostleship
of Prayer and follow their daily offering programme.
- We may prefer to follow our own programme, by offering own day to
the Lord, either in spiritual union with Christ's daily offering at the
altar at Mass, or by attending Mass. Perhaps we can attend an extra
weekday Mass asking God for a new Pentecost of priestly vocations.
- Be an intercessor for your priests: Lift up his needs to
God.
- Our priests are human- he needs support not criticism. If you think
he is not doing his job, or his homilies are wanting, pray for him and ask
God to give him the graces you perceive him to need.
- Pray as a family and teach your children to pray for their priests.
- Pray for our priests so that you appreciated, respect and honour
him since he is an ordained servant of the family of God and acts in the
person of Christ in the Sacraments.
- Encourage other people to pray for priests, especially when
negative feedback is stated about a priest. Listen to the concerns as it
provides rich soil for prayer for you, and encourage the person concerned
to pray for the graces to brighten up the tarnished image that this person
may have of that priest.
- Have a Mass said for priests during this "Year of the Priest'.
Another priest will be offering the Mass and will likely feel encouraged
by it.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
In my situation, I am in an order parish
where we have seminarians studying for priesthood. There is nothing more
spiritually satisfying than to watch the young novice come, grow spiritually
and reach their goal of ordination after many years of study and prayer.
As a young child, I was encouraged at school to
choose one of the students to the priesthood at the beginning of the year and
to pray for him throughout it. I have continued this tradition because I have
come to realize that they not only need prayers to reach ordination, which is
the finishing line of study at that stage, but it is the starting line for
ministry. At times I feel like a 'mother letting them leave the nest' when
they reach ordination- sad to see them go, but happy that they are ready to
start ministry. Now, I pray for them not only through their formative
years, but up to their 25th ordination anniversary. At this point, I review and
monitor their progress and the prayers are adjusted accordingly.
Most people are not in an order parish, but a
diocesan parish with one or two priests. Nevertheless, there is a seminary in
your diocese and there are priests in each parish throughout it. Why not
remember the priests who administered the sacraments to you. All of them
need your prayers
Is there a priest that you know who owes his
perseverance to YOUR prayers?
No comments:
Post a Comment