A Prayer for Parish Priests

I have been working this morning on my talks for this weekend's Great River Teens Encounter Christ retreat #260. In the midst of papers and letters, I found a card given me on the occasion of my ordination to the priesthood that included the following Prayer for Parish Priests by Saint John Vianney:

Pray that God may give to His Church

today many more Priests

after His own Heart.

Pray for all the Priests

under your patronage,

that they may be worthy representatives

of Christ the Good Shepherd.

May they wholeheartedly

devote themselves to prayer and penance;

be examples of humility and poverty;

shining models of holiness;

tireless and powerful preachers

of the Word of God;

zealous dispensers of

God's Grace in the Sacraments.

May their loving devotion

to Jesus in the Eucharist

and to Mary His Mother

be the Twin Foundations of fruitfulness

for their ministry.

Amen.