Priesthood Sunday

From the Sacred Heart Church's bulletin today:

On the last Sunday of October each year we honor our priests, who have dedicated their lives to Jesus and His bride, the Church, through the Sacrament of Holy Orders. We cannot receive the Blessed sacrament, Jesus Himself, without our priests. They sanctify us. Through the celebration of the Mass and through the sacraments they form us in faith, and they serve the parishes and larger community in varied ways. Their desire is to help draw us closer to our Lord and to lead us to eternal salvation.

We are asked to support our priests in prayer, to thank God for the gifts of their priesthood, and to encourage future vocations to the priesthood among our families and in our faith community. For their faithful and loving service, we say THANK YOU to our pastors Reverend Gordy Carvalho, our parochial vicar Reverend Edmund Barut, our sacramental priests Father Paul Smith and Father Joe Grimaldi.

To this we the Spiritual Moms would add...all the priests in the Diocese of Honolulu and all the priests in the entire world.

Prayer

Most gracious Heavenly Father, we thank you for our faithful priests and bishops,
whose spiritual fatherhood and example of fidelity, self-sacrifice, and devotion
is so vital to the faith of your people.

May our spiritual fathers be guided by the examples of saints Peter and Paul,
all the Apostles, and their saintly successors.
Give them valiant faith in the face of confusion and conflict, hope in time of trouble and sorrow, and steadfast love for you, for their families, and for all
your people throughout the world.
May the light of your Truth shine through their lives and their good works.

Assist all spiritual fathers, that through your Grace they may steadily grow in holiness and in knowledge and understanding of your Truth.
May they generously impart this knowledge to those who rely on them.

Source: