World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests 2013

Today is the last day of the Novena to the Sacred Heart for our priests' intentions.  Tomorrow we commemorate World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests.

Blessed John Paul II established that, on the solemnity of the Sacred Heart, the Church will observe the World Day of prayer for the Sanctification of Priests.

In 2002, the Catholic Church announced a special annual world priest day, a day of prayer for the sanctification of priests to be held on the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The 2010 to 2011 ''Year of The Priests'' was a tremendous success worldwide. We are most grateful to all who participated in making this year of prayer such a special gift to all priests.

We strongly encourage each and every one of the faithful to begin, if not already doing so, to pray for our priests today - this day, this very moment - in preparation through prayer, celebration of the Mass and Eucharistic Adoration, so that the 07th June 2013 will be an even greater celebration of the priesthood of Jesus Christ worldwide.

Click here for the source and to read the The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests 07th June 2013 LETTER TO PRIESTS

EWTN will be broadcasting live the Rosary Relay for Priests on First Friday, June 7th, 2013 at 9:30 A.M. EST. The following are prayers for our priests.

Suggested devotion/prayer:

Reflective Moment at 3:00 P.M.  3:00 P.M. begins the Hour of Mercy.  We can start this reflective moment by praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

We are encouraging people around the world to stop whatever they are doing at 3pm local time and spend a quiet moment praying in thanksgiving for our priests and contemplating the gift of priesthood.

Set your cell phone alarm to ring at 3pm local time as a reminder to stop reflect and pray for a few moments.

''I remind you, My daughter, that as often as you hear the clock strike the third hour, immerse yourself completely in My mercy, adoring and glorifying it; invoke its omnipotence for the whole world, and particularly for poor sinners; for at that moment mercy was opened wide for every soul. In this hour you can obtain everything for yourself and for others for the asking; it was the hour of grace for the whole world - mercy triumphed over justice''. --From the diary of Saint Faustina Kowalska, 1572

"If we make Jesus' call to have 'confidence in his divine mercy' penetrate our being, which the Pope has relaunched in the present time, we will realize that it is precisely priests who are personally called to allow themselves to be imbued by the Spirit given to us by the risen Christ, which makes us a sign of God's forgiveness for all". --Cardinal Darío Castrillón Hoyos, Prefect of the Vatican Congregation for Clergy

His Holiness Benedict XVI's Prayer for Priests

LORD JESUS CHRIST,
eternal High Priest, you offered yourself to the
Father on the altar of the Cross and through the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit gave your priestly
people a share in your redeeming sacrifice.
Hear our prayer for the sanctification of our priests.
Grant that all who are ordained to the ministerial
priesthood may be ever more conformed to you,
the divine Master. May they preach the
Gospel with pure heart and clear conscience.
Let them be shepherds according to your own Heart,
single- minded in service to you and to the Church
and shining examples of a holy,simple and joyful life. Through the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
your Mother and ours,draw all priests and the flocks
entrusted to their care to the fullness of eternal life where
you live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

AMEN

BENEDICTUS PP. XVI

His Holiness Benedict XVI's Prayer for Priests
(specially composed for Worldpriest)

PRAYER FOR A PRIEST

Risen Lord Jesus,
You love your priest with all your priestly Heart.
Hear our heartfelt prayer for our priests and in particular today for Father __________________.
We pray for our faithful and fervent priests,
for joyful and dedicated priests,
for unfaithful and struggling priests,
for lonely and desolate priests,
for sick and dying priests,
for the souls of priest in Purgatory.
Merciful Heart of Jesus, remember that they are weak and frail human beings.
Increase in them a deep faith, a bright and firm hope, and a burning love.
We ask that in their loneliness, You comfort them;
in their sorrow, You strengthen them;
in their frustration, You show them that it is through suffering that the soul is purified.
Eternal High Priest, keep them close to your sacred Heart,
and bless them abundantly in time and eternity.
Please call forth more priests to serve Your Church.

Amen Source: Diocese of Jefferson City, MO via EWTN

A PRAYER FOR PRIESTS

by John Cardinal O'Connor

Lord Jesus, we your people pray to You for our priests. You have given them to us for OUR needs. We pray for them in THEIR needs.
We know that You have made them priests in the likeness of your own priesthood. You have consecrated them, set them aside, annointed them, filled them with the Holy Spirit, appointed them to teach, to preach, to minister, to console, to forgive, and to feed us with Your Body and Blood.
Yet we know, too, that they are one with us and share our human weaknesses. We know too that they are tempted to sin and discouragement as are we, needing to be ministered to, as do we, to be consoled and forgiven, as do we. Indeed, we thank You for choosing them from among us, so that they understand us as we understand them, suffer with us and rejoice with us, worry with us and trust with us, share our beings, our lives, our faith.
We ask that You give them this day the gift You gave Your chosen ones on the way to Emmaus: Your presence in their hearts, Your holiness in their souls, Your joy in their spirits. And let them see You face to face in the breaking of the Eucharistic bread.
We pray to You, O Lord, through Mary the mother of all priests, for Your priests and for ours.
Amen.

March, 1995

LITANY FOR PRIESTS

Jesus, meek and humble of heart,
give all priests Thy spirit of humility;
Jesus, poor and worn out for souls,
give all priests Thy spirit of zeal;
Jesus, full of patience and mercy for sinners,
give all priests Thy spirit of compassion;
Jesus, victim for the sins of the world,
give all priests Thy spirit of sacrifice;
Jesus, lover of the little and the poor,
give all priests Thy spirit of charity.
Mary, Queen of the Clergy, pray for us;
and obtain for us numerous and holy
priests and religious.
Amen.

Source:  EWTN