Mary, Mother of Priests

My most recent column at the Long Island Catholic, Brighter than the Sun, will only be appearing at the website another week (before a new piece takes its place). It was written with a grateful heart for all the priests who have come into our lives over the years!

Prayer to Mary, Mother of Priests, Pastores dabo vobis, JPII, 1992

O Mary, Mother of Jesus Christ and Mother of priests, accept this title which we bestow on you to celebrate your motherhood and to contemplate with you the Priesthood of your Son and of your sons, O Holy Mother of God.

O Mother of Christ, to the Messiah-Priest you gave a body of flesh through the anointing of the Holy Spirit for the salvation of the poor and the contrite of heart; guard priests in your heart and in the Church, O Mother of the Saviour.

O Mother of Faith, you accompanied to the Temple the Son of Man, the fulfillment of the promises given to the fathers; give to the Father for his glory the priests of your Son, O Ark of the Covenant. O Mother of the Church, in the midst of the disciples in the Upper Room you prayed to the Spirit for the new People and their Shepherds; obtain for the Order of Presbyters a full measure of gifts, O Queen of the Apostles.

O Mother of Jesus Christ, you were with him at the beginning of his life and mission, you sought the Master among the crowd, you stood beside him when he was lifted up from the earth consumed as the one eternal sacrifice and you had John, your son, near at hand; accept from the beginning those who have been called, protect their growth, in their life ministry accompany your sons, O Mother of Priests. Amen.

[This prayer, in its entirety, was taken from Father Philip's blog. Interestingly and coincidentally, he wrote the post exactly one year ago today.]

May Mary, the Mother of Priests, bless and assist all priests in their vocations!

Comments

[Meredith]

This is beautiful Alice, thank you so much for it!

[patience]

I love that piece you wrote, but I also look forward to what will come next!