Monday, July 6, 2009

On the priesthood

"Priests have a power not their own, and priests who abandon the priesthood carry with them a volatile power they cannot shed. A consecrated soul cannot be unconsecrated but only desecrated by pride and the guilt of pride. And when a desecrated priest ceases to offer worthy sacrifice, he may start to require sacrifice...

...saints need priests to help them be saints, especially priests willing to be saints. There cannot be a Church without priests. Sometimes priests themselves underestimate that. (...) [St Jean-Marie] Vianney preached to his uncertain flock, "When you see a priest, you should say: 'There is the one who has made me a child of God... one who has cleansed me from my sins, who gives nourishment to my soul.'"


-- The Curé D'Ars Today: St John Vianney by Fr George William Rutler

Please pray for the sanctification of all priests, especially those that minister in your parish and those who are struggling with their vocation or fallen away. Next time you go to Mass, thank your pastor for his sacrifice and caring for souls. Mary, Queen of the Clergy, pray for them! St Jean-Marie Vianney, pray for them!

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