On this First Friday, a prayer to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for his priests (adapted from a set of Sacred Heart prayers by Bl. James Alberione):
Jesus, Divine Master,
I bless and thank your most loving Heart for the institution of the priesthood. Priests are sent by you, as you were sent by the Father. To them you entrusted the treasures of your doctrine, of your law, of your grace, and souls themselves.
Grant me the grace to love them, pray for them, and support their efforts to build up the Body of Christ of which I want to be a living, active member. Jesus, I especially entrust to your Sacred Heart today the priests towards whom I have a special debt of charity: the priest who baptized me or welcomed me into the full communion of your Church; the priests who have heard my confessions and absolved my sins in your name; priests who have ministered to me over the years and who may now be worn out, discouraged, or tempted; priests in whose vocation I have had some role to play.
Jesus, send good laborers into your harvest. May priests be the salt which purifies and preserves; may they be the light of the world; may they be the city placed on the mountain. May they all be formed according to your heart. And one day in heaven, may they have around themselves, as a crown of joy, a multitude of souls won for you.
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