The Priests are God's men.

The priests are God's men. They have given their lives for Him and so they belong to Him and Him alone. Let them do their sacred duty of offering the Sacrifice of Calvary that brings us closer to His heavenly glory. Let us not give the world the opportunity to own them once more and trap them but instead let us allow these priests of our Lord the opportunity to bring us closer to God our Father in heaven. Encourage them to wear their cassocks more often, if not always, for they are priests not only when administering sacraments but they are priests all the time: they should be easily recognizable as such, priests. They should not feel ashamed to wear garments proper to who they are: priests. Encourage them to pray their breviaries everyday for it is through daily prayer and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and not social functions where they gather their strength. Let God's grace work through them for they are the link, called by God, that binds heaven and earth. The priests are God's men. When they fall, it is only because we are stubborn not to let go of the world. When they fall, it is only because we do not support them with our prayers. When they fall, it is because we do not love them as priests. Love them not as celebrities but love them with a sense of sacredness and awe for they are priests. These priests are God's men chosen by Him, elected by Him.


Photo Credits: Jesson Gonzaga Allerite
                       New Liturgical Movement

Second National Congress of the Clergy

Tomorrow will be the opening day of the Second National Congress of the Clergy that will be held in the World Trade Center, Pasay City until Friday, 29th of January.

The Congress "...intends to respond to the needs of the clergy in the Philippines as well as 'to surface the needs and realities concerning the ongoing formation and renewal of priests."

It is described by Msgr. Jose Bernardo Jr., the Executive Secretary of the National Organizing Committee as "...basically a retreat, a call to interior renewal, a call to holiness."

It is also intended, according to Msgr. Gerardo Santos, to provide the priests a deep and religious experience that will hopefully lead to spiritual conversion and greater commitment.

The Congress will have Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, OFMCap, Preacher of the Papal Household as retreat master and Imus Bishop Luis Chito Tagle "...will provide the challenge for the pastoral aspect of the call to holiness."

For the whole duration of the Congress, the bishops and priests will be accompanied by the relics of St. John Marie Vianney, the Patron Saint of Priests, that recently arrived in Manila. Among the relics that was brought here in Manila are the priestly stole and breviary of the beloved Saint.

Source: Second National Congress of the Clergy



Let us pray for our beloved priests:

"O my Jesus, I beg You on behalf of the whole Church:
Grant it love and the light of Your Spirit,
and give power to the words of Priests
so that hardened hearts might be brought
to repentance and return to You, O Lord.

Lord, give us holy Priests;
You yourself maintain them in holiness.
O Divine and Great High Priest,
may the power of Your mercy accompany them everywhere
and protect them from the devil's traps and snares
which are continually being set for the soul of Priests.

May the power of Your mercy, O Lord,
shatter and bring to naught
all that might tarnish the sanctity of Priests,
for You can do all things."

- St. Faustina's Diary #1052 -

Schedule of Exposition of the Relics of St. John Marie Vianney

From an Email:

January 23 - Arrival at NAIA at 9:30 a.m., National Shrine of the Sacred Heart at 11 am

January 24 - EDSA Shrine at 12 noon

January 25 to 29 - 2nd National Congress of the Clergy at the World Trade Center

January 29 - Sto. Niño de Tondo Parish at 12 noon

January 30 - Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene at 12 noon

January 31 - St. John Mary Vianney Parish at 12 noon

February 1 - Departure at NAIA at 11:30 a.m.

Thanks to Miguel Madarang Ramirez for the info.

THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF PRIESTLY MINISTRY

VATICAN CITY, 1 JUL 2009 (VIS) - The Year for Priests was again the theme of the Holy Father's catechesis during his general audience, held this morning in St. Peter's Square.

The Pope began his remarks by expressing the hope that the Year "may be an opportunity for the inner renewal of all priests and, consequently, for the revitalisation of their commitment to the mission". He then announced that his catecheses over the next few months will focus on the figure of St. John Mary Vianney, the holy "Cure of Ars", on the 150th anniversary of his death.

What most stands out in the life of this saint, said Benedict XVI, "is his complete identification with his ministry. He used to say that a good pastor, a pastor after God's heart, is the greatest treasure the good Lord can give a parish".

"In fact, it is by considering the dual term 'identity-mission' that each priest will become better aware of the need for that progressive self identification with Christ which guarantees the faithfulness and fruitfulness of his evangelical witness. Thus, in the life of a priest, missionary announcement and worship are inseparable, just as sacramental identity and evangelising mission are likewise inseparable".

"The goal of priests' mission is, we could say, 'of worship': that all men and women may offer themselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, receiving the charity which they are then called to dispense abundantly to one another. ... Love for others, concern for justice and the poor are not so much a question of social morals as the expression of a sacramental conception of Christian morality because, through priestly ministry, the spiritual sacrifice of all the faithful is accomplished, in union with the sacrifice of Christ, the only mediator. This is the sacrifice that priests offer bloodlessly and sacramentally while awaiting the second coming of the Lord".

"In the face of so many uncertainties and so much weariness, even in the exercise of priestly ministry, it is vitally important to regain a clear and unequivocal view of the absolute primacy of divine grace", said the Holy Father. "The mission of each individual priest depends, then, also and above all on an awareness of the sacramental reality of his 'new existence'. Upon the certainty of his own identity - not artificially and humanly constructed but freely and divinely given and received - depends his perennial enthusiasm for the mission".

"Having received such an extraordinary gift of grace with their consecration, priests become permanent witnesses of their own encounter with Christ", and "are able to carry out their mission to the full, announcing the Word and administering the Sacraments.

"Following Vatican Council II", Pope Benedict added, "in some places the impression arose that there were more important things in the mission of priests in our time: some people believed that the priority was to build a new society".

Yet "the two essential elements of priestly ministry" always remain "announcement and power", said the Holy Father recalling how Christ sent His disciples out to announce the Gospel giving them the power to drive out demons. "Announcement and power", in other words "Word and Sacrament, are the pillars of priestly service, over and above the many forms it can take".

The Pope continued: "When the 'diptych' of consecration-mission is not taken into due account, it becomes truly difficulty to understand the identity of priests and of their ministry in the Church. ... During this Year for Priests", he said, "let us pray for all the clergy. ... Prayer is the primary duty, the true path of sanctification for priests and the heart of authentic pastoral care of vocations".

And he concluded: "The low numbers of priestly ordinations in some countries not only must not discourage us, it should stimulate us to dedicate greater space to silence and to listening to the Word, to improving spiritual guidance and the Sacrament of Confession, so that the voice of God, which always continues to call and to confirm, may be heard and followed by many young people".

Vatican Information Service

Helping our Priests

Let's help our priests spend their time more time in prayer, devotion to the Blessed Sacrament and the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass more than anything else.