Daily Prayers for Our Priests
“Prayer is the raising of one’s mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God.” (CCC # 2559)
1.Forgiveness Prayer for our Priests
2. Prayer for Deacons and Their Wives
3. Prayer of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus
4. Prayer for Priests
5. Prayer by Pope Benedict XVI
6. Prayer by St. Teresa of Kolkata
7. Prayer by St. Faustina
A Forgiveness Prayer for our Priests
Lord Jesus, as you unveil the sins of our priests, let it not define our true faith as Catholics.
Human they are with weaknesses Lord, remove the dark temptations from their priestly walk. Grant them the fortitude to prostrate before You in repentance, for our Almighty Father is a forgiving and merciful God.
Send the Holy Spirit’s fiery love to reignite these fallen servants returning like prodigal sons into Your loving arms.
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, pour forth your mercy upon our priests, console them during this time of trial, and increase their faith.
Lord, we ask you to heal the many victims whose suffering hearts cry out to you. Heal their pain. Wipe their tears. Restore their faith in our clergy and may they find refuge in your Precious Blood.
Mend our broken hearts from anger and disappointment with lessons of compassion and forgiveness. Jesus, help us to follow you faithfully.
Strengthen our love and faith for our priests so we may pray for them without any judgement or rebuke.
Lord we ask you to receive our prayers of forgiveness for their sins, as You forgive us our trespasses.
Look at me Jesus, a sinner. Through you my Lord and Savior, save our priests. Amen.
Guadalupe Irma Frakes, © 2018
Deacon’s Prayer
I wrote this prayer for the deacons of the Diocese of Bridgeport and their wives (who share in their formation and often share in their ministry). I wanted to pass it on so you can either share it with the deacons in your life (Hi, Dad!) or use it in your own ministry. I did write it with deacons in mind but it can be prayed by anyone, of course. Feel free to adapt this prayer for your own use!
(Permission granted per Amy Ekeh June 24, 2015; Deacon's Prayer — Amy Ekeh
Lord Jesus Christ, Servant of all,
Send your Spirit upon me as I serve your Church.
Give me eyes to see the needs of your people.
Give me a discerning mind to know your truth.
Give me a generous spirit when I am tired but needed.
Give me a humble heart when my work goes unnoticed.
Give me peace of mind in obedience and service.
Give me health of body so I may serve with strength.
Make me fertile ground for your inspiration and love.
Comfort me when I question myself and my ministry.
Grant me grace as I age so I may share your wisdom.
Make my heart like yours so I may love your people.
Amen.
Prayer for Deacons and Their Wives
I wrote this prayer for the deacons of the Diocese of Bridgeport and their wives (who share in their formation and often share in their ministry). I wanted to pass it on so you can either share it with the deacons in your life (Hi, Dad!) or use it in your own ministry. I did write it with deacons in mind but it can be prayed by anyone, of course. Feel free to adapt this prayer for your own use!
(Permission granted per Amy Ekeh June 24, 2015; Deacon's Prayer — Amy Ekeh
For our Deacons: (say their names) Lord Jesus Christ, Servant of all,
Send your Spirit upon [our deacons and their wives] as [they] serve your Church.
Give [them] eyes to see the needs of your people.
Give [them] a discerning mind to know your truth.
Give [them] a generous spirit when [they are] tired but needed.
Give [them] a humble heart when [their] work goes unnoticed.
Give [them] peace of mind in obedience and service.
Give [them] health of body so [they] may serve with strength.
Make [them] fertile ground for your inspiration and love.
Comfort [them] when [they] question [themselves and their] ministry.
Grant [them] grace as [they] age so [they] may share your wisdom.
Make [their] heart[s] like yours so [they] may love your people. Amen.
Prayer by Amy Ekeh, The Diocese of St. Petersburg
Prayer of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus
O Jesus, I pray for your faithful and fervent priests; for your unfaithful and tepid priests; for your priests laboring at home or abroad in distant mission fields; for your tempted priests; for your lonely and desolate priests; for your young priests; for your dying priests; for the souls of your priests in purgatory.
But above all, I recommend to you the priests dearest to me: the priest who baptized me; the priests who absolved me from my sins; the priests at whose Masses I assisted and who gave me your Body and Blood in Holy Communion; the priests who taught and instructed me; all the priests to whom I am indebted in any other way (especially …).
O Jesus, keep them all close to your heart, and bless them abundantly in time and in eternity. Amen.
Courtesy of STACharlotte.com
Prayer for Priests
Gracious and loving God, we thank you for the gift of our priests.
Through them, we experience your presence in the sacraments.
Help our priests to be strong in their vocation.
Set their souls on fire with love for your people.
Grant them the wisdom, understanding, and strength they need to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.
Inspire them with the vision of your Kingdom.
Give them the words they need to spread the Gospel.
Allow them to experience joy in their ministry.
Help them to become instruments of your divine grace.
We ask this through Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns as our Eternal Priest. Amen.
Courtesy of USCCB.org
Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
Prayer by Pope Benedict XVI
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.
Courtesy of Zenit.org
Prayer by St. Teresa of Kolkata
Mary, Mother of Jesus, throw your mantle of purity over our priests.
Protect them, guide them, and keep them in your heart.
Be a Mother to them, especially in times of discouragement and loneliness.
Love them and keep them belonging completely to Jesus.
Like Jesus, they, too, are your sons, so keep their hearts pure and virginal.
Keep their minds filled with Jesus, and put Jesus always on their lips, so that he is the one they offer to sinner and to all they meet.
Mary, Mother of Jesus, be their Mother, loving them and bringing them joy.
Take special care of sick and dying priests, and the ones most tempted.
Remember how they spent their youth and old age, their entire lives serving and giving all to Jesus.
Mary, bless them and keep a special place for them in your heart.
Give them a piece of your heart, so beautiful and pure and immaculate, so full of love and humility, so that they, too, can grow in the likeness of Christ.
Dear Mary, make them humble like you, and holy like Jesus. Amen.
Courtesy of STACharlotte.com
Prayer by St. Faustina
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 souls 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.
From the Diary of St. Faustina, 1052