Prayer to God to save the Church by Sanctifying His priests who have fallen away
O God, our Lord, we obey without delay
to Thy gracious invitation to pray. Encouraged by Thy desire, we worship
at your sacred feet, crying out to Thee for our guilty priests. Deign
to be reminded, Lord, that Thy priestly Body is Thy crown of
predilection, the splendor of Thy glory, the chosen part of Thy
heritage. We implore Thee to arm Thyself with holy indignation
against Satan, who dared to plant the banner of sin in Thy own
sanctuary, and to chase him away in shame from Thy solemnly dedicated
domain. What would it cost Thee, O Lord, to turn the most
hardened hearts into penitents? Only one simple glance at Peter was
enough to retrieve him from the abyss of a three times apostasy; would
it cost Thee more to touch and convert those who have had the misfortune
to imitate his weakness? O Jesus, our King and Pontiff, we
beseech Thee on behalf of Mary, Thy Mother and ours, save the Church,
save Thy faithful, save Thy blessed honor, by saving priests! Amen.
Source: The Priest according to the Doctrine and the Examples of the Servant of God J.M.B. Vianney, Curé dʼArs." J.H. Olivier, (1870) in French
The Eucharist: offering the Mass, communion, adoration
8. The two Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist remain closely
linked. Without a continually renewed conversion and reception of the
sacramental grace of forgiveness, participation in the Eucharist would
not reach its full redemptive efficacy.(12) Just as Christ began his
ministry with the words "Repent and believe in the gospel,"(13) so the
Cure of Ars generally begins each of his days with the ministry of
forgiveness. But he was happy to direct his reconciled penitents to the Eucharist.
The Eucharist was at the very center of his spiritual life and pastoral
work. He said: "All good works put together are not equivalent to the
Sacrifice of the Mass, because they are the works of men and the Holy
Mass is the work of God."(14)
It is in the Mass that the sacrifice of
Calvary is made present for the Redemption of the world. Clearly, the
priest must unite the daily gift of himself to the offering of the Mass:
"How well a priest does, therefore, to offer himself to God in
sacrifice every morning!"(15) "Holy Communion and the Holy Sacrifice of
the Mass are the two most efficacious actions for obtaining the
conversion of hearts."(16) Thus the Mass was for John Mary Vianney the
great joy and comfort of his priestly life. He took great care, despite
the crowds of penitents, to spend more than a quarter of an hour in
silent preparation. He celebrated with recollection, clearly expressing
his adoration at the consecration and communion.
He accurately remarked:
"The cause of priestly laxity is not paying attention to the Mass!"(17)
The Cure of Ars was particularly mindful of the permanence of Christ's
real presence in the Eucharist. It was generally before the tabernacle
that he spent long hours in adoration, before daybreak or in the
evening; it was towards the tabernacle that he often turned during his
homilies, saying with emotion: "He is there!" It was also for this
reason that he, so poor in his presbytery, did not hesitate to spend
large sums on embellishing his Church. The appreciable result was that
his parishioners quickly took up the habit of coming to pray before the
Blessed Sacrament, discovering, through the attitude of their pastor,
the grandeur of the mystery of faith. (...)
The Eucharist is the
source and summit of all the Christian life."(19) Dear brother priests,
the example of the Cure of Ars invites us to a serious examination of
conscience: what place do we give the Mass in our daily lives? Is it, as
on the day of our Ordination - it was our first act as priests! - the
principle of our apostolic work and personal sanctification? What care
do we take in preparing for it? And in celebrating it? In praying before
the Blessed Sacrament? In encouraging our faithful people to do the
same? In making our Churches the House of God to which the divine
presence attracts the people of our time who too often have the
impression of a world empty of God?"
Source: Catholic Culture. From the Vatican, 16 March 1986, the Fifth Sunday of Lent, in the eighth year of my Pontificate. Joannes Paulus PP. II
Saint Catherine of Sienna, Rev. Fr. Paul Parkerson and Rev. Fr. Philip Tighe
"To draw his people more effectually to the holy Eucharist, the Cure
d'Ars had endeavored to communicate to them a taste for all holy
things, and his efforts were not in vain. Sunday after Sunday these good
people feasted their eyes on beautiful banners and vestments.
("In
the minutes of the pastoral visitation held at Ars by the Bishop of
Belley, on Monday, June 11, 1838, we read as follows: "After saying Mass
and giving confirmation, His Lordship contented himself with giving
Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and reciting the prayers for the
departed. He deemed it unnecessary to examine the interior of the
church, the chapels, vestments and sacred vessels, because everything is
so beautiful and so rich that the beholder is filled with admiration"
Msgr. Convert. Le Frere Athanase.)
For a long time the saint
himself trained the altar boys, and achieved wonderful results. He
carried out with gravity, dignity, and the utmost care all the
ceremonies of the rite of Lyons, which at that time was likewise in use
in the diocese of Belley. Nor was the behaviors of the altar servers
less admirable when, in 1849, Frere Athanase undertook the functions of
master of ceremony.
He had so fine a liturgical spirit, and he
drilled the children with so much precision and good taste, that Mgr. de
Langalerie, during a clergy retreat, held him up as a pattern to the
clergy of the diocese. "Do you wish to see a church where all the
ceremonies are carried out to the letter? Go to Ars; Frere Athanase is a
living and unerring ceremonial. His example will show you what you can
achieve yourselves if you will only take the means."
There were
days when the people of Ars gave special edification to the pilgrims. On
Maundy Thursday, in order to commemorate the institution of the Holy
Eucharist, M. Vianney insisted on
providing a splendid altar of repose, and his heart rejoiced at sight of
the decorations which enhanced the majesty of the tabernacle. The whole
of the chancel, which had been considerably enlarged in 1845, was
draped with banners. Numerous and tastefully arranged lights
transfigured the scene. However, he took every precaution lest these
decorations should be a hindrance instead of a help to the interior
recollection of the people."Source: The Cure d'Ars, Abbe Trochu
