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"Through the character of Sacred Orders, God willed to ratify that eternal covenant of love, by which He loves His priests above all others; and they are obliged to repay God for this special love with holiness of life... So a cleric should be considered as a man chosen and set apart from the midst of the people, and blessed in a very special way with heavenly gifts—a sharer in divine power, and, to put it briefly, another Christ... He is no longer supposed to live for himself; nor can he devote himself to the interests of just his own relatives, or friends or native land... He must be aflame with charity toward everyone. Not even his thoughts, his will, his feelings belong to him, for they are rather those of Jesus Christ who is his life." -- Encyclical of Pope John XXIII on St. John Vianney ( August 1, 1959 )

Prayer for a Pastor and His Parish to St. John Vianney

Saint John Vianney, we pray you to bless and help our pastor so that he may love dearly in this life and be richly rewarded in the next. Obtain for him the grace always to be kind and generous, self-sacrificing and zealous. Watch over the people of our parish, and keep them free from all evils. Help them to be loyal and generous in the support of our pastor.

Help us particularly always to give him the respect and honor due him as a priest. Except for him we should not have the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, or Your presence among us, or the other sacraments that we so dearly love and need.

From his anointed hands we receive the food of our souls, the most precious Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ from his lips we hear the word of God. By the power given to him our sins are forgiven, and we are given all blessings and it is he who will anoint us when we are dying, and will offer the Holy Sacrifice for us when we are dead.

Help us, dear Saint, to see Christ in him, and to cooperate with him in all his work for the good of our souls. Amen