Prayers for Our Shepherds

In Fr. Maderak's homily for the 4th Sunday of Easter, Good Shepherd Sunday, he asked us all to pray for our shepherds - Our Holy Father, the Cardinals, the Bishops and the Priests. It is not an easy life and is filled with challenges as they have vowed to give their life completely to God. They too, however, face difficulties, hardships and the same human temptations that each one of us face. Let us pray for them, so that they may remain holy and focused on doing the will of God.

You will find on this page, prayers for our beloved Shepherds. Please pray these prayers often. Jesus as a Shepherd Holding sheep

PRAYER FOR THE POPE (from the RACCOLTA)

Almighty and everlasting God, have mercy upon Thy servant N., our Supreme Pontiff, and direct him, according to thy loving-kindness, in the way of eternal salvation; that, of Thy gift, he may ever desire that which is pleasing unto Thee and may accomplish it with all his might. Through Christ our Lord.

AMEN.

PRAYER FOR THE BISHOP (from Catholic Online)

Heavenly Father,
in these trying times
when the spirit of the age
threatens Christian values,
give our bishop holiness of life
and wisdom to direct and guide our (arch)diocesan
family so that we may grow in your love.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.

AMEN.

A PRAYER FOR PRIESTS (+John Joseph, Cardinal Carberry Archbishop of St. Louis)

O Jesus, our great High Priest,
Hear my humble prayers on behalf of your priest, Father.

Give him a deep faith
a bright and firm hope
and a burning love
which will ever increase
in the course of his priestly life.

In his loneliness, comfort him
In his sorrows, strengthen him
In his frustrations, point out to him

that it is through suffering that the soul is purified,
and show him that he is needed by the Church,
he is needed by souls,
he is needed for the work of redemption.

O loving Mother Mary, Mother of Priests,

take to your heart your son who is close to you
because of his priestly ordination,
and because of the power which he has received
to carry on the work of Christ
in a world which needs him so much.

Be his comfort, be his joy, be his strength,

and especially help him
to live and to defend the ideals of consecrated celibacy.

AMEN.

ST. FAUSTINA'S PRAYER FOR HOLY CHURCH AND FOR 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 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.

AMEN.

ST. THÉRÈSE OF LISIEUX'S PRAYER FOR PRIESTS

O Jesus, eternal Priest,
keep your priests within the shelter of Your Sacred Heart,
where none may touch them.
Keep unstained their anointed hands,
which daily touch Your Sacred Body.
Keep unsullied their lips,
daily purpled with your Precious Blood.
Keep pure and unearthly their hearts,
sealed with the sublime mark of the priesthood.
Let Your holy love surround them and
shield them from the world’s contagion.
Bless their labors with abundant fruit and
may the souls to whom they minister be their joy and consolation here and in heaven, their beautiful and
everlasting crown.

AMEN.

A painting of ordination