LAY FAST FOR PRIESTS 2026 - CLOSING THOUGHTS

THOUGHTS TO SHARE AT THE CLOSE OF THE 21ST GLOBAL LAY FAST DAY FOR PRIESTS.

(Due to time zone differences, some of us have concluded our fast already across the world while some of us are just beginning. And some of us in the West will begin ours tomorrow, Saturday.)

 

We believe the words of Hans Urs von Balthasar when in faith he reflected that "prayer causes the Heavens to pour down the Righteous One".

We believe the words of Pope Saint John Paul II when in his mystical reflections, he guides our thoughts into a desire to live our lives believing that "Prayer united with sacrifice is the most powerful force in human history".

Saint Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face , Patroness of the Global Lay Fast for Priests, enclosed herself in an "impregnable fortress of prayer". During her lifetime, and within that fortress, she absorbed into herself all His gifts of sacrificial suffering that the Lord Jesus chose to share with her to give Glory to God, to join Him in winning souls for God,"... until the angel of the Lord says;  "Time is no more" (St Therese).

In our Fast for Priests, we have followed "a little way" in her footsteps. Our prayer for priests has caused the Heavens to pour down the Righteous One into the world and into the soul of every priest, all who reflect the paternal tenderness of our Father.. Our prayer for them has been offered through our sacrifice of fast this day and the most powerful Force in human history has drawn Spirit Lord to ignite His Flame in and around and through every priest in the world.

The Breath of the Spirit awakened us to prayer when the sun rose over the countries in the farthest east of the Pacific Ocean: like Kiribati.

There are 195 countries in the world. Souls in 192 of those countries united to pray and fast for priests today. 

As the sun continued silently to give light across the globe, Spirit Lord Breathed God's Love for Christ's priests through the prayerful sacrifice of us, His faith-filled and beloved children. 

We may not have raised our Spirit-empowered prayer and sacrifices in spoken languages that we all understand, but Spirit Lord heard, understood, translated the one language we all spoke together - the language of heart-prayer, self-sacrifice for other, the language of our Love and gratitude for these men who sacrifice their own lives to bring Christ Jesus, Our Lord, our Savior, into our midst, Hidden, in Sacred Silence, empowering  His "Alter Christus" to do what He Himself did for us in His ultimate Offering of Love: Through, with, in Jesus Lord, they too become  BREAD, BLESSED, BROKEN AND GIVEN FOR US. 

                              In, through and with Christ Lord, we love them and we thank them. 

MAY GOD WILL THAT WE UNITE AGAIN IN HIM ON SATURDAY , OCTOBER 16 , 2027 FOR ALL PRIESTS. 

                         

                        'Till then, we will continue to meet each other in the Most Holy Eucharist.

                                        To Jesus through Mary,                               Anna

www.layfastforpriests.com

LAY FAST FOR PRIESTS 2026

LAY FAST FOR PRIESTS 2026 - SATURDAY, 17 OCTOBER 2026

From Dawn until 3PM on Saturday, October 17, we will hold the Twenty First Annual, now Global, Lay Fast Day for Priests.

The Eucharist, brought to us through the Ordained priest, is the “source and summit” (Lumen Gentium) of our Catholic life.

Jesus Christ told St. Gertrude that for every Eucharist we receive with devotion, He will send a Saint to comfort us at our death.

St. Bridget of Sweden teaches us that at the moment of Consecration, numberless angels come down and surround and look upon the priest, bowing toward him in reverential awe as he holds high the Body of Christ. All evil takes flight in terror.

Pope Saint John Paul II taught us that during the Consecration, all time meets in the Eucharist. A mysterious “oneness in time” (Ecclesia de Eucharistia) happens and we are drawn into the mind and person of Christ present, on Calvary yet also mysteriously present at the Resurrection. Everyone who ever was and who has died in “the grace and friendship of God” (Article 988 CCC) and who now lives in Christ – our Great-Great Grandparents – are present in the Eucharist. Through Jesus in unity with the Holy Spirit, we get to say thank you to all of our ancients who are now “hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3) because their prayers helped us to be here today. And everyone who is still to become – our Great-Great Grandchildren – who will only ever see photographs of us, they too are held in the mind of God, Present in the Holy Eucharist. Through Jesus, in unity with the Holy Spirit, we may ask God to tell them that we love them that we will pray and offer small sacrifices for them until the day He calls us Home.

The priest lends his voice to Christ at the Consecration and the Lord becomes Present to us. Without the priest, we would not have the Eucharist.

God the Father told St. Catherine of Siena that priests are His “other Christs” (The Dialogue).

Fasting creates an impenetrable force around the one prayed for. Because priests bring us Christ Jesus in the Eucharist, and because all that is evil hates the Lord's Presence in the Holy Eucharist, priests need the power of our prayers to erect that impenetrable protection around them.

Fasting is praying with our whole body.

Will you join us on October 17 as we fast for all priests?

When the sun rises over Australia and New Zealand, all across the Far East, the Middle East and Europe, into the Americas when it finally sets in Hawaii, in every country, our brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus will be fasting for priests. We will all be one.

We fast from the time we get out of bed until the 3.00 PM Hour – the time of the Passion and Death of Christ Jesus. We fast from whatever we can – food or TV or social media use.

One year, a lady fasted from food and from talking. She decided it was best to stay in her room praying and reading until the 3.00 o’clock hour because she said had she come out of her room before that time, her mother would have made her speak.

We can fast wherever we are. If you are leaving for China that day, you can join us on the plane journey in prayer ! We close our fast with a private prayer at 3.00 PM.

And as one body United in His Body, the Eternal Father, our glorious God, our Prince of Peace and the Giver of our Spiritual life will be given great glory.

All are most welcome to join this global army of fasters.

Please sign up at:

https://www.annaprae.com/lay-fast-for-priests-2026.html