THIS IS THE CENTENARY YEAR OF ST. THERESE OF THE CHILD JESUS AND THE HOLY FACE. PART OF HER MISSION DURING HER SHORT, SACRIFICIAL LIFE WAS TO PRAY FOR THE SOULS OF PRIESTS.
GOD HAS PERMITTED HER MISSION TO CONTINUE TO BE LIVED OUT TODAY, IN A PARTICULAR WAY, IN EACH OF US.
Today, millions across the world have prayed and fasted for priests. Many have asked, why?
St John Mary Vianney, patron saint of priests, helps us to understand something of the beauty of a priest:
"The priesthood is the Love of the Heart of Jesus." If the priest loses sight of his calling to be Love, St Vianney describes the eternal devastation that awaits both the priest and all the little souls entrusted by Love to his care:
"A priest goes to Heaven or a priest goes to hell with a thousand souls behind....when we see priests, we should first see Jesus Christ, and second, the thousands of souls behind him."
This day, in our embattled offering, we have raised our "prayer, united with sacrifice to make it the most powerful force in human history" (St. John Paul II).
Heaven has grasped our offering and the power and force of our sacrifice has protected the souls of priests who are assaulted by every imaginable temptation ... As was Our Savior in Whose Image priests are formed.
IPSE CHRISTUS.
St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, the Patroness of the Global Lay Fast for Priests, gives voice to the gratitude of every priest this day who has been lifted to God by our hidden and probably unseen sacrifice and who humbly acknowledges that today, we have borne, like Simon of Cyrene, just a little of their burden for them:
"How often have I thought that I may owe all the graces I've received to the prayers of a person who begged them from God for me, and whom I shall know only in heaven."
On this astonishing day, our sacrifice has kept their
"anointed hands which daily touch Christ’s sacred body be unstained, their lips which are purpled by Your precious blood be unsullied by the world's contagion.” (St. Therese)
We are those persons whose sacrifices this day have begged God for graces for all priests. We are those persons whose names these priests will hear called out by God when they meet us in Heaven.
The "Gaze of God" (1 Kings 18:15) has held each one of us this day and His reward for us and for all of our dear ones has been touched by His Holy Gaze.
St. Therese describes our beauty:
"We often think we receive graces and are divinely illuminated by means of brilliant candles. But from whence comes their light? From prayers, perhaps of some humble, hidden soul, whose inward shining is not apparent to human eyes."
We are those hidden souls whose inward shining has not been apparent today to human eyes. This is the beauty that God sees in us.
And what unspeakable Spiritual and Eternal Treasures will our priests give to us for the rest of their lives?
When we see them, we will first see Christ; we will receive Christ from their anointed hands; when they speak in the Sacrament of Reconciliation we will hear Christ's Voice lovingly forgiving us; and their holy ointments will embalm our souls for our final journey; we will be one of those thousands of souls entering Heaven behind them.
MAY WE MEET AGAIN, DEEP IN THE HOLY AND PRAYERFUL AND SACRIFICIAL HEART OF OUR SAVIOR, IN OCTOBER OF NEXT YEAR. GOD WILLING, WE WILL RE-UNITE IN PRAYER FOR EVERY PRIEST WHO WAS, IS AND WHO IS YET TO BE ORDAINED.
IN CARMEL,
ANNA (OCDS)
