St. Thomas Aquinas - Pastoral Prayers

Prayers for Priests and Religious
of the Diocese of Nashville

(A project of the Nashville Diocesan Council of Catholic Women)

2004: January - February - March - April - May - June - July
August - September - October - November - December

Archives: 2002 2003

June, 2004

Eternal Father, bless our
Holy Father, our bishops, and our priests.
Fill them with
compassion, love, and understanding.
Fill them with
peace and a sense of Your abiding presence.
Keep them faithful to their flock,
A leaven to the world.

May they always enkindle hope anew,
Teach boldly Your faithful love,
and transform Your love into works of charity.

May they always proclaim the Gospel
With their lives of love and service.

In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

May, 2004

Father, you call us to the table of your Son,
Renew us by word and sacrament,
And send us to labor in Your harvest.

We are a people in need of the witness
Of faithful marriages and priests,
Dedicated single people and deacons,
Religious sisters, brothers, monks and nuns.

Help each disciple to trust in Your call:
Make us able and willing to do what You ask;
Keep us unified in our gifted diversity;
And bring to maturity every seed You sow.

We ask this through Jesus Christ:
The good shepherd, Your Son, and our Lord.
Amen.

April, 2004

O Jesus, Eternal Priest, keep Thy holy ones
Within the shelter of Thy Sacred Heart,
Where none may touch them.

Keep unstained the anointed hands
Which daily touch Thy Sacred Body.

Keep pure and unearthly the hearts
Sealed with the sublime mark of Thy Glorious Priesthood.

Let Thy holy love surround them
And shield them from the world's contagion.

Bless their labors with abundant fruit,
And may those, to whom they minister to,
Be a joy and consolation on this earth
And in heaven their everlasting crown. Amen.

March, 2004

Dear Father in heaven,
Please encourage and strengthen our priests and religious
Through the power of Your Holy Spirit.
Help them to be understanding and compassionate
As Jesus was.
Fill their hearts with His joyful, loving zeal.

Inspire many men and women with a desire
To serve Your people in the priesthood and religious life,
And give them the courage and generosity
To respond to Your call.

We ask this in the name of Your Son, Jesus,
our Lord and Saviour.
Amen.

February, 2004

Eternal God, please bless our priests, who represent You on earth.

Make them more greatly aware of the grace
that You pour out through them when they minister the sacraments,
and help them to fall more deeply in love with You
after each and every Mass they celebrate.

Please strengthen our priests, who shepherd Your flock.

Assure them when they are in doubt of their faith
and aid them to be examples of Your truth
and so they may guide us always on the path to You.

We ask these things of You our Eternal Priest.
Amen.

January, 2004

Prayer for Vocations

Jesus, we ask you to bless our parish and
all those living their commitment to you
as married couples, singles, sisters,
brothers, deacons, and priests.

We pray that our young people may know their vocation and respond with enthusiasm and generosity of spirit.

Increase the faith life of our parish and strengthen our family life.

Bless our parish with many vocations.

Grant, Lord, that faithfully sharing your mission in this life,
we may come together to share your eternal life in heaven.
Amen.

Possibly Interested in the Priesthood?