Prayer For Priests

Holy Father, accept this pure and immaculate offering, the Spirit of Sacrifice. O my God, pour out its fullness upon Your priests. It is both their honor and responsibility to dedicate themselves to the salvation of souls; to be offerings, to live, and to often endure scorn, contempt, and the hardships of persecution. May they reflect deeply on the words they utter each day at the altar, "This is My Body." Let them apply this to their own lives, "I am no longer myself, I am Jesus, in Jesus crucified. I am like the consecrated Bread and Wine, a substance transformed that has lost its original form." O my God, I fervently long for the sanctification of Your priests. I ask that the hands that touch You may be tender and full of love; and that the lips which proclaim the sublime Words at the altar do not stoop to trivial sayings. May they maintain the dignity of their sacred role. Let everyone see them as humble yet profound like the Host, approachable to all yet exalted above others. Grant that they depart from today’s Mass with a yearning for tomorrow’s celebration. May they pour out themselves in their work; may they receive the grace to share it fully with others.