Prayer For Priests

O my God, please pour forth an abundance of Your spirit of sacrifice upon Your priests. It is their honor and commitment to become sacrificial victims, to dedicate themselves entirely for the salvation of souls, to forgo ordinary joys, and to often face distrust, injustice, and persecution. May the words they offer daily at the altar, 'This is my Body, this is my Blood,' resonate within them, reminding them, 'I am no longer my own; I am Jesus, Jesus crucified. I am, like the bread and wine, transformed into something new through consecration.' O my God, I am filled with the yearning for the sanctification of Your priests. I desire that all the holy hands which reach for You may be gentle and pleasing in touch, and that all mouths proclaiming such sacred truths at the altar should refrain from trivial talk. Let priests in their entirety reflect the nobility of their elevated role, making it possible for all to see them as both humble and magnificent, like the Holy Eucharist, available to everyone yet exalted above others. O my God, may they leave today's Mass with a deep longing for tomorrow's celebration, and may they depart, rich with Your gifts, eager to share these abundantly with their brothers and sisters.