Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Priests Need Our Prayers, And We Need Theirs


Blessed Martin Martinez Pascual, priest executed during the Spanish Civil War at the age of 25. When he was asked if he would like to face away from the rifles during his execution, he said no, all he wanted to do was bless those who killed him and pray that God would not hold his death against them. Then he shouted VIVA CRISTO REY! Right before being shot, he smiled for the photographer, who took this last picture of him. In his eyes, one sees the courage and joy of a faithful priest.




Upon further researching, this picture puts that last photo more into perspective


A Prayer for Priests

O Almighty Eternal God, look upon the face of Thy Son, and for the love of Him Who is the Eternal High-priest, have mercy on Thy priests. Remember, O most compassionate God, that they are but weak and frail human beings. Stir up in them the grace of their vocation which is in them by the imposition of the Bishop's hands. Keep them close to Thee, lest the enemy prevail against them, so that they may never do anything in the slightest degree unworthy of their sublime vocation.

O Jesus, I pray Thee for Thy faithful and fervent priests; for Thy unfaithful and tepid priests; for Thy priests laboring at home or abroad in distant mission fields; for Thy tempted priests; for Thy lonely and desolate priests; for Thy young priests; for Thy dying priests; for the souls of Thy priests in purgatory.

But above all I commend to Thee the priests dearest to me; the priest who baptized me; the priests who absolved me from my sins; the priests at whose Masses I assisted and who gave me Thy Body and Blood in Holy Communion; the priests who taught and instructed me or helped me and encouraged me; all the priests to whom I am indebted in any other way, particularly (mention name). O Jesus, keep them abundantly in time and in eternity.

Amen.


Anne linked this beautiful website 
You can be assigned a priest to pray for!
Click HERE 

Here's another great link to an article 
about what it's like as a priest behind the Confessional
Click HERE 

(Thanks Patty)



 

 

17 comments:

  1. Interesting that you posted this today about priests, as Fr.Kevin has been on my mind all day today. We really do need to pray for our priests; it's so easy to assume that when one becomes a priest that they have attained holiness and so are "safe" but if anything, they are like a person standing on the hill for all to see but also so exposed and vulnerable to the evils around them.

    Love Blessed Martin, so handsome too! I'll have to read more about him.

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    1. Oooh, I love that Hill thing you said....Thanks Becky!

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  2. Thank you for posting this Jamie. Are you familiar with the Handmaids of the Precious Blood? They will help you to adopt a priest to pray for daily. http://www.nunsforpriests.org/

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    1. Oh, thank you Anne, that sounds wonderful! We do, in our diocese, have a pray for a priest every day calendar, but I haven't seen it in a while...

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    2. Anne, I added your link to my post so others can "adopt" a priest to pray for too! Thanks so much!

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  3. Jamie Jo...This is beautiful. And thank you so much for reminding me of something I seldom think of! I mean, here these wonderful men are spending their lives praying for me and helping me get to Heaven. How could I not think to offer a prayer for them in return? Sometimes I worry myself. ; )

    Anyway. thanks again. We have a very dear family friend that is a priest. He is actually Rhett's godfather. He is the first one I call in need...and because of you...today I offered a prayer for him in return. : )

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    1. I want to show priests in the good light that most of them are! BUT the temptations and trials are many I'm sure, so they need our prayers...

      How special to be close to a priest. I've been praying that our family can get to know a priest on that "friend" level. We know many priests, but not like that.

      I need to put up a pray for priests chart on our fridge....

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  4. What a brave, brave man he was. A true martyr. Now I'm going to go look up some more info on him. What an example he is-

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    1. You got me even more curious...I tried to find more info, but didn't find much, I did find another photo of his last moments, and added it to this post....kind of puts things into perspective...makes the first photo even seem like it was fixed up a little....makes me sad....

      Let me know if you find any info, I think there might be more info in Spanish.

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  5. Wow! You know, I just finished reading an article by Fr. Mike Schmitz, (a priest from MN), about what it is like as a priest on the other side of the confessional. So very powerful and moving. The story you shared above...it truly blows me away. I'm not sure if I would have the courage and strength to do what Blessed Martin Pascual did. I only pray I do. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. That article sounds wonderful--do you have the link or a way I could look it up? I'll try to google it. I know, to look your killer in the eye and have nothing but forgiveness for them.

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    2. I found it Patty, I'm going to link it into my post! Thank you!

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  6. This is awesome Jamie, I'm gonna share it. The picture of Blessed Martin Martinez Pascual brought me to chills; would we have such courage and love?

    Viva Cristo Rey!
    Thanks!

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  7. Wow....I want to read more about him. This brought tears to my eyes.....what a Godly faithful man! May he be an example to all of us!

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  8. Do you recommend any books on him?

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  9. Wow! What faith and peace in the face of death. This man is really inspiring. Thank you for bringing his legacy to my attention. I had no idea.

    Blessings! Ceil

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  10. He looks so happy in the picture, really? Doesn't he? Just amazing.

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Thank you so much for stopping and commenting!