Sunday, August 09, 2009

Year of the Priest

Pope Benedict the Sixteenth has declared this the Year of the Priest

On the forthcoming Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Friday 19 June 2009 – a day traditionally devoted to prayer for the sanctification of the clergy –, I have decided to inaugurate a “Year for Priests” in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the “dies natalis” of John Mary Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests worldwide.[1] This Year, meant to deepen the commitment of all priests to interior renewal for the sake of a stronger and more incisive witness to the Gospel in today’s world, will conclude on the same Solemnity in 2010. "The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus”, the saintly Curé of Ars would often say.[2] This touching expression makes us reflect, first of all, with heartfelt gratitude on the immense gift which priests represent, not only for the Church, but also for humanity itself. I think of all those priests who quietly present Christ’s words and actions each day to the faithful and to the whole world, striving to be one with the Lord in their thoughts and their will, their sentiments and their style of life. How can I not pay tribute to their apostolic labours, their tireless and hidden service, their universal charity? And how can I not praise the courageous fidelity of so many priests who, even amid difficulties and incomprehension, remain faithful to their vocation as “friends of Christ”, whom he has called by name, chosen and sent?
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Catholic Culture has many links and resources.

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From donjojohannes who has many more short humorous videos.

2 comments:

Jeff Wills said...

I have some friends who are Priests. Both of them privately admit the priesthood is on the verge a major crisis unless there are some changes. I know it's not what some conservative catholics want to hear but with the average age of a priest being around 65 there must be some new blood in the church. There must be some changes, some reforms to attract young men into the priesthood. These changes, I believe, are not unbiblical. But controversial they'd be.

hank_F_M said...

Jeff


The priest who put the You Tube together is twenty nine.

I keep hearing about all the young kids who are being ordained and doing great things. I’d like to see few come this way though. In the last few years seminary enrollments and ordinations are up, not like they once were but an apparent turn around. It is the more conservative/biblical/Jesus centered dioceses and orders that have managed to survive and even grow.

There ’s a change a comin’, you can feel it. I hope without a major blowup.

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