For The Church, For Bishops, For Priests...

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I do not ask for prayers for myself, though a simple recommendation to Our Lady would not be unwelcome; rather, I ask for your prayers for all our Catholic Bishops.

 

My purpose here is not to enumerate the many real problems either in the world or the Church, nor yet to convince any of their negative influence upon the life of faith and grace; I leave that to others.  But as Our Lord Himself spoke of the dangers of wolves in sheep's clothing (Ez. 22:24-27), and in response to St. Paul who asked his audience to "pray for us" (Heb. 13:18), and who would have us offer prayers "for all men" and "all those of exalted station" (1 Tim. 2:1-3), my purpose rather is to reach out to all Catholics regardless of particular Rite or form of Mass they may attend, and, if they are not already doing so, to encourage them to unite their prayers with those of other Catholics to pray for the entire body of Catholic Bishops (and by extension all priests). For this purpose I created a website called prayforbishopsnow.com, though at the time I created the site I did not know other websites were already promoting the same message. 

 

Two such efforts are the Rosary for the Bishop with about 1500 participants, and another by the American Life League now with over 10,000 members. I am not in competition with either of these.  It does not matter to me if you join with me in praying for our Bishops or some other prayer campaign; the point is to encourage prayer for our Bishops, as much to beseech God's blessings for their efforts as to beseech His mercy and grace for deliverance from all blight of error and doubt.  But there is reason and value behind the encouragement to join with other Catholics to pray for a common end: the visible show of unity not only is a testimony to the world of the mission of Christ (John 17:20-26), but in a world so full of disbelief and doubt is both a consolation you are not alone in your prayer, and an affirmation that you pray owing to the love of the Son of God within you.

 

You can learn more about my thought and reasoning for all of this on my website, which, unbeknownst to me at the time, very closely parallels that of the Apostleship of Prayer as found in Fr. Lasance' prayer manual last re-published by Keefe's Catholic gifts in Lake Elmo, MN.  That was entirely coincidental and unplanned. 

 

If you are not already doing so, I would ask at the least to consider praying a daily Morning Offering with this special intention at the end:

 

-- and in particular that God's most holy will may be accomplished in and through all Catholic bishops, for the glory of God, the good of the Church, and the sanctification of souls.

 

Thank you for your prayers.

 

May God bless you, and Our Most Sorrowful Mother protect you.