The deepest desire of our Church

O God our Father, You promised "I will appoint shepherds for My sheep who will shepherd them so that they need no longer fear and tremble; and none shall be missing."(Jer. 23:4-5). Hear our prayers to call to the sacramental priesthood generous men who will desire nothing more than to serve You in imitation of Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, our High Priest.

O Jesus, Good Shepherd, bless all parishes with numerous priests, deacons, men and women religious, consecrated laity and missionaries, according to the needs of the entire world.

Guide the steps of those who have responded generously to Your call and are preparing to receive Holy Orders or to profess the evangelical counsels. And after You call them, we pray that You sustain the doubtful, console the discouraged, and strengthen the weak as they start the long and demanding preparation for the priesthood.

Look with love on so many well-disposed people, young and old, and call them to follow You. To this end we call on the powerful intercession of Mary, mother and model of vocations.Mary, Mother of priests, and example of faithful, humble, and joyful acceptance of God's will, help all those who are called to the priesthood to open their ears and hearts to the gentle call of the Holy Spirit.

Lord Jesus, grant saintly priests to the world, priests who live close to the Eucharist, who have a deep spiritual life, who work and suffer, yet with a joyful heart; priests who dedicate each minute of their lives for the salvation of souls and Your Kingdom.

In Your Holy Name we pray. Amen.

Waking up from the dark night

"No devotion to the saints is more acceptable and more proper than if you strive to express their virtues." - Erasmus, Dutch scholar

Faith and Fortitude

MAGNIFICAT MEDITATION OF THE DAY

Advent is above all the "sacrament" of the Presence of God in the world and in time in his Incarnate Word, in his kingdon, above all his presence in our own lives as our Savior... Three reasons for our misery and helplessness:

• We are deceived in our judgments of good and evil
• Our attempts to do good fail, lead to nothing
• We do not succeed in our efforts to resist evil

The presence of Christ in us overcomes these obstacles. By faith he dwells in our heart and shows us how to judge between good and evil. He cannot deceive nor be deceived. He is the wisdom of God, always ready to teach us. Yet in order to have his light. we must use the grace he gives us to turn to him in our difficulties. By fortitude he strengthens our weakness, so that we can do all things in him. He never grows tired, for he is the power of God, ever ready to revive us and lift us up. But we must call upon him for help in our batttles. Finally, he "stands for" us, he resists within us. If he be for us, who can be against us?

The secret of spiritual fortitude is for us to abandon ourselves to Christ, the power of God, and then he himself will overcome evil and deliver us from forces that we would never be capable of resisting by ourselves. This is the fortitude of faith.

Christ lives in the world in those who take him for their light, their strength and their protection. It is for them that he came into the world in his Incarnation.