Can the Blessed Virgin Mary absolve me from my sins?

[Rob2]

These words were on an old parish newsletter , and I think they were the words of St John Vianney .

"Go to confession to the Blessed Virgin, or to an angel; will they absolve you? No. You might have two hundred angels there, but they could not absolve you. A priest, however simple he may be, can do it . Oh, how great is a priest! "

Oh, how great is a priest !

But do we take our priests for granted ?

I recall being at a prayer meeting when one present spoke of St John Vianney . He said that priests who visited St John Vianney wanted to know the secret of his success in drawing so many to conversion of life . St John Vianney would ask them how often they prayed for and fasted for their parishioners .

The man at the prayer meeting turned these words around a little and asked , “How often do you fast and pray for your priests ?”

Do we take our priests for granted ?

Do we pray regularly for our priests ?

Do we ever fast for our priests ?

 

[Tis_Bearself]

The Flame of Love devotion includes a Monday fast for the souls of priests in purgatory.

We also say a Prayer for Priests regularly at one of my parishes at the daily Rosary. I say it each Monday in connection with the Monday fast devotion.

I include priests I know or read about (living or dead) on my prayer lists along with the laymen in other professions.

I know there are special chaplets one can say for priests, however I have not yet gotten around to saying them.

 

[DeniseNY]

Do we take our priests for granted ?

Do we pray regularly for our priests ?

Do we ever fast for our priests ?

Generally:

Seeing how much they are criticized, I think yes, we do

Not as often as we should

I would think hardly ever.

 

[Rob2]

Rob2:

Do we take our priests for granted ?

Do we pray regularly for our priests ?

Do we ever fast for our priests ?

Seeing how much they are criticized, I think yes, we do

And aren’t they criticized !!!

I have had 9 parish priests up to now , and not one of them has been free from criticism , usually from a select cabal who feel it is their duty to dish out as much negative stuff as they can about their priest .

In a neighbouring parish the priest’s life was made hell by some of his parishioners . I spoke to a friend from that parish and she said how ashamed she was at the treatment the priest was receiving . The priest would ask “Why do people not like me here ?” He ended up being ill , and is now in another parish .

My dad had no time for criticism of priests or for one priest being compared to another . He was a man of few words , but he would speak up in defence of priests .

In 1993 when he was diagnosed with terminal cancer my dad’s priest came to visit him . My mum told me how when the priest came into the house my dad got up out of his chair . The priest told him to sit down . My dad’s response was , " Father , my mother always taught me that when a priest visits the house we stand up when he comes in . " The priest put his arms around my dad and gave him a hug .

We have much to learn from generations which preceded ours . And one thing they had which seems to be in short supply today was respect .