Keep them, I pray Thee, dearest Lord,
Keep them, for they are Thine -
Thy piests whose lives burn out before
Thy consecrated shrine.
Keep them, for they are in the world,
Though from the world apart;
When earthly pleasures tempt, allure, -
Shelter them in Thy heart.
Keep them and comfort them in hours
Of loneliness and pain,
When all their life of sacrifice
For souls seems but in vain.
Keep them and O remember , Lord
They have no one but Thee,
Yet they have only human hearts,
With human frailty.
Keep them as spotless as the Host,
That daily they caress;
Their every thought and word and deed,
Deign, dearest Lord, to bless.
Our Father...Hail Mary...
Queen of the Clergy, pray for them.
This prayer has been distributed some time ago by Msgr. John J. Sweeny, Our Lady of Peace, Santa Clara, CA.
We can also offer prayers for the Pope and for the cardinals that they will make the right decisions to address the problems currently afflicting the church. A return to prayer, to orthodoxy, and traditional Catholic values is what is needed.
Thanks, Trebics, for this prayer for priests. I seemed to have lost my copy. Better yet that I should memorize it. It's heartbreakingly beautiful and appropriate for this time of crisis.