The priesthood is the love of the Heart of Jesus.
When you see a priest,
think of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

– St. John Vianney

Did you know that the heart of St. John Vianney is incorrupt?

That’s right. The heart of the patron saint of parish priests, who lived centuries ago, has not decomposed.

This is the heart that belonged to a little boy who admired the bravery of priests and nuns in the midst of the French Reign of Terror; Catholics, especially clergy, faced extreme persecution
and death during the French Revolution and had to practice their Faith in secret.

This is the heart that beat with joy when he received First Holy Communion in a neighbor’s kitchen while the celebrating priest offered Mass on the run.

This is the heart of a young man who struggled to learn Latin and to keep up with his education yet persevered out of a firm desire to become a priest.

This is the heart of the priest who arrived at the town of Ars, France, to minister to a people who did not know their Catholic Faith. He preached the truth in love to them, shepherding the
lost sheep and patiently catechizing them.

This is the heart of the priest who would hear confessions for up to eighteen hours a day and would bring the sacraments to souls entrusted to him.

Your parish priest has a heart too, and it beats in service for you. He has renounced many of the pleasures of the world and has taken up an enormous cross for you. As St. John Vianney says,

The priest is not a priest for himself; he does not give himself
absolution; he does not administer the Sacraments to
himself; he is not for himself; he is for you.

Pray for your parish priest every single day, without exception. Be kind to him. Invite him over for dinner. Show him how grateful you are for his vocation. I wonder how many priests like St. John Vianney there would be if more people prayed for their pastors.

Let us pray:

Lord, I praise You for the gift of our priest, (Name). Watch
over him and grant him the grace to be always faithful to
You. May he love and serve our parish with a heart like St.
John Vianney’s, burning with love of You and love of his
flock. Amen.

And a shorter prayer you can memorize and pray often:

Lord, I praise You for the gift of our priest, (Name). Watch
over him and grant him the grace to be always faithful to
You. Amen.

This article is excerpted from “The Prayer Book for Tired Parents: Practical Ways to Grow in Love of God and Get Your Family to Heaven” (c) 2022 David and Debbie Cowden. Please only reproduce with permission.