LEAD, KINDLY LIGHT BY SIMON DEWEY
A Gospel according to Mk 9:41-50
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink
because you belong to Christ,
amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.
“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,
it would be better for him if a great millstone
were put around his neck
and he were thrown into the sea.
If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter into life maimed
than with two hands to go into Gehenna,
into the unquenchable fire.
And if your foot causes you to sin, cut if off.
It is better for you to enter into life crippled
than with two feet to be thrown into Gehenna.
And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out.
Better for you to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye
than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna,
where their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.
“Everyone will be salted with fire.
Salt is good, but if salt becomes insipid,
with what will you restore its flavor?
Keep salt in yourselves and you will have peace with one another.”
REFLECTION
"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,
it would be better for him if a great millstone were put around his neck
and he were thrown into the sea."
There is no easy way around this one. We have heard it in the news on how a priest has hurt one of God's little ones.
There are three possible responses to this crisis:
1. It doesn't affect me. Not my problem, and none of my business.
2. I could point fingers and accuse the sinful priest(s), and demand the ultimate justice
3. I could pray for the priests to take responsibility for their life and be accountable for their deeds.
In PAPA we choose the third option. We need holy priests that want to be like Christ and who bring Christ to His people.
Have you heard the quote by St John Vianney: “A priest goes to Heaven or a priest goes to Hell with a thousand people behind.”?
Join us in praying the PAPA Prayer for priests everyday so we have many holy and exemplary priests that adore Jesus in the Eucharist:
A PRAYER FOR PRIESTS
Almighty Eternal God, * look upon the face of Christ, * and for the love of Him * Who is the eternal High Priest,* have mercy on Your priests. * Remember, O most compassionate God, * that they are but weak and frail human beings. * Stir up in them the grace of their vocation * which is bestowed on them by the imposition of the Bishop’s hands. * Keep them close to You, * lest the enemy prevail against them, * so that they may never do anything in the slightest degree * unworthy of their sublime vocation.
O Jesus, * I pray for Your faithful and fervent priests; * for Your unfaithful and tepid priests; * for Your priests laboring at home or abroad in distant mission fields; * for Your tempted priests; * for Your lonely priests; * for Your young priests;* for Your aged priests; * for Your sick priests; * for Your dying priests; * for the souls of Your priests in purgatory.
But above all * I recommend to You the priests dearest to me: * the priest who baptized me; * the priests who absolved me from my sins; * the priests at whose Masses I assisted * and who gave me Your Body and Blood in Holy Communion; * the priests who taught and instructed me * or helped me and encouraged me; * all the priests to whom I am indebted in any other way, * particularly _______
(name the one priest who you believe is most in need now).
* O Jesus,* keep them close to Your Sacred Heart, * and bless them abundantly in time and eternity.
Amen.
O Mary, Queen of the Apostles – Make your priests holy (3 times).
St. John Vianney – Pray for us.
St. Alphonsus – Pray for us.
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