World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests.
This feast is celebrated on the Friday following the Sunday of Corpus Christ, the most holy Body and Blood of Christ.
The feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus is very special to the Diocese of Prince Albert. Our first bishop (Bishop Albert Pascal, OMI), chose the Sacred Heart of Jesus as our patronal feast.
The heart has long been revered in many cultures. In the Old Testament the heart, the center of the being, symbolized the love of a father for his children as well as a husband’s love for his wife.
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. (Psalm 103)
In the New Testament, the promise of living water, the holy Spirit, is fulfilled in the pierced heart of the Messiah. St. Margaret Mary Alacoque’s image of the Sacred Heart has become a sign in the home that the love of Jesus rules over the family.
The motto of our diocese is Adveniat regnum tuum (Thy kingdom come). The kingdom of God is one of love and total surrender to the Father’s will, as Jesus expressed in the Our Father.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart. (cf. Matthew 11.29-)
O Sacred Heart of Jesus, fountain of eternal life,
your heart is a glowing furnace of love.
You are my refuge and my sanctuary. —St. Gertrude the Great
This Sunday is also World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests.
On this day, the Church encourages priests to prayerfully reflect upon the gift of their vocation. The faithful are also invited to mark this celebration by praying for all priests that they may live lives of holiness and fidelity to Christ and his Church.
May the Sacred Heart of Jesus, through the intercession of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, imbue all priests with his grace, strengthen their hearts, and renew them in their vocation to image Christ, Head and Shepherd, Servant and Spouse. Amen.
