Revive devotions for year of priests, urges Archbishop
By Mark Greaves
26 June 2009
Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster has opened the Year for Priests by urging Catholics to devote an hour each week to pray for priests in front of the Blessed Sacrament.
The Archbishop made the plea in a homily at Westminster Cathedral in which he said every parish should focus its year's efforts on a renewal of prayer life.
He also suggested that parishes introduce Forty Hours' Devotion, where Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is kept up continuously at a succession of different churches.
He said the practice would "sustain us in our life together, enable us to thank God whole-heartedly for the gift of our priests" and be a source for new vocations.
[...]
He said priests were most clearly the instruments of Christ when they celebrated Mass and when they absolved sins - "the great treasure and privilege of the priesthood".
He said: "Today, we priests need to remember that all our words carry great resonance. The words we say, the things we do, can bring about great good, even when we don't intend it. In the same way our words and our actions can also cause great harm.
Source: Catholic Herald Online
