This prayer card has received Imprimatur from Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley, O.F.M. Cap., Archbishop of Boston. Permission does not include website.

 

A reflection from the writer:

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+JMJ+

 

The Prayer for a Struggling Priest Offered in the Presence of the Blessed Sacrament is a simple, yet powerful prayer of intercession. I invite you to read this reflection prayerfully to understand its origin. 

 

To say I composed this prayer would be false. It was Jesus who composed it through the Holy Spirit and His words in the book In Sinu Jesu: When Heart Speaks to Heart. I was simply there to record His expressed wishes.

 

On February 26, 2019 during Adoration at St. Mary of the Assumption in Dedham, MA I was praying with a couple pages from the book, In Sinu Jesu: When Heart Speaks to Heart. This book has been highly praised and consists of conversations between Jesus and an anonymous Benedictine monk. Even as a layperson, I have found it very helpful to have conversations with Jesus. 

 

I was reading pages 210 and 211 and praying with them. I will share what Jesus says in those pages and how I pieced together His desire for this prayer.

 

Jesus says:

 

“My angels can not replace a single human heart in My presence...Only a human heart can make reparation for a human heart.” (p. 210)

 

This struck me deeply. The angels adore Jesus constantly in the Blessed Sacrament and how much He’s grateful for that, but it is the human heart that they cannot replace. 

 

He continued:

 

“Be another St. John for My Heart.”

 

I thought to myself, what did St. John do? He rested his head on Jesus’ heart. So we can rest on Jesus' heart too.

 

And then Jesus gave the directions of what to do:

 

“Offer Me reparation by offering Me yourself: in the place of those who cannot bear to remain in My presence, close to My Heart; in the place of those priests of Mine who have time for all else, except for Me.”

 

And so, our presence with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament can be a means of reparation, healing and conversion for a priest in need of His love and mercy. 

 

Jesus continues, and shares His promises:

 

“I desire a company of Johannine souls, priest adorers and reparators, and upon them I will pour out rivers of grace for the renewal of My priesthood and the joy of My Spouse, the Church.

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