About this blogger:
Fr. David Friel
Ordained in 2011, Father Friel served for five years as Parochial Vicar at St. Anselm Parish in Northeast Philly. He is currently studying toward an STL in sacred liturgy at The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
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“In spite of what it is currently called, the music of these songs is not modern: this musical style is not new, but has been played in the most profane places and surroundings (cabarets, music halls, often for more or less lascivious dances with foreign names). The people are led on to rock or swing. They all feel an urge to dance about. That sort of “body language” is certainly alien to our Western culture, unfavorable to contemplation and its origins are rather suspect. Most of the time our congregations, which already find it hard not to confuse the crochets and the quavers in a 6/8 bar, do not respect the rhythm; then one no longer feels like dancing, but with the rhythm gone to pieces, the habitual poorness of the melodic line becomes all the more noticeable.”
— Unnamed choirmaster (Northern France) circa 1986

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1940’s Prayer for Priests
published 10 February 2018 by Fr. David Friel

ATE LAST year, in honor of the feast of St. Charles Borromeo, I posted two prayers especially suitable for priests, but also usable by the faithful. One was a prayer of preparation for Mass, and the other was a prayer of farewell to the altar after Mass.

Today I am sharing a third prayer that could well go along with the other two. As the text makes clear, this is a prayer specifically for priests.

I commend it to all of our readers who have been given the care of souls:


Lord Jesus, Eternal Priest,
Thou hast called me to Thy priesthood
to carry on the work which Thou didst begin.
Fit me, I pray Thee, for this task:

with such faith that, through my voice, even the disbelieving may listen to Thy Word;

with such hope that, through my hands, even the despairing may be held fast in Thy grip;

and with such charity that, through my heart, even the despised may know that Thou couldst never cease to love them.

Join me so deeply to Thyself than no one I meet shall lie beyond Thy saving reach.

Amen.

My immediate source for this prayer is a religious brother friend of mine, who says that it was printed in the 1940’s. I have no further information on its original source.

* * * UPDATE * * *

A reader contacted me to say that he received a plaque featuring this prayer in the early 1970’s. That plaque bears a copyright mark attributing it to Berliner & McGinnis, Nevada City, California.

Vesting Prayers



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