One of the main tasks of any priest is to pray for the people entrusted to his care. Called to serve in the “pastoral” ministry, the priest is a “shepherd” (pastor in Latin) who is ordained to teach, instruct, lead and assist the people of God to live the fullness of the Christian life so that they can reach their eternal destiny in the embrace of the heavenly Father.

 

By faithfully administering the Sacraments of the Church, the priest unlocks the infinite treasures of God’s grace so that every soul can enter into the reality of the sacred. However, there is another essential element that is necessary for the priest in order for him to shepherd the people of God – personal prayer, or intercessory prayer.

​

Some people say that the practice of praying and interceding to God for others or this misunderstanding is a lack of knowledge about the difference between prayer as worship and prayer as a means of communication. Worship is for God alone, but when we as Catholics ask for intercessory prayer we are doing exactly what Saint Paul asked us to do: “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men ... This is good, and it is acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour.” (1 Timothy 2:1, 3)

 

Every day in my prayers, I pray for all the people in our parish – for the sick, the dying, the lonely, the unemployed, the needy – and every Sunday I celebrate a mass for the people of the parish. If you, at this time, are in need of prayer, or if you would like me to pray for some particular intention, please let me know. You can send me a message by clicking the button "intercessions", and I will include your intentions in my prayers before God.