Praying for Priests

By Marc Massery

Turn to any page of St. Faustina's Diary and you'll find spiritual gems, like this one:

“[Y]ou yourself offered to undertake these sufferings. Know that what you have taken upon yourself for that soul is only a small portion. He [Father Sopocko] is suffering much more,” (Diary, 596). 

Are you praying and sacrificing for your priests?

In St. Faustina’s Diary, for the day, she asks Jesus to give her the suffering of her spiritual director, Blessed Fr. Michael Sopocko. As a result, she has a horrible day. Still, Jesus says that what she experienced was only a small portion of Fr. Sopocko’s suffering. 

Remember — no one stands in opposition to Satan like good priests striving for holiness. Like generals in an army, they equip us with the weapons we need — the Sacraments —to overcome evil. When the devil attacks a priest, he's attacking the entire community. So, we need to preempt Satan’s attack by praying and sacrificing for our leaders. 

Any sacrifices, big or small, count. You could devote a day to fasting for your priest. Or you could offer for him the little sufferings throughout the day that you already experience, like if you’re stuck in traffic or waiting in a long line at the check-out counter.  

It’s easy to complain about our priests. But it takes more effort and humility to pray and offer sacrifices for them. True, no priest is perfect. But that’s exactly why they need our prayers.

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