Lord, please bless all the ordained clergy, pastors, and other Christian leaders who serve You and Your Holy Church in all its expressions (Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, ‘Messianic Jewish’). Defend them constantly, Lord, from Satan’s relentless attacks upon them, and empower them with Your Holy Presence to be full of Your Peace and Joy and Love that they may serve You and Your Holy Church well, truly being the ordained and consecrated arms of Jesus lovingly ministering to His Bride, the Church. Strengthen them that they may not succumb to Satan’s relentless and focussed attacks on them and bring scandal and disrepute to Your Holy Church, for Satan loves to make Christian leaders publicly fall. May our leaders not in human weakness quench Your Holy Spirit’s fire in their flock. Put a fire in the heart of clergy, Lord, to recognize the flock entrusted to them as their spiritual children and be committed to serve them as a loving father, like You. Put a fire in the heart of your Holy People, Lord, to never judge nor grumble against but always pray for the ordained clergy and other Church leaders who serve them, and put in them the loving spirit of Family, humbly considering that when priests and pastors fail it means their spiritual children are not praying for them and actively supporting them in their faith walk enough (for as one Family in Christ, we must pray for and strengthen each other, and not simply allow our pastors to feed us spiritually without giving back). Make us the Family we are. Lord, unite Your Church.
Amen.
© 2003, 2010 Peter William John Baptiste SFO
