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Clergy Abuse Crisis: The Role of the Laity


Shock, Anger, Sadness, and Shame are just a few of the emotions I have felt upon learning of the abuse scandal rocking the U.S. Church today. How could such a horrific event occur among our Shepherds in the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic Church?

When I look at the crisis objectively, putting aside my personal feelings, I ask, Why not the Church? Evil is pervasive in our culture of death society. Religious tend to be more susceptible to temptations than the average person. Where does the devil attack when he desires to destroy the Church? He cleverly targets the priests – those who are ministers of the Eucharist.

Our Lady of Fatima warned us over one hundred years ago that there would be an apostasy of faith. She asked us to offer prayers and fasting for the conversion of sinners and the salvation of souls. The Church is called to be a beacon of light, not a predatory network preying on innocent children and adults.

What can we do as lay people do to abolish this evil? What can we do to prevent horrific crimes like this in the future? What should we do to help heal the abuse victims?

1. Pray for the Abuse Victims – Pray the Rosary daily for those who have been abused. Offer Masses for them. Spend time in Adoration and pray for their healing.

2. Fast and pray for Innocent Priests who are indirect victims of clergy abuse. Spiritually adopt a priest. Pray and fast for him. Offer up small sacrifices for his intentions daily. If you suffer from chronic pain, offer up your pain for him.

3. Forgive and pray for the Abusers. Yes, we need to forgive the abusers and pray from the heart that they will repent for their sins. Forgiveness is not about feeling. God asks us to will to forgive those who have committed these terrible crimes, regardless of how we feel. We need to hate the sin, but love the sinner.

PRAYERS OF REPARATION

Our Lady of Fatima gave Saints Lucia and Jacinta special prayers of repentance to pray, which include the following:

“My God, I believe, I adore, I trust and I love Thee! I beg pardon for all those that do not believe, do not adore, do not trust and do not love Thee.”

“O Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore Thee profoundly. I offer Thee the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifferences by which He is offended. By the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary I beg the conversion of poor sinners.”

“O Jesus, it is for the love of Thee, in reparation for the offences committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and for the conversion of poor sinners.”

Offering of the Precious Blood for Priests

This chaplet of reparation and intercession is meant to be prayed on an ordinary five decade rosary.
Incline unto my aid, O God; O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Alleluia. (After Septuagesima: Praise be to Thee, O Lord, King of eternal glory.)
On the Our Father beads:
Eternal Father, I offer Thee
the Precious Blood of Thy Beloved Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Lamb without blemish or spot (1 Peter 1:19)
in reparation for my sins
and for the sins of all Thy priests.
On the Hail Mary beads:
By Thy Precious Blood, O Jesus, purify and sanctify Thy priests.
In place of the Glory be to the Father:
O Father, from whom all fatherhood in heaven and on earth is named (Ephesians 3:14), have mercy on all Thy priests, and wash them in the Blood of the Lamb.

PRAYERS FOR PRIESTS

St. Therese of Lisieux’s Prayer for Priests

O Jesus, eternal Priest,
keep your priests within the shelter of Your Sacred Heart,
where none may touch them.

Keep unstained their anointed hands,
which daily touch Your Sacred Body.

Keep unsullied their lips,
daily purpled with your Precious Blood.

Keep pure and unearthly their hearts,
sealed with the sublime mark of the priesthood.

Let Your holy love surround them and
shield them from the world’s contagion.

Bless their labors with abundant fruit and
may the souls to whom they minister be their
joy and consolation here and in heaven their
beautiful and everlasting crown.

St. Pope John Paul II’s Prayer for Priests to Our Blessed Mother

Mother of Jesus Christ and Mother of priests,
Accept this title which we bestow on you to celebrate your motherhood
and to contemplate with you the priesthood of your Son and of your sons,
O holy Mother of God.

Mother of Christ,
to the Messiah Priest you gave a body of flesh
through the anointing of the Holy Spirit
for the salvation of the poor and the contrite of heart;
guard priests in your heart and in the Church,
O Mother of the Savior.

Mother of Faith,
you accompanied to the Temple the Son of Man,
the fulfillment of the promises given to the fathers;
give to the Father for his glory the priests of your Son,
O Ark of the Covenant.

Mother of the Church,
with the disciples in the Upper Room
you prayed to the Spirit for the new People and their shepherds;
obtain for the Order of Presbyters a fullness of gifts,
O Queen of the Apostles.

Mother of Jesus Christ,
you were with Him at the beginning of His life and of His mission,
you sought the Master among the crowd,
you stood beside Him when he was lifted up from the earth
consumed as the one eternal sacrifice,
and you had John close by you, your son;
accept from the beginning those who have been called,
protect their growth, accompany your sons in their life and in their ministry,
O Mother of Priests.

The post Clergy Abuse Crisis: The Role of the Laity appeared first on Jean M. Heimann.



This post first appeared on Catholic Fire, please read the originial post: here

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