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ROME – In his last prayer video, Pope Francis asked Catholics to dedicate the month of July to give a spiritual gift to their pastors by praying for them, especially priests who are tired or alone
. Priests … Do you know how many times I think about it? "
This is the first line of Pope Francis' new prayer video, published on July 3 and dedicated to his intention for the month.
As the video shows scenes priests working in difficult situations, including war and disaster relief, Francis speaks in his native Spanish, saying that "priests, with their virtues and flaws, work in many areas." Working on so many Active fronts, they can not remain inactive after a disappointment, "said the pope. And when these moments come, it is good for a pastor to remember "that people love their priests, need them, and trust them."
The video then shows scenes of priests administering the sacraments, visiting the sick, and talking with the parishioners.
After receiving a flower from an elderly woman, the priest appearing in the video puts her in a vase inside her parish and prays to members of her congregation to bring in more flowers. 19659002] François concludes the video asking Catholics to join him in praying "that priests, who are tired and lonely in their pastoral work, find help and comfort in their intimacy with the Lord and in their friendship with their brother priests ". Pope Francis has often spoken of the need for consecrated persons to take care of their vocation both spiritually and temporally, especially when encountering priests and religious on international journeys.
For priests who feel tired at work, this goes back to the beginning of his pontificate and it is a problem that he has raised many times.
In his homily for the Chrism Mbad during Holy Week in 2015, the Pope spoke to the priests directly about wear, saying, "The tiredness of the priests! Do you know how many times I think to that weariness that you all experience? "
" I think about it and I often pray, especially when I'm tired myself, "he said, and admitted that he prays for every priest and his ministry, especially those who serve "in isolated and dangerous places."
The tiredness of a holy priest who gives his life to service, Francis said during Mbad, "is like the incense that silently ascends to heaven. Our weariness goes directly to the heart of the Father. "
Francis' prayer intention for priests is part of the monthly" Video Pope "initiative, which is a project of the Jesuit Apostleship of Prayer's global prayer network. The Apostleship of Prayer, which produces videos on the Pope's monthly prayer intentions, was founded by Jesuit seminarians in France in 1884 to encourage Christians to serve God and others through prayer, especially to the needs of the Church. 1800, the organization received a monthly, universal intention of the pope. In 1929, an additional missionary intention was added
. However, last year, rather than including a missionary intention, Pope Francis chose to have only one intentionally prepared prayer intention – the universal intention presented in the prayer video – and add a second intention for urgent or immediate need, if any.
The videos are filmed in collaboration with the Vatican Television Center and mark the first time that the pope's monthly prayer intentions were presented in video
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