Papal Intentions for June 2014

Prayer for the Pope

V. Let us pray for Francis, our Pope.

R. May the Lord preserve him, give him life, 

and make him blessed upon the earth, 

and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies.

Our Father... Hail Mary...

O God, Shepherd and Ruler of all Thy faithful people, look mercifully upon Thy servant Francis, whom Thou hast chosen as shepherd to preside over Thy Church. Grant him, we beseech Thee, that by his word and example, he may edify those over whom he hath charge, so that together with the flock committed to him, may he attain everlasting life. 

Through Christ our Lord. 

Amen.

Papal Intentions for June 2014

Universal Intention: That the unemployed may receive support and find the work they need to live in dignity.

Mission Intention: That Europe may rediscover its Christian roots through the witness of believers.

NOVENA ALERT!!!

Today is traditionally the liturgical feast celebrating the Ascension of the Lord Jesus. Unfortunately most places move the feast to the following Sunday. I say 'unfortunately' because the date of the Ascension is significant for us. Tradition tells us that after the Ascension, Mary and the Apostles gathered (at Jesus' command) for nine days of prayer for the Lord to send them the Holy Spirit. That prayer was answered on the feast of Pentecost. Since then it has been tradition to begin on the Friday after Ascension Thursday the Novena to the Holy Spirit, so that we can be like the first followers of Jesus and pray for an outpouring of the Spirit in our own day. Despite the Ascension not being celebrated today, we still begin the Novena tomorrow. Do not miss this blessed opportunity to receive the grace of God and the stirring up of the Spirit in your heart!

A link to the specific intentions for each day can be found at the EWTN website HERE.

Come, Holy Spirit!

HWP: Prayer for a Priest

While most of the prayers that I most on here are typically for those of you who read this post, today I'm going to be a bit selfish and ask you to pray for me. Today is my anniversary of priestly ordination. Three years already! I will soon be the pastor of a parish and with that comes a whole new set of responsibilities, challenges, and opportunities, so I ask your prayers so that I can have as much of God's grace poured out on me as possible in preparation. You might keep this prayer and offer it from time to time for your own parish priest and other priests close to you. None of us would be upset about such a wonderful gift. Thank you in advance and know of my prayers for each of you as well. So...let us pray...

A Prayer for a Priest

O Jesus, our great High Priest, Hear my humble prayers on behalf of your priest, Father Brent. Give him a deep faith, a bright and firm hope and a burning love which will ever increase in the course of his priestly life. In his loneliness, comfort him In his sorrows, strengthen him In his frustrations, point out to him that it is through suffering that the soul is purified, and show him that he is needed by the Church, he is needed by souls, he is needed for the work of redemption.

O loving Mother Mary, Mother of Priests, take to your heart your son who is close to you because of his priestly ordination, and because of the power which he has received to carry on the work of Christ in a world which needs him so much. Be his comfort, be his joy, be his strength, and especially help him to live and to defend the ideals of consecrated celibacy. 

Amen.

Do We Really Love Jesus?

Readings for Sunday, May 25/ 6th Sunday of Easter:
Acts 8:5-8, 14-17
Psalm 66:1-7, 16, 20
1 Peter 3:15-18
John 14:15-21

A couple of weeks age we celebrated First Holy Communion for our second graders in the community. I had the joy of celebrating that Mass at St. Michael’s, where part of the celebration is at the end of Mass the kids come forward and sing a song that was in question format that they sang to each other, myself and the congregation and we had to sing the response. They asked “Do you love Jesus?” and the respond, “Yes, I love Jesus!” They then asked, “Do you really love Jesus?” and we responded, “Yes, I really love Jesus!”  It was really catchy and it’s been going on in my head since then. As we gather here today, the question is still relevant. Do we love Jesus? Yes! Of course we love Jesus. That’s why we are here today. All of us certainly love the Lord. But the question is do we really love Jesus?

In the Gospel we just heard, Jesus told us, “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.” There is a direct connection between our love of the Lord and our willingness to obey His commandments. Often our culture uses the word or idea of love to be simply a sentiment, emotion, or good feeling that we get in relationship to another person or even a thing. But the love that Jesus seeks to find in us is not a sentiment or emotion so much as it is a choice. I guarantee you that when Christ showed us the meaning of true love in His Passion and death on the Cross, there wasn’t a warm fuzzy feeling anywhere to be found. It was a choice to put the Father’s will first and to set any other desires aside. Christ did it perfectly and He calls us to strive to do the same in our lives. So the question we each have to ask ourselves is how much we love the Lord? Do we really love Jesus?

The prevailing culture of the world around us and even sometimes in the walls of the church is that if we’re just good people everything will work out and we don’t need to worry. But the truth is that good people aren’t guaranteed a place in Heaven. We presume that ‘because everyone is doing it’ that we will be okay and God won’t hold it against us that we skip Mass here and there, leave Mass early because we have other things to do, fail to live a chaste life, don’t seek to serve others in any tangible way, and many other things. The fact is that those are serious sins and show that we are lacking in our love for the Lord. Additionally, it is easy for many in the Church today to content themselves with not being like ‘those sinners’ because they don’t commit any ‘big sins’. We can easily become complacent with the little sins – or what we perceive as little sins - we commit all throughout the day when the Lord never made qualifications. He didn’t say, “If you love me, you will keep the major commandments.” He said, “You will keep my commandments.” Period. We all need conversion of heart, nobody is exempt, because every one of us is a sinner in need of God’s grace, mercy and love.

This is an incredibly difficult task that the Lord calls us to - impossible, in fact, by ourselves.  The world around us would say to simply lower the standard, don’t make things too hard or we’ll never reach them. But the truth is that we are called to live at the higher level and we can do it if we but humble ourselves and call upon the Lord to enliven us with the Holy Spirit who dwells in our hearts. Cardinal Mercier, who lived a century back, once wrote that he knew the secret of sanctity. He said that we should each take five minutes each day, set aside all distractions, calm ourselves, and in the silence of the moment, speak to the Holy Spirit who is with us always and say this prayer:

O Holy Spirit, beloved of my soul, I adore you. Enlighten me, guide me, strengthen me, and console me. Tell me what I should do. Give me Your orders. I promise to submit myself to all that You desire of me and to accept al that You permit to happen to me. Let me only know your will. 

Are we willing to change our lives when we find something in need of changing? Are we willing to call on the Spirit to strengthen us? Are we willing to trust that we will not be abandoned or orphaned? Do we love Jesus? Yes, we love Jesus. But do we really love Jesus?

HWP: Mary, Help of Christians

As you may have read on here before, I have had the opportunity on five occasions to take mission trips to Granada, Nicaragua with Notre Dame Seminary. Each time we had built into the trip a 'desert day' when we were able to simply spend some time in prayer in Granada and the various churches sprinkled throughout the city. One of my favorites was a Salesian church, Maria Auxiliadora - taken from the title of Mary as 'Help of Christians'. Indeed she is the help for us all because a mother's love never fades. So, in preparation for her feast this Saturday, we offer as our Half-Way Prayer this week composed by St. John Bosco, founder of the Salesians:

A Prayer to Mary, Help of Christians

Most Holy Virgin Mary, Help of Christians, how sweet it is to come to your feet imploring your perpetual help. If earthly mothers cease not to remember their children, 

how can you, the most loving of all mothers forget me? Grant then to me, I implore you, 

your perpetual help in all my necessities, in every sorrow, and especially in all my temptations. I ask for your unceasing help for all who are now suffering. Help the weak, cure the sick, convert sinners. Grant through your intercessions many vocations to the religious life. Obtain for us, O Mary, Help of Christians, that having invoked you on earth we may love and eternally thank you in heaven.

Bridges

Royal Gorge Bridge in Colorado

Readings for Sunday, May 18/ 5th Sunday of Easter:
Acts 6:1-7
Psalm 33:1-2, 4-5, 18-19
1 Peter 2:4-9
John 14:1-12

I’ve always loved bridges. They fascinate me because of their function but also, often, because of their beauty. The highest bridge in the U.S. over Royal Gorge in Colorado, the longest rope bridge east of the Mississippi, and double-decker bridge leading into Cincinnati, and the numerous bridges sprinkled all across South Louisiana each in their own way give me pause to contemplate something incredible as travel over them – the ability to unite things that seem utterly separate.

That concept, though I never put it in such words, is what drew me to consider the vocation of the priesthood. In fact, in the early Church, the priest was often referred to by the Latin term ‘pontifex,’ which means ‘bridge-builder,’ because every priest is supposed to build bridges to unite humanity with the Divine. It’s the whole nature of the priesthood really and they do it by offering sacrifices. The role of the priest in the ancient Israelite community was to offer sacrifices and prayers to God on behalf of the people to keep them safe in His care. The ordained priest today does a similar action by offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and prescribed prayers each day to permit people to draw into communion with the Lord. The priest is a bridge-builder and the sacrifices that the priest offers are the means to building those bridges and strengthening them.

But the thing is this: it’s not just me and other ordained priests who are called to be bridge-builders. All of us are called to be bridge-builders and the Lord is inviting us to stop today to contemplate how good of a job we are doing.

Now here is where we get a bit theological, but stick with me! In First Peter we just heard of a people that is “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own.” We are that people! This phrasing was originally intended for the Jewish people but with the coming of Jesus is universalized and applied to every person who receives the gift of Baptism. Our baptismal ritual reminds us that every person baptized in Christ Jesus is anointed priest, prophet, and king. Christ Jesus is the One High Priest but because we are members of the Body of Christ by baptism, we participate also in His priesthood. Ordained priests do so in a different way, but we all participate in the priesthood of Jesus. But what does that priesthood look like? 

We hear the answer in the Preface before the Eucharistic Prayer today: Jesus Christ comes among us as the priest, the altar, and the lamb of sacrifice. This is significant because before Jesus, the priest and the sacrificial offering were distinct from one another - the priest offered a lamb, bull, wheat, etc. - but Jesus changes everything and makes the priest himself the offering, he is the one sacrificed. And the same with us. St. Paul put it this way in the Letter to the Romans: “I urge you, therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God.” (12:1) To put it simply, the sacrifice that all of the baptized members of the Church are called to offer God in a priestly manner is their whole self: we give ourselves to God in offering, we give Him everything that we have, everything that we are, everything that we desire, everything that we fear, our whole life with nothing held back. That is what God desires of us. Our whole life is supposed to be a priestly act, an act of sacrifice that works to build up bridges between those around us and the God that loves us all.

We're hopefully all working as bridge-builders to some degree now, but for every one of us, myself included, there is still room to grow and become even better at drawing people to God. And there are three concrete things we can do to make that happen.

First – to use the words of Pope St. Pius X, “Don’t pray AT Holy Mass. Pray THE Holy Mass.” The best way that we can be better instruments of bringing people to Jesus is to get closer to Jesus our self and the place where that happens is here at Mass. If we enter into this celebration more deeply, things change. If we listen to the prayers and pray them for ourselves, if we spend time with the readings and question where God is speaking to us, if we offer our needs and the needs of others at the appropriate times in the Mass, we will be changed and that will change others. If we want to build bridges to bring people to God, there's not better way than to celebrate the most miraculous bridge in Eucharistic Holy Communion.

Second – sacrifice for others. There are a variety of ways to do this. We can offer a sacrifice of prayers for people and spend time praying for them. We can fast or abstain from food, drink, entertainment, or some luxury for conversion of others. We can offer up a sacrifice of our desire and do something with or for them so that they can see love in action. God alone changes hearts, but He often waits for us to ask Him to do so. So let us ask and offer some gift to help the bridge come together.

Third – be willing to be used. Sometimes one of the best ways to be a bridge between God and humanity is to simply invite people to get closer to God. This can be an invite to join you at Mass, return to confession, gathering for prayer as friends, or scripture sharing with a group. It can be by talking about your faith to encourage them in theirs. It can be a whole host of things. But often we can shrink back in fear of what others might think, say, feel, or do if we bring God into the picture. Be not afraid of what might happen but remember that God often speaks to us through others and that sometimes He wants to speak through us as well. 

I always loved bridges. But as much as I love marveling at them, it is much more beautiful to be one ourselves. Countless others of our family and friends and helped us draw near to God by building bridges to connect us to Him. May God grant us today the grace to continue building bridges for others so we can truly be a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people all his own.

HWP: Litany of Our Lady of Fatima

I've been running a bit lately with things going on here at the parish and the whole business of being named a pastor and such, so the Half-Way Prayer is a little delayed this morning. For the business at hand, however.... as you may know, yesterday was the feast of Our Lady of Fatima and the month of May is dedicated to Our Lady, so I figured what better prayer to offer this week than the...

Litany to Our Lady of Fatima

Our Lady of Fatima, Pray for our beloved country.

Our Lady of Fatima, Sanctify our clergy.

Our Lady of Fatima, Make our Catholics more fervent.

Our Lady of Fatima, Guide and inspire those who govern us.

Our Lady of Fatima, Cure the sick who confide in thee.

Our Lady of Fatima, Console the sorrowful who trust in thee.

Our Lady of Fatima, Help those who invoke thine aid.

Our Lady of Fatima, Deliver us from all dangers.

Our Lady of Fatima, Help us to resist temptation.

Our Lady of Fatima, Obtain for us all that we lovingly ask of thee.

Our Lady of Fatima, Help those who are dear to us.

Our Lady of Fatima, Bring to Holy Catholic Church those who are in error.

Our Lady of Fatima, Give us back our ancient fervor.

Our Lady of Fatima, Obtain for us pardon of our manifold sins and offenses.

Our Lady of Fatima, Bring all men to the feet of thy Divine Child.

Our Lady of Fatima, Obtain peace for the world. 

O Mary conceived without sin,

Pray for us who have recourse to thee. 

Immaculate Heart of Mary, Pray for us now and at the hour of our death. Amen. 

Let Us Pray: O God of infinite goodness and mercy, fill our hearts with a great confidence in Thy dear Mother, whom we invoke under the title of Our Lady of the Rosary and Our Lady of Fatima, and grant us by her powerful intercession all the graces, spiritual and temporal, which we need. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Shepherds and Mommas

Readings for Sunday, May 11/ 4th Sunday of Easter:
Acts 2:14, 36-41
Psalm 23:1-6
1 Peter 2:20-25
John 10:1-10

Friday evening I had dinner with my mom and my two older sisters for Mother’s Day. One of the things that inevitably comes up in the midst of the conversation is the fact that mom loves me more than she loves them. I don’t believe this, of course, but it’s fun to rile my sisters up every now and then. I joke about the three reasons that mom supposedly loves me more, my personal triple crown, if you will. First, I’m adopted. That means I can word it ever so nicely and say, “Mom picked me, she had to keep y’all!” Secondly, I’m the only boy, so that means I’m special or something, right? And lastly, I’m the baby of the family. This all together means that I’m pretty much spoiled rotten. And if that wasn’t enough - my sisters like to point out - I became a priest! All of this is simply to highlight the fact that while I know my mom loves my sisters and me equally, I also know that love is incredibly strong.

As a teenager my mom often reminded me of her love for me when I would bring home a cute girl or go out on a date. Afterward she would always give me a big hug and remind me, “Just remember, Momma loved you first and Momma loved you best.” It was a mother’s love that strengthened me in my discernment of my priestly vocation. I had completed two years of seminary and taken some time off to visit monasteries and consider becoming a monk. In that time I felt called to the priesthood but was scared because of the uncertainty of what lie ahead in the vocation itself and whether I could persevere in such a life. One night I was talking with my mom when the Lord pierced my heart and helped me to see what I had to do and much to the frustration of my mom’s legs, this 220lb. baby boy sat in her lap and sobbed. She simply hugged me, pat me on the back and said, “It’s gonna be okay. It’s gonna be okay.” Indeed it was okay and I love my priestly vocation more than I could every have dreamed, thanks to her encouragement.

My mom’s love for me is incredible. I sometimes marvel at how strong it is. And yet, as strong as her love is for me, it is but a reflection of the love that God has for each and every one of us. In the Book of the prophet Isaiah, God speaks to us and says, “Can a mother forget her child?” Clearly the answer is no. But He continues, “Even should she forget, I will never forget you.” As incomprehensible as it is that a mother would forget her own child, even more so is the mindfulness that God has for us. That is what we celebrate this weekend on Good Shepherd Sunday. That we have a heavenly shepherd guiding us to heavenly pastures.

A mother guides, protects, and nourishes her children and that guidance, protection, and nourishment are signs of the love of the Father, the Lord Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. In Baptism He gave each of us the Holy Spirit to speak to our hearts and to lead us along the path of this life to find the gate of heaven and pass through. The Lord Jesus protects us from the wiles of the evil one, most definitively by His death on the Cross that conquered sin and death. And the Father? He gently nourishes the flock with a gift we could never even think to ask for – the flesh and blood of God that gives us life. These all have one goal: heaven. We were not made for this earth but for the Lord and the glory that is to come. That’s why we have the Eucharist. That’s why we NEED the Eucharist. It is in a real sense the key to the heavenly gate. It is the means by which we are able to walk the path and enter to eternal life and be nourished in the heavenly banquet. We must have the Eucharist.

I have received lots of gifts over the years from my mom – many of them are still useful and valuable for me today. But the one gift that I treasure most from my mom is the gift of faith. It was her willingness to continue to push me to grow that brought me to the place I am today. It was her continuing to push me to attending Mass, youth group, and various functions that led to my conversion to the faith, my discovery of a priestly vocation, and hopefully one day to the joy of heavenly life. Parents, I know that you want the best for your children and you give them many gifts throughout the year that show your love for them. But all of these gifts mean nothing if they fail to receive the gift of faith. Help them to grow in their faith. Bring them to Mass, teach them to pray, help them to love the Lord Jesus, show them what it means to serve the poor. Though all other gifts will necessarily be left behind, there is one that has eternal consequence. Be generous with that gift and pour it out upon them daily. Though it may seem hard and fruitless sometimes, you will not regret it.

So as we continue in this Eucharistic sacrifice, we pray God’s grace upon those making their First Holy Communion this weekend and we pray it upon ourselves, that God would continue to call us to the heavenly pastures made for us and that we would show forth our faith and follow the shepherd who beckons.

Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

After several months of anxious waiting, I am happy to announce that Bishop Muench has appointed me pastor of St. Ann's Church in Morganza, LA for a six-year term beginning July 1 of this year. It is with sadness that I will be leaving behind this beautiful community in East St. James Parish that has come to be like family to me over the past two years, but I know that God has good things in store for them, for me, and for the community in Morganza that will soon become my family as well. Please pray for me in the transition period, as well as for both communities. 

Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!
St. Mary, Our Lady of Prompt Succor, hasten to help us!
St. Joseph, pray for us!
St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle!
St. Ann, pray for us!
St. Vincent de Paul, pray for us!

HWP: Prayer to the Holy Spirit

I have been praying and reflection much this past week about the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives and how He can accomplish incredible things if we but open ourselves to His grace. This called to mind a prayer written by Cardinal Mercier that I have often prayed and found to be incredibly powerful: 

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

 O Holy Spirit, Soul of my soul, I adore You. Enlighten, guide, strengthen and console me. Tell me what I ought to do and command me to do it. I promise to be submissive in everything that You permit to happen to me, only show me what is Your will.

Emmaus?!

Readings for Sunday, May 4/ 3rd Sunday of Easter:
Acts 2:14, 22-33
Psalm 16:1-2, 5, 7-11
1 Peter 1:17-21
Luke 24:13-35

Saturday afternoon I had the privilege of attending the First Communion Mass for one of my goddaughter’s older brother at my previous assignment of St. George. I wanted to get him a little gift so I went to the Catholic bookstore but quickly realized that I didn’t know exactly which book to get and had to think which book might be best for a 7-year old boy. I began to think about what I read when I was seven and had to think about what would appeal most to him, not just me. It is important that when we read the Gospels we realize that the authors had to do the same with the audiences to which they were writing. St. Luke was addressing a Greek audience and had to find ways to speak the Gospel to them in a way that was familiar and understandable to them and we see the fruits of that in the passage we just heard. In Greek literature there is commonly employed a literary device known as the ‘penultimate speech’ wherein the author gives a summary of the whole story up to that point before giving the final conclusion. It’s essentially an ‘in case you’ve been sleeping, here are the key points’ point before the resolution. This is what the story of Emmaus is for St. Luke’s Gospel and the key point that it intends to convey to the hearers/readers is the meaning of discipleship.

To begin with, let us first look at the question of who is going to Emmaus. In the story we just heard we are told the name of one disciple – Cleopas – but the other is left unnamed. If we continue in the approach to this story in the context of Greek literature, we can learn from other texts that anonymous individuals were often indicative of the whole of the humanity. The unnamed person is all of us. It’s you and me. We are the ones going to Emmaus, those souls cast down wandering on the road.

If it is us who are involved in this journey, not just two disciples of Jesus two millennia ago, the necessary next question is ‘where are we going?’ Emmaus, right? But where is Emmaus? The interesting thing is that if you look around, there is no mention of Emmaus in the Scriptures and there is no explicit mention of it in ancient texts, and when you look in the area where the Scriptures say it should have been, nothing is there. And that might be the point. Fr. Denis Robinson, OSB suggested to us on our retreat that maybe Emmaus was used by St. Luke as a fictional place that everyone knew didn’t exist to emphasize the point that when we walk away from the Cross, from the Lord, from the Church, we’re going nowhere. How often have we wandered around lost, strayed a bit from the path of Christ and gone our own way because things were too hard, expectations too high, strength not fully there, etc.? When we wander from Christ we are going nowhere. But the beautiful thing we learn is that we are never really left alone because Jesus always seeks out the lost sheep.

In the story we hear of how the disciples are greeted by the Lord Jesus, disguised from their sight, who walks along the way and continues to try to show them who He is. He speaks to them in various ways the same as He continues to speak to us through various people, places, and things when we wander away on our own path. And in the midst of the journey they come to decisive moment – an inn. The inn is significant in the Gospel of Luke because it occurs only three times and all are significant. The first place we see an inn is at the Nativity, when Joseph and Mary are seeking a place to stay and they are turned away from the inn. The second place is the story of the Good Samaritan. This story is an analogy of Christ and the Church, as Christ comes to pick up wounded humanity and brings it to the inn, the Church, and there gives her to the care of the innkeeper, the Church’s members, and says He will repay them for everything when He returns. Here we are shown by Christ what is the essence of discipleship – love other others, especially those in need. This brings us to the story of Emmaus, when the two disciples and Jesus come to an inn and the Lord acts as if He will continue on the road. The disciples stop Him and ask Him to come stay in with them because it is late and he needs a place to stay. Without realizing, maybe, they have been converted and learned what it is to truly be a disciple of Jesus. Despite their current state of despair, they have the necessary essential elements and that is enough for Jesus to continue the work. Upon seeing that they have learned the meaning of discipleship, Jesus reveals Himself to them in the breaking of the bread and disappears from their sight. At this they run back to Jerusalem – the come back to Christ, the Church, the Cross – and testify to what God has done.

If you think about it, that whole story is the story of the Mass. People are gathered, the Scriptures are explained, the Bread broken, and the Good News shared after the experience. And not only that – the story is the story of our whole life. Our life is the Mass! Do we treat it as such?

We come weekly and hear the Scriptures proclaimed. Do our hearts burn when we hear the words? Do we let those words continue to burn in our hearts throughout the week and fuel the fire by turning back to them over and again?

We come weekly to celebrate and receive the broken bread of the Eucharist. Do we realize that with out whole mind and receive it as such? Do we honor the Lord in the manner we receive Him and ensure that we are properly prepared? Do we let Him continue to purify our hearts and reveal Himself in the course of the Mass?

And most important of all – have we learned to be disciples? Have we learned to love others and to help them when the opportunity presents itself? Or is there something keeping us from following the Lord? Let us today come set aside all that separates us from the good Lord and let Him reveal Himself to us and continue to become who He has called us to be. 

Papal Intentions for May 2014

Holy cow! It's May already?! Time to post our Holy Father's Intentions for the month...

Papal Intentions for May 2014

Universal Intention: That the media may be instruments in the service of truth and peace.

Mission Intention: That Mary, Star of Evangelization, may guide the Church in proclaiming Christ to all nations.

and while you're at it...

A Prayer for the Pope!!!

V. Let us pray for Francis, our Pope.

R. May the Lord preserve him, give him life, 

and make him blessed upon the earth, 

and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies.

Our Father... Hail Mary...

O God, Shepherd and Ruler of all Thy faithful people, look mercifully upon Thy servant Francis, whom Thou hast chosen as shepherd to preside over Thy Church. Grant him, we beseech Thee, that by his word and example, he may edify those over whom he hath charge, so that together with the flock committed to him, may he attain everlasting life. 

Through Christ our Lord. 

Amen.