Sacred Heart of Jesus
Consecration of Priests Prayer
The Raccolta
Lord Jesus, our most loving
Redeemer and a priest forever, look down with mercy upon us Thy
supplicants, whom Thou has deigned to call Thy friends and to
make partakers of Thy priesthood. We are Thine, and Thine we wish
to be forever. Therefore to Thy Most Sacred Heart, which Thou
hast shown to toiling humanity as its only refuge and salvation,
we dedicate and surrender ourselves today. Thou who hast promised
to priests who are devoted to Thy Sacred Heart copious fruits in
their divine ministry, make us, we beseech Thee, fit laborers in
Thy vineyard, truly meek and humble, filled with a spirit of
devotion
and patience, so aflame with love of Thee that we may not cease
to enkindle and keep burning this same fire of love in the hearts
of the faithful.
Renew our hearts, therefore, in the fire of Thy Heart, so that henceforth we may strive for nothing other than to advance Thy glory and to win to Thee the souls whom Thou hast redeemed by Thy Precious Blood. O Good Shepherd, have mercy most of all upon Thy priests, our brothers, if such there be, who, walking in the vanity of their own mind, have saddened Thee and Thy Beloved Spouse, the Church, by their lamentable defection. Grant us grace to lead them back to Thine embrace, or at least to expiate their sins, to repair the damage they have done, and, by the consolation of our love, to lessen the sorrow with which they have afflicted Thee.
And lastly let each of us
pray to Thee in these words of Augustine: O sweet Jesus, live
Thou in me, and let the living coal of thy love glow within my
spirit and blaze up into a perfect fire; let it burn forever upon
the altar of my heart; let it give warmth to my inmost parts; let
it flame up in the secret places of my soul. In the day of my
consummation let me be found consumed by Thee, who, with the
Father and the Holy Spirit, livest and reignest God, world
without end. Amen.