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Upon reading it some
months ago, all of the Sisters were (and
still are) ENTHUSED
beyond words! Keeping in mind this
enthusiasm, I ask for your indulgence for
the excessive amount of quotations used from
the text. It is so beautiful that I
find it hard to refrain from simply quoting
the entire 40 page document!
So you may be wondering
why we are so excited about it? Read
this quote taken from Cardinal Hummes'
introduction, and I think you'll understand
better: In order to continually maintain
a greater awareness of the ontological link
between the Eucharist and the Priesthood,
and in order to recognize the special
maternity of the Blessed Virgin Mary for
each Priest, it is our intention to bring
about a connection between perpetual
Eucharistic adoration for the sanctification
of priests and the initiation of a
commitment on the part of consecrated
feminine souls —following the typology of
the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the
Eternal High Priest, and Helper in his work
of Redemption—who might wish to spiritually
adopt priests in order to help them with
their self-offering, prayer, and penance.
Adoration always involves an act of
reparation for sins.
Further the Cardinal
states: "We
intend in a very particular way to entrust
all priests to Mary,
the Mother of the High and Eternal Priest,
bringing about in the Church a movement of
prayer, placing 24 hour continuous
Eucharistic adoration at the centre, so that
a prayer of adoration, thanksgiving, praise,
petition, and reparation, will be raised to
God, incessantly and from every corner of
the earth,
with the primary intention of awakening a
sufficient number of holy vocations to the
priestly state and, at the same time,
spiritually uniting with a certain spiritual
maternity—at
the level of the Mystical Body—all
those who have already been called to the
ministerial priesthood and are
ontologically conformed to the one High and
Eternal Priest. This movement will offer
better service to Christ and his brothers
—those who
are at once “inside” the Church and
also “at the forefront” of the Church,
standing in Christ’s stead and representing
Him, as head, shepherd and spouse of the
Church
(cfr. Pastores Dabo Vobis 16).
Eucharistic Adoration, Thanksgiving,
Reparation, Devotion to the Mother of God,
Spiritual Maternity, prayers for the
Priesthood! Yes, put all of this
together and you have the life of a Poor
Clare of Perpetual Adoration as laid down by
our Foundress Mother Marie of St. Clare on
December 8, 1854.
To
conclude, I'd encourage all of you to
download the document and read it. I
promise you will not be disappointed!
And this call to prayer for Priests and for
Vocations is not only directed at women
religious. The following is stated in
the document:
Independent of age or social status, any
woman can become a mother for priests. This
type of motherhood is not only for mothers
of families, but is just as possible for an
unmarried girl, a widow, or for someone who
is ill. It is especially pertinent for
missionaries and religious sisters who have
given their lives entirely to God for the
sanctification of others. John Paul II even
thanked a child for her motherly help: “I
also express my gratitude to Bl. Jacinta for
the sacrifices and prayers offered for the
Holy Father, whom she saw suffering
greatly.”
(13 May 2000)
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