The Soul of Our Apostolate (UMMC-EB)

Homily - The Soul of Our Apostolate (UMMC-EB)

A Prayer of Dom Jean-Baptiste Chautard for the Priests of Jesus Christ!

Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authorityover all demons and to cure diseases,and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of Godand to heal the sick.(Luke 9:1)

DEAR FRIENDS:

IN THIS HOUR OF TRIAL for holy Mother Church, I offer this prayer of Dom Jean-Baptiste Chautard, in lieu of a homily. And, I invite you offer it for me and my brother priests!

O Jesus, Emmanuel, Thou dost hand over to Thy apostles Thy Gospel, Thy Cross, Thy Eucharist, and givest them the mission to go forth and beget for Thy Father, sons of adoption.

And then Thou dost return, ascending, to Thy Father. Thine, henceforth, O Holy Spirit, is the care of sanctifying and directing the Mystical Body of the God-man. 

Thou deignest to take unto Thyself fellow-workers, in Thy function of bringing, from the Head, divine life into the members. 

Burning with Pentecostal fires, they will go forth to sow broadcast in the minds of all, the word that enlightens, and in all hearts the grace that enkindles. Thus will they impart to men that divine life of which Thou art the fullness.

O Divine Fire, stir up in all those who have part in Thy apostolate, the flames that transformed those fortunate retreatments in the Upper Room. Then they will be no longer mere preachers of dogma or moral theology, but men living to transfuse the Blood of God into the souls of men. 

Spirit of Light, imprint upon [our] minds, in characters that can never be erased, this truth: that [our] apostolate will be successful only in the measure that [we ourselves] live that supernatural inner life of which Thou art the sovereign PRINCIPLE and Jesus Christ the SOURCE. 

O infinite Charity, make [our] wills burn with thirst for the interior life. Penetrate and flood [our] hearts with Thy sweetness and strength, and show [us] that, even here on this earth, there is no real happiness except in this life of imitation and sharing in Thine own life and in that of the Heart of Jesus I in the bosom of the Father of all mercy and all kindness.

O Mary Immaculate, Queen of apostles, deign to bless [us]. Grant that [we] may really understand that, if it please God to use [our] activity as an ordinary instrument of His Providence, In pouring out His heavenly riches upon the souls of men, [our] activity, if it is to produce any results, will have to participate, somehow, in the nature of the Divine Act as Thou didst behold it in the bosom of God when He, to Whom we owe the power of calling thee our Mother, became incarnate in [thy] virginal womb. Amen!

In the Name of the Father,and of the Son,and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.