Being a Catholic priest in the 21st century is not an easy task. Priests in the English-speaking world are generally not viewed favorably by the secular culture, and are constantly under suspicion.
Furthermore, parish priests in particular are often alone, living in an old rectory, in charge of 3-4 parishes, miles away from the nearest priest.
This type of isolation can often lead to an increase in spiritual attacks, where a priest starts to doubt his vocation and turn inward to seek consolation from his own vices.
With this in mind, it should come as no surprise that many saints would dedicate their entire lives in praying for priests, encouraging other to do the same.
St. John Paul II gave a speech to priests in the United States in 1979, in which he made an appeal to the local Catholic population to pray for priests.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux was another saint who was passionate about praying for priests, as can be seen in her many letters.
St. John Vianney composed his own prayer for priests, praying that "they be worthy representatives of Christ the Good Shepherd."
Dom Jean-Baptiste Chautard wrote in his book The Soul of the Apostolate a helpful illustration that shows why we need to pray, not only for priests, but good and holy priests.
As priests continue to struggle to stay faithful to their vocation in the modern world, be sure to pray for them on a daily basis.
