St John Vianney grew up during the French Revolution, when priests and the faithful were heavily persecuted. He saw the priests who continued their ministry in these dangerous times as heroes and wanted to be one of them. Three years after his own ordination, he was appointed parish priest of Ars, where he immediately devoted himself to the care of his parishioners.
In the long history of the Church, one priestly figure – a pastoral priest – has been uniquely raised up to exemplify the spiritual path every priest is to walk in his pastoral service. No other saint has ever been so proposed to priests by successive popes as an “incomparable guide and unequalled model both for the carrying out of the ministry and of the holiness of the minister.”
St Alphonsus lived in 17th-century Italy and founded the Redemptorists. Nothing was as important to him as our personal relationship with God, our prayer, and the way we live with Him. He was opposed to rigorism and told his priests to treat penitents who asked for God’s forgiveness as souls to be saved rather than as criminals to be punished.
St Ignatius (1491-1556) was born into a noble family at Loyola (Spain). He was injured at the battle of Pamplona (1521) and experienced a conversion during his convalescence.
Sts Mary, Martha & Lazarus were three siblings who lived in Bethany and who were friends of Jesus. Formerly this feast belonged to Martha, but since the Church now differentiates between Mary of Bethany and Mary Magdalene, the siblings share the feast.
This prayer is the Collect prayed at Mass on the feast of the Transfiguration
