ONE DECADE FOR A PRIEST DAILY

The duty of a priest is to make sure that all the people know God, love Him and
serve Him, so that they will live with Him eternally. Apart from inspiring all
people to glorify God, a priest has the duty to fight against evil lest anybody
perishes. Bearing in mind the evil we see around us. The task of a priest is
admittedly big and challenging for him to successfully lead all people to heaven as
expected of him. Experience has it that sometimes it feels like he has to leave one
sheep and go after 99 which are lost, as Pope Francis once mentioned in his
homily.

To that effect therefore, as Aaron and Hur supported Moses during the battle
against the Amalekites (Exodus 17:8-13), likewise, it necessitates that Christians
should support priests, especially with prayers.

HOW SHOULD WE PRAY FOR PRIESTS

Ordinarily, we pray for priests in general. And that is fine. But the other way to do
it is to b particular. In this case, Christians are to form groups of at least 20 people.
These 20 are to commit themselves to pray a full rosary for one priest daily. In case
of an organized movement, for example legion of Mary, one praesidium should
pray for one priest.

A group of 20 people is to subdivide itself into 4 smaller groups of 5 people. Thus

there should be groups 1, 2, 3 & 4.

GROUP ONE
 Group one is to commit itself to praying a rosary of five decades reflecting
on the joyful mysteries. Each person is to be assigned with a particular
mystery so much so; that failure to recite one’s decade means breaking the
chain or making the rosary incomplete. However, in case of manifest
necessity another person can recite an extra decade for the person that is
unable.
 The one assigned with the first mystery is to begin with the Creed as usual,
the Our father, the three Hail Mary’s, Glory be, O my Jesus, the first
mystery, the our father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory be and then, O my Jesus.
  The one who is assigned with the 2nd mystery takes off from reflecting on
the 2nd mystery, the Our father, 10 Hail Marys, Glory be, and O my Jesus.
 The rest of the group members follow the same format.
 The person assigned with the 5th mystery is to conclude with the Hail Holy
Queen as we usually end the Rosary.

OTHER GROUPS
 Group 2 members are to recite their rosary reflecting on the mysteries of
light. Group 3 members are to use the sorrowful mysteries, and group 4
members are to reflect on the Glorious mysteries.
 All groups follow the same format as in group one.

THE PRAYER AT THE BEGINNING OF A DECADE

After making the sign of the cross, a spontaneous prayer is made in the following
or similar words: “Mother Mary! We pray for father X that God may give him the
holiness and the zeal to lead God’s people to heaven”.

NB: A priest can have more than one group praying for him depending on the
number of people ready to participate in these prayers.

HOW TO CHOOSE PRIESTS TO PRAY FOR

 If the members of a group belong to a parish, they are to choose one of the
priests staying with in the parish territory, for example, apart from the priests
working within the parishes, there may be others working in schools,
hospitals or other apostolates.
 The leaders (presidents) of groups are to write the names of the priests on
papers and then ask some members of the groups to pick any. And the name
of the priest there on will determine who to pray for.

CONCLUSION
It is important to note that a decade takes 3-4 minutes out of the 1440 minutes (24
hours) that God gives you every day. What is 4 minutes for the sake of souls if you
really love Jesus? Mother Theresa once said that: “you cannot give the minimum to
the one you love”. Possibly she was having in mind the story of Cain who unlike
his brother Abel offered to God what was displeasing (Gen, 4:1-7).

In fact, some people can even decide to offer 20 minutes out of 1440 by forming of
4 people to pray a full rosary daily. That is, praying a rosary of 5 decades for one
priest who will also go after thousands of souls. The question of concern is “do you
love Jesus?” if yes, then do your best to take care of his sheep by supporting a
priest who will then touch thousands of souls. (John 21: 15-17)
NB: Some people may be concerned with why a group should pray for only one
priest instead of all of them. This is because it is presumed that this way of praying
should spread in such a way that no priest is left out without a group of people
praying for him. Praying in general however is still encouraged.