"Diary of a Suburban Priest" Closing Down

A priestly blog that I've been reading for the past few months is shutting down. Fr. Ethan over at Diary of a Suburban Priest has decided to end his blog. I am perfectly understanding and in the short time I've been blogging I've realized as well how time consuming and distracting it can be. This is an excerpt from his post on the coming end of the blog:

One last thing, I ask that everyone pray for me and my priesthood. I love Jesus Christ. If it wasn't for the faith infused within my soul by the power of the Holy Spirit when I was baptized, I never would have survived or even would have had the strength to deal with that small pathetic cross that God had given me for my very salvation. For all those times I dropped the cross and ran away, may God have mercy on my soul. And I pray to the Mother of my Savior, who is a reminder to me of what it takes to give everything to the Father. May she intercede on my behalf.

Please pray for Fr. Ethan. As I stated earlier this morning when I posted, pray for the priests! Please, please, remember to pray for our priests! It's very important. Very very very important.

In fact, to help you on your way, here is a prayer that I was given by a priest I know:

Keep them, I pray Thee, dearest Lord, keep them, for they are Thine - Thy priests whose lives burn out before Thy consecrated shrine.

Keep them, for they are in the world, though from the world apart; when earthly pleasures tempt, allure - shelter them in Thy heart.

Keep them, and comfort them in hours of loneliness and pain, when all their life of sacrifice for souls seems but in vain.

Keep them, and O remember, Lord, they have no one but Thee, yet they have only human hearts, with human frailty.

Keep them as spotless as the Host, that daily they caress; their every thought and word and deed, Deign dearest Lord to bless.

I try and pray this prayer every morning after I pray my morning offering. Our spiritual fathers need our prayer, support and encouragement. Please don't take your parish priest for granted. No matter how boring you find his homily, no matter how frustrated you are with him, no matter how he may have rubbed you the wrong way, no matter how much you don't like the way he may do things...still pray for him!

Not only do we need to be praying for an increase in vocations to the priesthood, but we also need to be recognizing and especially supporting in prayer those who have already responded to God's call to the priesthood.

Mary, Queen of the Clergy, pray for them.