Dear Brother Priests, Religious, and all the
People of God,
As we enter into the month
of August, a time of grace and inspiration, at the beginning of this month we
are blessed to celebrate and reflect upon the life of our patron of all
priests, St. John Maria Vianney, the holy Curé of Ars and the universal patron of
priests.
This feast invites us to renew our
priestly identity and commitment. St. John Maria Vianney continually reminds us
of our sacred call to be conformed daily to the likeness and holiness of
Christ, our Lord and Master. The priesthood is not merely a role, but a
vocation to live with the heart of Christ, finding joy in serving in His
vineyard.
At the outset, I also urge each of
you to intensify your prayer for vocations to the priesthood across the
universal Church. It is both our duty and our mission to pray that the Lord of
the harvest may send more laborers into His field. When we, as priests, enter
the confessional the Door of Mercy we ourselves are renewed in humility,
charity, and divine mercy. We are called to be channels of grace, leading both
ourselves and others into deeper conversion and transformed relationships with
God and His people.
Month of August also brings us the
commemorations of St. Monica and St. Augustine, two luminous witnesses to the
power of prayer and conversion. Monica’s faithful intercession and Augustine’s
radical transformation are vivid signs of God’s patience and grace. Their lives
urge us to pray unceasingly and to remain hopeful for every soul.
Dear brothers and sisters, may we
be inspired and shaped anew by the example and intercession these Saints viz.
St. John Maria Vianney, St. Monica and St. Augustine. I pray that each of you
experiences a fruitful, joyful, and grace-filled ministry in the days ahead.
May the Holy Spirit guide us, and may Christ be ever more fully formed in us.
WISH
YOU A FRUITFUL MINISTRY AND A BLESSED MONTH of August!