How do priests pray, and is it different from how others pray?

Saint Paul urged us to “pray constantly … for this is the will of God,” and the Catechism says “it is always possible to pray. It is even a vital necessity. Prayer and Christian life are inseparable.” St. Alphonsus Ligouri even said that “those who pray are certainly saved; those who do not pray are certainly damned” (1 Thess 5:17; CCC 2744, 2757).

We must all pray! But how we pray does differ according to our state in life.

Before a man is ordained to the priesthood, he is ordained as a “transitional deacon.” At that ordination, he is asked by a bishop, “Do you resolve to guard and increase the spirit of prayer proper to your way of life, and in keeping with this spirit and the circumstances of your life, to celebrate faithfully the Liturgy of the Hours with and for the people of God and indeed for the whole world?” Next, at his priestly ordination, the bishop asks the man this question: “Do you resolve to implore with us the mercy of God for the people entrusted to you with zeal for the commandment to pray without ceasing?”

By answering “I do,” priests make lifelong promises to pray without ceasing for the people entrusted to them, and specifically to pray the Liturgy of the Hours. The Liturgy of the Hours includes prayers to be offered at times throughout the day: the Office of Readings, Morning Prayer, Daytime Prayer, Evening Prayer, and Night Prayer. These “hours” consist largely of Psalms, other readings from Sacred Scripture, the writings of saints and intercessions for the Church and the world. While laypersons may pray the Liturgy of the Hours, priests are obligated to pray all the hours, every day, to fulfill that promise to “pray without ceasing.” This is one of the ways priests serve you through prayer.

Another way the prayer of priests differs significantly from that of the laity is seen at Holy Mass. Obviously, the priest is leading the congregation in the prayers of the Mass. The priest says, “The Lord be with you,” and the congregation responds, “and with your spirit,” and so on. But the priest is more than just a master of ceremonies. By virtue of his ordination, he acts “in the person of Christ” in a way the laity cannot. Jesus acts through him at the altar to bring about the miracle of transubstantiation, so He can come to us in Holy Communion. Jesus says, through the priest, “this is my Body,” and it is Jesus’ Body! The Eucharistic Prayer is the most important prayer a priest ever prays.

A close second, of course, are the prayers of an ordained priest in the confessional, wherein Jesus says through him, to us when we go to confession, “I absolve you from your sins….” When we hear those words, our guilt is gone.

Alongside these unique aspects of priestly prayer, both priests and faithful laypersons have other methods of praying in common: daily Mass, a daily “holy hour,” the rosary, prayerful Bible reading, interceding for those in need and so on.

While priests do pray in some unique ways, they also pray in many of the same ways their faithful parishioners do. We are all encouraged to come to Mass frequently, to make daily “holy hours,” to pray the rosary, to prayerfully read our Bibles, to pray for those in need and so on.

Us priests are busy praying for you. Please, return the favor and pray for us!