Lord, grant Your servant a listening heart

Lord, grant Your servant a listening heart.

To You, my God, Father, Son and Spirit,
I consecrate my heart, my life, my all.
Anointed by Your Spirit and consecrated
for service among Your people,
Ordained to the Priesthood of Jesus Christ,
I stand to worship You in spirit and in truth,
to lead Your people to knowledge of Your Kingdom
and to bring Your love into our broken world.

May my own faith, given to me at Baptism,
serve to help others see Your goodness.
May the gift of hope, residing in my heart,
serve to give others confidence in Your mercy.
May my heart burn with Your own love
that You Yourself may give life to our world.

You have called me by name
to be Your son and Your priest, Oh Lord, my God.
I stand before Your Church
and offer myself to You as son and priest,
that in my heart You may hear
the longings of Your people
and dispense Your providing love among them.

In union with Mary, Mother of the Church,
Mother of priests, and my own Mother,
I give You my heart to receive Your Word,
on behalf of Your people and for our times.

May all my words and actions
serve to bring peace and reconciliation
to all who seek You.
May my hands dispense Your blessing
upon Your people
and touch them with Your healing mercy.
May my whole being
be permeated by the power of Your love
and may my life be spent
in doing Your will, now and into Eternity.

Renewing the commitment of my Baptism,
and calling on the power of the Holy Spirit,
Whose anointing I have received,
I stand in the truth of who I am before You, Father,
and with all in the Communion of Saints,
and make my prayer through Jesus Christ, Your Son. Amen.

Rev. Timothy M. Hayes
Feast of St. John Chrysostom
13 September, 1985

[My first Baptismal Anniversary after priestly ordination]