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THE
ELIJAH CUP
Once again, Saint Peter
Cathedral and St. Peter Fraternity of the Secular
Franciscan order, are joining together for the common
purpose of promoting vocations in the Diocese of Erie
and around the world. As faith is the flame kept
alive by God's grace, so too, are new and present
vocations, by the continual fervent prayers of caring
and concerned holy people. When we pray for
vocations, we lift up to the Lord those men and women He
is calling into service in a very special way.
We would like to present
the Elijah Cup to a parish family or a parish member
every week to encourage ongoing prayer during this
critical time of need for vocations to the Priesthood
and religious life. We ask that those who take the
chalice home, us it as a focus for their daily prayer
for vocations.
The Sacrament of Holy Orders confers and indellible
spiritual character, and configures the
recipient to Christ by a special grace of the Holy
Spirit. This special grace enables the
ordained Priest to act as a representative of Christ,
Head of the Church, in his triple office of priest,
prophet and king. (CCC 1581).
"Who then, is the Priest? He is the defender of truth,
who stands with angels, gives glory with archangels,
causes sacrifices to rise to the altar on high, shares
Christ's priesthood, refashions creation, restores it in
God's image, recreates it for the world on high, and
even greater, is divinized and divinizes."
(St. Gregory Nazianzus, CCC 1589)
If you have taken the Elijah Cup in the past, you are
welcome to receive it again. If you have never
signed-up we encourage you to do so, because praying for
vocations is not only a privilege as a member of the
household of God, but it is also a wonderful
thanksgiving offering to God for His abundant grace and
mercy through the gift of the Holy Priesthood.
If you would like to take the Elijah Cup home for a
week, please call Helen, our parish secretary, at
453-6677, ext. 8 or email her at
hagangemi@velocity.net, and simply give her your
name and telephone number, and one of our Secular
Franciscans will get back to you and arrange a day and
mass time.
Thank you!
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