1. Who are the Intercessors?
Strengthened by this idea that everyone can be called to intercede, the ‘Intercessors’ Family’ invites its members, in line with Father Caffarel’s thinking, to find themselves in a Church Movement to pray for Christian marriage and the family.
God counts on our prayer of intercession.
During his talks, Father Caffarel often spoke of it:
“The Christian who prays fulfils the call that Jesus allows him hear in the secret of his soul, the very one that God already addressed to the those under the Ancient Law: My son, give me your heart. Give me your heart, your lips, your life. I wish to adore the Father in you and through you, to sing his praises, to give him thanks for his great glory and invincible love, to continue my immense intercession for humanity in distress.”
(Letters about Prayer – 1961)
Who are we today?
The family of ‘Intercessors’ developed over the years and has evolved in response to new needs. It spread throughout the world, all the while maintaining its specific nature.
Through its members’ intercession, a continuous chain of prayer is maintained both day and night, prayer to which a great number of couples are united in love…without mentioning all the other graces obtained.
Prayer, fasting and the daily offering up of one’s life are the three ways of becoming an Intercessor.
A chain of intercession is thus created thanks to the commitment of the members of this large family as everyone assumes their personal responsibility in complete consciousness of their faith.
Without necessarily knowing each other, the Intercessors feel connected to each other through the Quarterly Letter that they receive along with specific personal intentions. They also get together in France for retreats at Massabielle that are specifically designed for them and where the teachings are oriented around prayer and intercession.
An international organisational team is at the service of the Intercessors and is helped by a Spiritual Counsellor.
→ Discover the presence of the Intercessors in the world.
→ Download the Information booklet about the Intercessors
→ Read the intervention of Gérard and Marie-Christine de Roberty in Rome : Third International Gathering of Regional Couples – September 2015.
2. Intercessors Prayer
Intention générale : Seigneur, Tu nous as donné Marie comme Mère et modèle pour nos familles. Aide-nous à faire de notre famille un lieu où l’amour, la paix et la joie règnent. Que chacun soit bienveillant, doux, attentionné, patient. Que chacun ne voit que le bien dans l’autre. Que les époux soient remplis de tendresse l’un pour l’autre. Que nous soyons unis dans les joies comme dans les épreuves grâce à la prière. Que la prière soit au cœur de notre famille. Que nous puissions être profondément contemplatifs, intensément eucharistiques, et vibrants de joie.
Avec le Pape François : « que les familles en difficulté reçoivent le soutien nécessaire et que les enfants puissent grandir dans un environnement sain et serein. »
Father Marcovits Meditation:
Life is just like that and we know it. There is a time for truly happy moments and a time for ordeals that we never wished to face. We could complain, but that is not helpful. It is better to look, if possible, to the future, and seek to see how or what we are experiencing contributes to life, to love.
Father Caffarel will enlighten us. «Avidity, lies, presumption, precipitation, so many defects that are more or less found in all types of young love. It is only with time, it is only when tested (and the test of time is not the smallest of tests) that the defects of youth are gradually corrected by love. Then, affirmed and confirmed, it enters into a new phase. The spiritual masters teach us that man in his quest for God must first purify himself during the first stage of the spiritual journey, that they call, “the purgative life.” Only afterwards will he enter into the “illuminative life,” where the stress will be put on, no longer the defects to be corrected, but on the progress to be made in love. This passage from one path to the other is called the “second conversion.” This is a general law of love, of all love, and therefore of married love.”
In the course of a couple’s life, love seeks to purify itself so that it can progressively become more vigorous and beautiful. There are probably prerequisite passages. The light or shadows can alternate up until the moment when a certain stability is established. The ordeals themselves can become fruitful because, freed from their weight, they show us that the love that is in us is stronger than we thought: it holds strong. The ordeals also tell us that it is possible to love each other beyond everything else. Father Caffarel talks about a “second conversion.” It becomes the strong foundation of life. Love and its joy develop. Tremors can still occur… The essential thing has been experienced and lived through and hope is there. We can get through the ordeal more serenely.
The Lord leads us therefore through our human love to one where his divine love comes to reside.
Father Paul-Dominique Marcovits, o.p., Spiritual Counsellor to the Intercessors
Intercession is not a speciality, nor a particular mystical state.
It’s open to all Christians, who enter in to prayer with the Lord.
It’s a prayer of communion with the Spirit and with the Father’s desire that all be saved.
It’s a prayer, inspired by the Spirit that is attentive to the salvation of all, to the healing of all wounds, the most hidden and secret ones as well as the most visible ones.
It’s the offering up of our lives, with Christ, in favour of our closest and most distant brothers and sisters.
May they pray… for every home and most especially for those who particularly count on them.
Intercessors’ Prayer:
You sent your beloved Son to save the world. He is now seated at Your right hand where he ceaselessly intercedes for his human brothers.
Born by the Spirit, we wish to unite ourselves to his prayer for the salvation of all.
May priests and couples be faithful to their commitments in the service of the Church’s communion, by glowing with the love that you have put in their hearts.
May all your children throughout the world discover the happiness you give and may they live in respect, dignity, joy and peace.
God, Our Father, through the intercession of Our Lady and of all the saints, let us Intercessors, fulfil our service out of love for you and out of love for men.
3. Become an Intercessor
• Either for an hour of prayer a month and preferable during the night,• Or for a day of fasting a month,• Or by daily offering up our joys and difficulties or suffering in union with the Intercessors.
