Day 90. The Road: The Way of the Minister in Priesthood
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were...like sheep without a shepherd. Then [Jesus] said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.
Matthew 9:36-38
Her beauty is breathtaking. She is a woman of easy manner and graceful stride. Elegant without pretensions. Radiant without effort. Her laughter is like music or the splash of a waterfall on smooth stones; the curve of her cheek as graceful as the sweep of a sparrow in flight. She can hold her own amongst the keenest minds, yet in a heartbeat she will dance with the playfulness of a child when something delights her. To see her is to love her. When she enters the room, all the other women envy her, and every man desires her for himself. Who will win her heart? Whom will she choose? She is most selective, most seductive, most elusive, most rewarding as a lover. She is worthy of everything a man can give. But what man will dare approach her without fear?
She is the Church. The bride of Christ. Adorned with virtues, more alive and youthful today (is it possible?) than when she sprang from the side of her beloved whose heart, for her, was pierced. He, the Bridegroom, seeks in every age men who will treasure this bride as he does; who will see her fair countenance through his eyes.
His search has fallen on hard times. There are so few men who see the Bride’s true beauty. So many whose hearts are cold; loving only idols and self-centered pursuits. The voice of the Bridegroom is not silent. His call still sounds. But few listen, and few, it seems, give heed.
What is a lover? The voice of the world tells a man that lovers are pleasure-providers, sexual stimulators, both usable and disposable. The voice of the bridegroom tells a man that he is to be the lover – the one who gives all for this Bride because she is worthy. Where is this man to be found?
You will find him in seminaries, in rectories, in monasteries, in soup kitchens, in confessionals, at altars and in cathedrals. You will find him singing the praises of his Beloved and serving her night and day. You will find him attentively offering her forgiveness in the name of the Shepherd. You will find him offering sacrifice so that she may be brought to perfection. There are not many such men; not many such lovers. But their numbers are growing.
“Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.’ He said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’” (Jn. 21:15) As we look to the face of Christ on the mountaintop, we look first at the vision presented to us by the witness of the minister. The words “minister” and “ministry” are used for almost any function in the Church these days. But “minister” has one meaning that stands far above all others. By the sacrament of Holy Orders, the priest is sealed with an indelible and permanent mark of the soul. He is set apart as “another Christ,” and is reconfigured in his very being to the person of Jesus. Thus to be Christ is to be a minister, in persona Christi.
Is this elitist? Patriarchal power plays crying out for reform? Many seem to think so. We, the people in the pews, have been bamboozled by the world. We fall into the trap of seeing priesthood in terms of power and prestige; some exclusive men’s club; an inner circle where all the action is. It should be open to all, we object (on cue), not to the select few. Such is the skew.
Real priesthood, however, is service; foot washing. “Feed my lambs.” We forget that in the Church, it is holiness, not admittance to the hierarchy, which is crucial. Ordination doesn’t save me. Transformation does. And holiness is open to all. The priest’s role is important precisely because he is at the service of this transformation. He reconciles the world to Christ. He teaches, preaches, instructs, corrects, forgives and most essentially, he offers the holy sacrifice.
What, then, is a priest? He is first and foremost a man whose heart has been taken captive. He loves the Church with the heart of the Bridegroom and “lays down his life for her.” (Eph. 5:25) He is able to look with patience at the shortcomings of those who fill her ranks not only because he his familiar with his own sin (Hb.5:2), but because he sees human failure with the Shepherd’s eyes of love and tenderness – as the flock entrusted to him. “God’s flock is in your midst, give it a shepherd’s care.” (1 Pt. 5:2) He is with them to baptize at birth, to give communion and confirmation; to witness their vows of matrimony, to comfort them in sickness, to reconcile them in penance and to send them with food for the journey when they go home to glory.
Jesus orders his Church through his ministers. His hierarchy includes both bishops and priests. Often enough, people confuse these titles with popes and cardinals and monsignors as stepping stones in a long chain of command, but in fact the first two roles (“offices”) are most important. The bishop is an “overseer,” entrusted with the teaching of the Gospel for his particular area (called, fittingly, a “see”). His boss is Jesus, not the pope. While the pope’s role is to be, in effect, the first among equals, it is important to remember that in the structure of the hierarchy, no bishop is more “bishop” than any other.
It is the bishop who confers and mediates this unique authority, received directly from Christ, to each priest he ordains. When his hands are placed upon a priest-candidate, and the sacrament of holy orders is imparted, it is the power of the Holy Spirit that descends to give the faculties (abilities) necessary for the priestly office. Should a priest betray the trust of the Church, he may have his faculties suspended by the bishop, but he remains a priest forever.
“…You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.” (Mt. 16:18) Jesus is the master builder. A carpenter by trade, it is clear that he understood the dangers of initiating a building project on poor ground. Such, he teaches, would be the act of a fool (Mt. 7:24-27). In criticizing the structures of the Church, it would be smart to remember by whom they are established. In every age, the Master architect continues to build up the structure by choosing men who are loyal and faithful stewards.
“Who, then, is the faithful and prudent steward whom the master will put in charge of his servants to distribute the food allowance at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so. Truly, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property.” (Lk 12:42f) The greatest duty of the priest is to offer the holy sacrifice of the Mass. In this he is a visible sign to all the baptized of the perfect offering being made eternally by the High Priest Jesus in the heavenly temple. “Now he (Jesus) has obtained so much more excellent a ministry as he is mediator of a better covenant, enacted on better promises.” (Hb 8:6)
The vocation of priesthood calls forth everything a man can give. It will test his limits and surpass his abilities. If he is truly generous in his self-gift, he will gradually become what he offers on the altar. A pleasing aroma to the Lord; a sacrifice wholly consumed. This is not a glamorous job. Maybe it was esteemed in the past. Not these days. It is intense effort. Endless labor. Anxious concern. Deep yearning for the life and salvation of God’s people, motivated by the heart of the Shepherd. It also happens to be among the greatest enterprises to which a man can give his lowly life.
“Every high priest is taken from among men and made their representative before God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring, for he himself is beset by weakness and so, for this reason, must make sin offerings for himself as well as for the people. No one takes this honor upon himself but only when called by God…” (Hb. 5:1-4)
“Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?’ ‘Here I am,’ I said; ‘send me!’ (Is. 6:8)
Novena Prayer
Jesus says: Blessed are you when they revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.
Pier Giorgio responds: We who by the grace of God are Catholics must steel ourselves for the battle we shall certainly have to fight to fulfill our program and to give our country, in the not too distant future, happier days and a morally healthy society. But to achieve this we need constant prayer to obtain from God that grace without which all our powers are useless.
Let us Pray: Blessed Pier Giorgio, show me how to bear all wrongs patiently. Help me to accept the sufferings which others inflict on me because of my desire to be faithful to Jesus.
Blessed Pier Giorgio, I ask for your intercession in obtaining from God, Who protects the innocent, all the graces necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare. I confidently turn to you for help in my present need:
(in your own words, ask for the Lord to grant you the grace of a priestly vocation. Also, pray for priestly vocations to increase in the Church).
A Book of Prayers in Honor of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, by Rev. Timothy E. Deeter
Make it My Own
Daily Discernment Workbook
A QUOTE TO NOTE
1. What is the Call?
The (priestly vocation) is a call, by the sacrament of holy orders received in the Church, to place oneself at the service of the People of God with a particular belonging and configuration to Jesus Christ and with the authority of acting "in the name and in the person" of him who is head and shepherd of the Church.
I Will Give You Shepherds, Pastores Dabo Vobis, St. John Paul II, 1992 (#35)
According to this description, what key qualities define the priestly vocation? List at least five.
2. Gift and Gratitude
… It is God who takes the initiative in the call.... The absolute primacy of grace in vocation is most perfectly proclaimed in the words of Jesus: "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide" (Jn. 15:16). (#36)… God's free and sovereign decision to call man calls for total respect. It cannot be forced in the slightest by any human ambition, and it cannot be replaced by any human decision. Vocation is a gift of God's grace and never a human right, such that "one can never consider priestly life as a simply human affair, nor the mission of the minister as a simply personal project."(101) Every claim or presumption on the part of those called is thus radically excluded (cf. Heb 5:4ff ). Their entire heart and spirit should be filled with an amazed and deeply felt gratitude, an unshakable trust and hope, because those who have been called know that they are rooted not in their own strength but in the unconditional faithfulness of God who calls.
I Will Give You Shepherds, Pastores Dabo Vobis, St. John Paul II, 1992 (#36)
Suppose you met a man applying to seminary who said, “When I got laid off as a reporter, I decided I needed a more stable job. I figure priesthood is as good as any. Steady income, a place to stay and you’re doing something fulfilling.” Using the quote above, how would I go about explaining to this man that priesthood is not simply another career?
BREAK OPEN YOUR BIBLE
3. The Heart of the Shepherd
The letters of Peter express the vision and wisdom of the Prince of the Apostles and the first chosen steward of Christ’s flock on earth. His counsel is unparalleled for forming the spirit of any man considering ordination and sacerdotal service. Therefore we linger and reflect on what St. Peter says about the task of shepherding…
I Peter 4:10-11
10 As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace:
People often focus on the authority of priests – as if their only purpose is to hold power as “rulers” in the Church. Though it is true that priests hold authority, scripture uses the word “steward” to describe their role. How would I explain the difference between a steward, entrusted with a responsibility, and a ruler, imposing his will as he pleases?
How is a priest a steward more than a ruler?
11 whoever speaks, as one who utters oracles of God;
Here Peter talks about the task of preaching. To preach God’s word, then, is a sacred trust. If called upon to preach, how should I approach this task differently from other forms of public speaking?
whoever renders service, as one who renders it by the strength which God supplies;
Priests today bear many responsibilities and this appears to be growing due to the shortage of new vocations. If it troubles me that becoming a priest might be too demanding, how does this line speak to my fears?
…in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
How is the relationship of the priest to Jesus Christ different from that of any other vocation in the Church? What does this special relationship enable the priest to do for God’s flock?
I Peter 5:1-4
1 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ as well as a partaker in the glory that is to be revealed.
Peter invokes his special role and authority as an apostle (a witness of Christ), but notice that he also speaks as a fellow elder. What priests, bishops and popes can I think of who, in my life, have shown this same ability to balance authority with an air of approachable companionship?
2 Tend the flock of God that is your charge, not by constraint but willingly,
Caring for God’s people is challenging (think of Moses – Ex. 17:4)! No one should take on this responsibility unless he experiences a specific call and the grace that goes with it. A sense of obligation is not enough. Love must be the essential motive for a man to become a priest. How does love change a priest’s service from a duty to a joyful offering?
…not for shameful gain but eagerly,
A man must always search his heart so that his motives for serving God’s flock don’t grow self-centered. Some examples of “shameful gain” are well known to us by the headlines and the scandals we read about with sadness. But other false motives are more subtle. Can I think of some? Consider such motives as wanting to be the “star” young priest, or having a following of “fans” at some future parish.
3 not as domineering over those in your charge but being examples to the flock.
Here the leader of all priests says, “Lead by example.” What are three ways I can apply this very specifically if I were called to the vocation of priesthood?
4 And when the chief Shepherd is manifested you will obtain the unfading crown of glory.
A priest, as well as anyone who ministers to God’s people, will be judged by how well he fulfills that role as an image of Christ. Knowing this, how will I live my own discipleship more faithfully and radically to be ready to model the Good Shepherd who “lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11)?
To Inspire My Desire
In the presence of God’s holy gifts, the priest is filled with awe but also humility. The awareness of the vast separation between heaven and earth is felt in the knowledge of God’s power contrasted with his own weaknesses and human limitations. But this leads to an act of faith – a confident confession of God’s ability to transform something ordinary into a holy vessel filled with his very presence. Read this prayerfully to conclude today’s reflections.
The Priesthood
from The Temple by George Herbert, 1633
Blest Order, which in power dost so excell,
That with th’ one hand thou liftest to the sky,
And with the other throwest down to hell
In thy just censures; fain would I draw nigh,
Fain put thee on, exchanging my lay-sword
For that of th’ holy Word.
But thou art fire, sacred and hallow’d fire;
And I but earth and clay: should I presume
To wear thy habit, the severe attire
My slender compositions might consume.
I am both foul and brittle; much unfit
To deal in holy Writ.
Yet have I often seen, by cunning hand
And force of fire, what curious things are made
Of wretched earth. Where once I scorn’d to stand,
That earth is fitted by the fire and trade
Of skilfull artists, for the boards of those
Who make the bravest shows.
But since those great ones, be they ne’re so great,
Come from the earth, from whence those vessels come;
So that at once both feeder, dish, and meat
Have one beginning and one final summe:
I do not greatly wonder at the sight,
If earth in earth delight.
But th’ holy men of God such vessels are,
As serve him up, who all the world commands:
When God vouchsafeth to become our fare,
Their hands convey him, who conveys their hands.
O what pure things, most pure must those things be,
Who bring my God to me!
Wherefore I dare not, I, put forth my hand
To hold the Ark,1 although it seems to shake
Through th’ old sinnes and new doctrines of our land.
Onely, since God doth often vessels make
Of lowly matter for high uses meet,
I throw me at his feet.
There will I lie, untill my Maker seek
For some mean stuffe thereon to show his skill:
Then is my time. The distance of the meek
Doth flatter power. Lest good come short of ill
In praising might, the poore do by submission
What pride by opposition.
STORIES OF FAITH
4. “December Night”
In Willa Cather’s inspiring tale “Death Comes for the Archbishop,” we see the struggles of establishing the faith in the Americas. In her fictional account of the early days of the Church in New Mexico, she describes Father Latour’s crisis of faith one lonely night and what brings him back to clarity and peace. Follow the link below to read the full chapter.
ONE NIGHT ABOUT THREE WEEKS BEFORE CHRISTMAS he was lying in his bed, unable to sleep, with the sense of failure clutching at his heart. His prayers were empty words and brought him no refreshment. His soul had become a barren field. He had nothing within himself to give his priests or his people. His work seemed superficial, a house built upon the sands. His great diocese was still a heathen country. The Indians travelled their old road of fear and darkness, battling with evil omens and ancient shadows. The Mexicans were children who played with their religion.
As the night wore on, the bed on which the Bishop lay became a bed of thorns; he could bear it no longer. Getting up in the dark, he looked out of the window and was surprised to find that it was snowing, that the ground was already lightly covered. The full moon, hidden by veils of cloud, threw a pale phosphorescent luminousness over the heavens, and the towers of the church stood up black against this silvery fleece. Father Latour felt a longing to go into the church to pray; but instead he lay down again under his blankets. Then, realizing that it was the cold of the church he shrank from, and despising himself, he rose again, dressed quickly, and went out into the court, throwing on over his cassock that faithful old cloak that was the twin of Father Vaillant's.
They had bought the cloth for those coats in Paris, long ago, when they were young men staying at the Seminary for Foreign Missions in the rue du Bac, preparing for their first voyage to the New World. The cloth had been made up into caped riding-cloaks by a German tailor in Ohio, and lined with fox fur. Years afterward, when Father Latour was about to start on his long journey in search of his Bishopric, that same tailor had made the cloaks over and relined them with squirrel skins, as more appropriate for a mild climate. These memories and many others went through the Bishop's mind as he wrapped the trusty garment about him and crossed the court to the sacristy, with the big iron key in his hand.
The court was white with snow, and the shadows of walls and buildings stood out sharply in the faint light from the moon muffled in vapour. In the deep doorway of the sacristy he saw a crouching figure--a woman, he made out, and she was weeping bitterly. He raised her up and took her inside. As soon as he had lit a candle, he recognized her, and could have guessed her errand.
It was an old Mexican woman, called Sada, who was slave in an American family.
Excerpt from: Death Comes for the Archbishop
by Willa Cather
Want to Read More?
See separate document: Day 90: Way of Minister, Cather, Excerpt
Conclude with
“Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be.
World without end, Amen.”
[1] The scandals in the Church today are seen in part in the failings of a few priests. What is largely ignored is the equally scandalous failure among the laity. We in the pews have failed to effectively carry the message of salvation to the world. The Priesthood of the Ordained is at the service of the priesthood (small “p”) of the baptized. As a priestly people, we are sent out to offer the world the gifts which the priest offers on the altar. Has our evangelization been fruitful? Apparently not. If, for example, every parish in the United States produced a single priest from her ranks every 10 years, there would be no priest shortage.