Dear Father - Celebrating the Gift of Priesthood

I’ll be honest. Weddings are not always my favorite thing to celebrate. Don’t get me wrong, there are many parts of them that are enjoyable. But, I am much more interested in the beginning of a man and a woman’s marriage, than I am the wedding itself. I always pray that every marriage will be lifelong and fruitful. Along those lines, it is always joyful when a married couple celebrate their wedding anniversary. This is often a very meaningful day for them, and it is especially happy when it is a very special anniversary, such as their silver or golden anniversary.

People may not always think about it, but the same goes for priests and the anniversary of their priestly ordination. Similar to the beginning of marriage, we should be more interested in the man’s priesthood than we are in his ordination day. This year, we have a number of priests in our diocese who are celebrating their special anniversaries of 25 or 40 or 50 or even 60 years of priesthood. Our shepherd, Bishop Bradley, and our diocese both mark their 50th anniversaries this year; Bishop’s on May 1 and the diocese’s establishment by Pope St. Paul VI on July 21.

These special priestly jubilees give us cause to be reminded of the treasure we all have — our priests. At the beginning of his priesthood, initiated by the laying on of hands by the bishop, the priest is transformed. He becomes a man “in persona Christi,” that is, “in the person of Christ.” From that moment, despite his own unworthiness, weaknesses and even sinfulness, his soul is marked for all eternity as one of the Risen Christ’s priests. Jesus reminds us, “You did not choose me, but I chose you.” (Jn 15:16) That’s true for all of us. But it is true for a priest in a unique way. Here we can be reminded of the words of the Lord to the prophet Jeremiah: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jer 1:5) 

And yet, while that does, in a sense, separate the priest out from others in a unique way, it does not mean he is infallible and perfect. Instead, priests are more of a servant than those whose souls are entrusted to his care. But in a world that often criticizes or wishes to diminish the role of a priest, we must recognize who a priest is and what he does. St. John Vianney, Patron Saint of Parish Priests, said this: “If we had faith, we would see God hidden in the priest like a light behind the glass, like wine mixed with water. How great is the priest! If he really understood (this), he would die. ... God obeys him: he says two words and Our Lord descends from heaven at hearing this voice and closes himself in a small host.”

But this is true only if the priest is willing to go to the cross. Priesthood and suffering are intimately connected. A priest cannot stand “in the person of Christ” if he is not willing to go to the cross as Christ himself did. Priesthood is not a title; it is a sacrifice. It is a gift. It is a call. Priesthood and a man become one in the same at the moment of his ordination.

Next to holiness, the second most needed attribute for priests to possess is to be men who are joyful and happy. Every priest has his strengths and his weaknesses, but he should emulate holiness and joy in a contagious and inspirational way for his flock. That is his role as a servant to his people, as one who stands in for Christ. So, as we celebrate special priestly jubilees and anniversaries, let’s thank God for the gift of these vocations. And let’s pray we remain supportive of them.