These words of St. Paul to the Philippians are indeed fitting for the World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests – on the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. With this expression of love from St. Paul, we, as ordained ministers, can uniquely relate in spirit to which we are called in celebration of this occasion.
On the occasion of the World Day of Vocations last April 25,2021, Pope Francis sent a message to the whole Church, the focus of which was on the model of St. Joseph, as the year dedicated to him is still going on. It might be a good exercise to go back to those words of Pope Francis now in the context of the Day of Prayer for Priests. In the said message were three key words – dream, service and fidelity, all of which are addressed to all vocations and keeping in mind the example of St. Joseph.
The call of God to the priesthood most of the time changes our dreams like in the case of St. Joseph. For sure he had other plans in his life when God came through dreams to give him a new direction. Only those hearts with the affection of Christ are able to listen and overcome their own dreams. Responding to the call of God, a priest enters not into his dream, but into the dream and plan of God for him, something greater and higher than his own fragilities. Like a dream, this call, at least in the beginning looks like so small and fragile; however, it is the same small seed that God grows. Our “yes” to God, as a response to a specific ministry, may not be true, not possible to the eyes of many. Maybe our first yes may have been clouded with a shadow of doubts; yet, “every ‘yes’ bears fruit because it becomes part of a larger design, of which we are only a miniscule and insignificant part, but which the divine Artist knows and carries out, making every life a masterpiece.” (MWDV)* as St. Joseph the priest is called day after day to enter into the dream of God with its joys and risks. In such path, one can experience the affection of Christ when we abandon ourselves confidently to his grace.
The second element that Pope Francis brought to our reflection was service. Taking the words of the Master; “the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life.” (Mt 20:28) would be sufficient to capture the whole picture of service. We cannot emphasize enough this word related to the priesthood: Service. Recently the Ratio Fundamentalis Institutionis Sacerdotalis (RFIS) highlighted the well-known teaching of the Church, the fruit of the Vatican II concerning the priesthood as service: “The ministerial priesthood is understood both in its own specific nature and in its biblical and theological foundations, as a service to the glory of God and to the brothers and sisters in their baptismal priesthood.” (LG 10/RFIS 31)
The true priestly service is modelled in the very life of St. Joseph. As the “Gospels show how Joseph lived entirely for others and never for himself... His service and sacrifices were only possible, however, because they were sustained by a greater love: Every true vocation is born of the gift of oneself, which is the fruit of a mature sacrifice. The priesthood and consecrated life likewise require this kind of maturity.” (MWDV)* Needless to say that these all come from the grace and mercy of God for us, men with strengths and sores. Furthermore, the Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests Presbyterorum Ordinis 3, points out the necessary elements for those called to the service in the priestly office as shepherds: “To achieve this aim, certain virtues, which in human affairs are deservedly esteemed, contribute a great deal: such as goodness of heart, sincerity, strength and constancy of mind, zealous pursuit of justice, affability, and others.” These make possible the dream of God for all those called to the ministry.
The ministerial priesthood is at the service of the common priesthood of the faithful and is complemented by the harmony of a one-and-only priestly people. This is why the priest is neither, firstly or mainly, a boss or an authority, but a brother among brothers in the common priesthood, called, like all the faithful, to yield his life as a spiritual offering pleasing to the Father. At the same time, he is sent to exercise a merciful and fatherly function in the service of authority. At this point, it is useful to bring to mind the words of one of the Fathers of the Church: “Where there is mercy there is the spirit of the Lord, and where there is rigidity there are only his ministers”. (St Ambrose)
In conclusion the word fidelity crowns the spirit for this World Day of Prayer. For sure fidelity is the most important component in all Christian vocations. This fidelity is the secret of joy. Being faithful to the call allows one to live at peace, freeing us from the fatigue of serving many lords. Furthermore, thinking about the ministerial priesthood and fidelity Saint John Paul II in Pastores Dabo Vobis (17) reminds all that: “The ministerial priesthood does not of itself signify a greater degree of holiness with regard to the common priesthood of the faithful; through it, Christ gives to priests, in the Spirit, a particular gift so that they can help the People of God to exercise faithfully and fully the common priesthood which it has received.” Fidelity is required from all.
It seems fitting in these days, to quote number 1550 of the Catechism:
“This presence of Christ in the minister is not to be understood as if the latter were preserved from all human weaknesses, the spirit of domination, error, and even sin. The power of the Holy Spirit does not guarantee all acts of ministers in the same way. While this guarantee extends to the Sacraments, so that even the minister’s sin cannot impede the fruit of grace, in many other acts the minister leaves human traces that are not always signs of fidelity to the Gospel and consequently can harm the apostolic fruitfulness of the Church.”
Celebrating World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests – on the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, with the words of St Paul to the Philippians, is always new and challenging for all ministers of the Church. In these, we can reflect about the dreams, service, fidelity and mission entrusted to us and required from us to live it out “...with the affection of Christ Jesus.” (Phil 1:8) #
*MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE FRANCIS FOR THE 2021 WORLD DAY OF VOCATIONS – Saint Joseph: The Dream of Vocation
