J.M.J.
A little while ago, I met a young man on the street, and, turning to me he said; "I would really like to be like you, serving mankind . . ." "But my dear friend," I replied, "I serve God. If I do any good to mankind, it is purely for the love of God." This reply made no sense to him. Many, I fear, have such a notion about the priesthood.
There are three great functions of the priest: Prayer, Preaching and the administration of the Sacraments. Prayer is the first and most important. If one is to give souls anything, one must first posses something. If a priest is to call down grace upon souls, he is first to unite himself with Our Lord Jesus Christ who is the source of all grace. "Oportet semper orare" (St.Luke 18;1). "It is necessary always to pray", teaches Our Divine Master. The fathers of the Church have always understood this passage as meaning that we should often pray so that the soul is continually under its influence. A priest that does not pray runs not only the danger of not being able to draw down graces on souls entrusted to him, but even, and more so, of turning against his own priesthood and damning his soul. "A priest", says the Venerable Father Libermann, "who is not a saint, is a monster in the order of grace. "Once a priest stops praying, he will begin by giving himself. But should a p!
riest not be as transparent as glass so as to impart not himself, but Christ into souls? Where is your last end, union with the priest or with God? A priest who intentionally attracts a soul to his own self, is more dangerous than the devil himself. It was given to him to be a mediator between God and man, not to be an end in himself.
Such is the importance of prayer that Our Holy Mother the Church has put in the hands of the priest the breviary. So the Church helps the priest to accomplish his most important work. Many souls do not understand. They want the priest to be social, they want him to run around always visiting the sick, helping the poor, etc. etc. If and when they see this, they exclaim; "Oh what a wonderful priest!" How great is their surprise when they see this same priest fall, when suddenly he leaves the priesthood, goes into the world and even tries to get married. "What happened, he was so good?" What happened? He dislocated himself from the source of grace who is Christ, thought he could do it on his own, found much favor in the eyes of the world, thought he was doing a wonderful work, and then . . . then found that he had no more strength to combat the most evil of foes, the devil himself.
What would become of the second and third functions of the priest without the first. Would his preaching, however eloquent it might be, instill in your hearts a profound contrition for sin and a deep desire for amendment of life and union with God? If I wish to marvel at eloquence and lavishness in language, I would go to the theater. If I desire to amend my life and learn more about God, I would seek it from his sacred ministers . . . and expect to find it. What about the Sacraments? Valid they would certainly be, for their operation does not depend upon the state of the priest, but would they not be tarnished in some way or another by the priest's unholiness? Indeed they would be. My dear friends, Christ in His goodness gave us this great gift of the holy priesthood so that we may be brought close to Him in this way. He did not, nevertheless, take away the weak human nature of his minister but gave him a precept of prayer. This it would be which would make him a man of!
God, this it would be by which he will draw down much grace for your soul.
Let me therefore entreat you to pray very much, not only for many vocations to this holy state, but also for priests that they may ever remember their calling and fortify it by the grace of God through much prayer. May the ever Blessed Virgin Mary, who is the mother of the great high priest, Jesus Christ, ever stand by you, guide you and protect you until that happy day that you may be united to her Son for all eternity.
Servus Mariae
Rev. Fr. C. Daniels
>From the St. Aloysius Gonzaga Camp/Retreat Center newsletter (Los Gatos, CA).
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Prayers for Holy Priests (http://olrl.org/pray/Priests.shtml).
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The Latin Mass on video:
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Sincerely in Christ,
Our Lady of the Rosary Library
"Pray and work for souls"
http://olrl.org
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