Be my priest

Holy Thursday, which we have just celebrated, commemorates the institution of the sacraments of the Eucharist and Holy Orders. The sacrificial meal of the Body and the Blood of the Lord is perpetuated thanks to the Church's ministers' obedience to Christ's command:

"Do this in memory of me"
(Lk 22:19).

Being a priest means representing existentially and sacramentally Jesus Christ. In his encyclical letter Sacerdotalis Celibatus, Pope Paul VI gives a concise yet thorough portrait of the life and the mission of the priest: "In the community of the faithful committed to his charge, the priest represents Christ. Thus, it is most fitting that in all things he should reproduce the image of Christ and in particular follow His example, both in his personal and in his apostolic life.

"To his children in Christ, the priest is a sign and a pledge of that sublime and new reality which is the kingdom of God; he dispenses it and he possesses it to a more perfect degree. Thus, he nourishes the faith and hope of all Christians..." (# 31).

If a loyal servant is the one who interiorises the commands and the wishes of his master, how much more the priest is called to make his own the vision, words and attitudes of Jesus? One of the most effective ways that helps the ordained minister to be Christ's genuine representative here on earth is precisely that of sitting at the Lord's feet and listening to his teaching (see Lk 10.39).

The classical monastic practice of the Lectio Divina, that is the prayerful reading of the Bible, is a great asset to the priest's searching of the height and the depth of the love of God in Jesus Christ for him.

In the solitude of his inner room, the priest discovers that outstanding light, which comes from Christ's gospel; that light at whose sight, the minister cannot but exclaim with fervent hope, joy and trust in the One who is calling his name: "speak, Lord, for thy servant hears" (1 Sam 3, 9).

Prayer educates the priest in the art of listening, precisely by allowing God to speak to him at His designed time. In that arduous yet rewarding experience of intense prayer, the priest learns to wait on God, to see his life and projects as coming and leading to Christ, his Divine Shepherd. Most of all, he realises that, in whatever he does, it is Christ himself who is at work through him. Prayer imbues the priest with the joy and peace of the Holy Spirit, so badly needed in our liturgical celebrations!

Every priest who is doing his utmost to "follow [Christ] wherever he goes" (Rev 14, 4), lives the Eucharist he celebrates by washing the feet of his community. Although he is not a problem solver, he makes himself available for others with great generosity. Through him, Christ still invites those who are afflicted with life's hardships: "come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matt 11,28).

It is our prayer that we priests be shining examples of Christ's love, gentleness, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal 5,22-23). If we priests struggle to live out these Christian values, then we can easily radiate Christ's very being to the people we minister and encounter.

When ministering to each person, let us not forget the wise insight given to us by Fr Lev Gillet, in his simple and profound book Serve The Lord With Gladness: "I live for you. I belong to you, because I belong to Jesus Christ. I recognise your right to place your hand on me and to consider me as your servant. Whoever you may be, you who need me in this moment, you are, in the very instant you speak to me, the soul more important to me than any other. You have a right to my entire capacity for devotion and love. I consecrate myself to you".

Is this not what being Christ's priest means in today's world?