Fr Mark Cauchi osa, Valletta
Priests' primary mission
Moved by the letter of Jacqueline Calleja, A Prayer For Priests To Continue In Their Mission (January 1), I wish to say that it is true that priests need prayers. Jesus during the Last Supper, in the so-called Oratio Sacerdotalis, prayed for the priests thus: "I do not pray that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but thou shouldest keep them from the evil one. Sanctify them in truth... Father, keep them in thy name, those thou hast given me..." (John17:15-17).
Priests need prayers to continue their mission. Mgr Anton Gauci a few years ago urged the clergy, especially parish priests, to help their bishop. He lamented that some priests and parish priests preferred to undertake activities other than pastoral ones, putting their priestly duties in second place. Thank the Lord these are only a few, he added. The priest's first obligation is to fulfil his priestly duties.
A comment in Il-Mument (November 29) ran: Sometimes some priests prefer to work in the office than in the church. Some do not know that the confessional exists because they are always busy. A priest, especially a parish priest, is a spiritual pastor, not an organiser.
I am afraid that some do not know that a confessional exists. They enter the church only when they celebrate in person because they are always busy.
Yet a priest is a spiritual pastor, says Cardinal Colombo.
Pope Benedict XVI said we are in need of holy priests. He does not want part-time priests but full-timers.
The Archbishop of Calabria urged his clergy not to seek material works so that the faithful would not speak badly against them because they have abandoned their pastoral work.
Once, a priest visited St John M. Vianney, telling him about his activities. The Cure' d'Ars answered him: How many times have you gone to knock at the Tabernacle?
Augustine said some priests did not have vocation for priesthood or they had lost it.
In French churches, after Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, these invocations are said: Lord, give us priests; Lord, give us holy priests; Lord give us many holy priests.
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Joe Portelli
Jan 14th 2010, 22:24
@ William Flynn
Intellect cannot ignore the fact that all the science and technology man has today, depended on thousands of years of previous learnings. The people that heated water for the first time had no idea that this would lead to an ocean liner crossing the atlantic using steam power.
Man has been inspired to do greater things than moving mountain. On the opposite side, man likes to Win but evolution drives him to select the fights so his chances of winning are high and man avoids picking fights where he is a great risk of loosing.
Is this why, some people pick on specific religions, such as Christianity or believersin God?
If not, why dont you spend some time in a strict muslim country and express your views there. I believe you would swollow all your thoughts. Here in a mainly Christian culture some people enjoy abuse, slagging off even poor nuns minding their own business.
You keep returning to the abuse of control, but that exists wherever man is found and NOT only in religious circles. Incidently religion and belief in God are different things and not to be painted with the same brush
Joseph Meli
Jan 14th 2010, 15:08
@Rosalie Freestone-Bayes: I agree with you..100%, but add what Neale Donald..Walsch, said on God. "I myself have had plenty of evidence of the existence of "God." I have seen from my own life..that "God" is a power, an energy that..can be used with consistent and predictable..results. I agree with Dawkins that God is not a celestial superpower, vindictive except with those who love Him - in the way He wants and needs them to love Him." he further stated "I have had a conversation with God, an inner dialogue with an essence and a source that has brought forth information I would never, could never, have..dreamt of on my own. That made it clear to me that God is a...process - the process of...life itself—and therefore that the words God and life are interchangeable. I feel the implications of this are staggering, earth...shaking, paradigm-shattering."
Finally he said "The existence of life is..confirmed by..life itself. Life is self-referencing, self-confirming, self-sustaining, and self-evident. Life is the evidence of the existence of life. Everyone alive knows these things. But..look what happens..when the word "God" is..inserted where the word "life" appears. That produces this result: Nothing stands outside of God...Nothing exists without God."
Rosalie Freestone-Bayes
Jan 14th 2010, 12:52
I suppose the worst moment for an atheist is when he says Thank God --in passing, and finds he hasn't got a god to thank. Although Professor Dawkins argues very intelligently in his latest book, I still found myself thinking there was something missing...
William P Flynn
Jan 14th 2010, 12:31
Mr Portelli, every religious believer is most likely an atheist. For example some devout Catholics who cross swords with me in these columns are atheists as regards Islam and the most holy Imam is atheist as to the divinity of Jesus. The most devout rabbi is atheist in relation to Jesus as the Messiah and so on. All of the above are atheist in relation to Zeus.
My blinding flash on the way to Tarsus would be a discovery of a two or three thousand year old papyrus forecasting the discovery of the internet in the 20th century; perhaps the co-ordinates of an inhabited planet; a revelation by god of a cure for cancer or MS. That type of thing.
Mountains have been moved by technology and science in spite of religion and the scriptures not as a result of them.
I get involved is because my intellect and freedom from religion are assailed by Catholic propaganda every day in my (secular)paper by priests and wannabe priests. Today, one has incited others to offend me with prayer.
Finally, you congratulated Mr Meli so you must have understood what he said. For that I take my hat off to you.
William P Flynn
Jan 14th 2010, 10:47
Jason Borg if your level of intellectual sophistication is stimulated by people speaking with a burning bush, angels getting sixteen year old women pregnant and marrying a 50 something man, (which would never be allowed nowadays and Joseph would have ended up on the paedophile register); well then I'm glad my intellect is unequal to yours.
Joe Portelli
Jan 14th 2010, 03:12
@ Joseph Meli & Rosalie Freestone-Bayes
I congratulate you both on the points you make very clear.
An atheist can and often be a good person no less than a good spiritual or believer.
I am always cautious of those who become atheist by default, because they have some psycholical missalignment and wilfuly waste their life attacking anyone that beliefs in anything.
These type of people, may be better off to accept the fact that whatever their opinion on any christian believers, happens not to be a christian believer's business - so the only harm they may be doing is to themselves , in that they are wasting their own short time on the only thing they believe in, this life. Why not be sensible and live and let live. Many good and reliable friends of mine are aethists. They make good christian when the become christians, because they do not believe in anything and suddendly they seem to KNOW , a state that we all pray for. Belief and pray are first steps knowing is the next phase.
" You don't see Angels and suddenly become Holy - First one must become Holy before you can see the Angels
joe portelli
Jan 14th 2010, 00:57
At William Flynn
Re your comment , quote "people’s time praying and quoting grab-bags of anachronistic, meaningless, yet easily manipulable scriptures ostensibly written by hallucinating Bronze Age shepherds ", funny how these scriptures inspired millions to move mountains over the past 2000 years and still ongoing.
What seperate Man from animal is 'awareness' of knowing waht is right and what is wrong. We share the same basic instincts of our body, but our mind has the burden and gift of responsible living. We spend our life learning by doing things, some of us learn that prayers help us focus our wandering minds.
Prayers motivate us. The opposite of Love is not Hate, it is not in love. The opposite of satisfied is not dissatisfied, it is not satisfied. To be satisfied with life we need psycological growth - we need a pupose, some call this a ministry, looking after a family, preaching, teaching , being a responsibel atheist too. Its all about the pupose in life.
Finally , it was clearly said to Peter when he was upset because his preaching was not well recieved, " Don be concerned, go wher people want to listen" Upto us to hear knocking.
wally vella-zarb
Jan 13th 2010, 22:58
Praying is an interesting concept. It implies that, through praying, one can influence the decision of a being that is held - by those doing the praying - to be supreme, all-knowing, just and almighty...
Gerry Cowie
Jan 13th 2010, 22:30
I should like to propose a prayer bouquet for Mr William Flynn and to invite anybody who wishes to join me in doing so. I think it is important that we should all pray for one another and show that even though we may sometimes disagree with one another we may still show that we care about everybody, whether or not they see things as we do.
Jason Borg
Jan 13th 2010, 18:51
@ William P. Flynn - while you have every right not to believe in God, your writing reveals nothing but your sheer ignorance on the scriptures, since most books in the Bible have very high literary value. Hardly the case of being written by "hallucinating Bronze Age shepherds".
Chris Reiff
Jan 13th 2010, 18:31
Dr.John Damai, I believe you are terribly wrong with what you've said. If I wrote about unicorns not existing wouldn't make me a believer in unicorns. JK Rowling doesn't believe in Harry Potter. Tolkien doesnt believe in Middle Earth.
To the rest, we don't need your prayers. You better pray for health and safety, which the poor Haitians who just got hit by an earthquake apparently haven't received.
evelyn vella brincat
Jan 13th 2010, 17:56
Well said Rosalie Freestone Bayes. I agree with you wholeheartedly!
John Smith
Jan 13th 2010, 16:02
@Rosalie Freestone-Bayes:::> I too agree with what you said about William P. Flynn, but do note that he is still at this very moment fast asleep, counting his sheep...........but if one of them goes astray, he won't leave them to find the lost one, as he does not care at all. So why worry...
Joseph Meli
Jan 13th 2010, 15:45
@Rosalie Freestone-Bayes:::> Well said and agree with you 100% but I think that our friend Mr. William P. Flynn really need our help in prayers for maybe he would find piece of mind, especially when one should mind his own business when it comes to faith in our Church and GOD!
Rosalie Freestone-Bayes
Jan 13th 2010, 14:48
The opposite of love is not hate-- but indifference.Mr.Flynn- you are not indifferent,but ,in my opinion, you show strong signs of hate for the Church and the Catholic faith.Sure enough that is your choice,but for a self professed atheist,it seems to me that you are getting too hot under the collar -therefore showing signs of emotion.Maybe after all you are not 100% sure of your 'convictions'.In any case,why not live and let live? I am a practising Catholic and happy to be so.My faith upholds me and gives me hope and solace.Should there ,according to you,be no God,why does it affect you so much if people choose to believe in one ?I will add - priests are not perfect.Neither am I.Are you?
J. MELI
Jan 13th 2010, 13:14
@WilliamP.Flynn::::> You have also stated a much larger declamatory attach against our Priests by stating that they "encourage people to gamble with their one real possession – their time and life on earth. They encourage their followers to pawn their one and only life to an imaginary friend, Saviour and protector, in anticipation of a fictitious and hopelessly improbable eternity.” In this statement as indicated above you are trying to indicate a discoloration state of our religion, when in fact since you don't believe you are try to mock our faith.
As a person we respect others that do not have any faith and we pray for them, yet one does not expect you to be so volgar in your opinion. It was not my opinion to offer such comments but please respect others that might have a different faith from yours. You have your opinion, keep it but don't a derision person.
Dr. John Damai
Jan 13th 2010, 12:55
William P Flynn, for an atheist you sure let imaginary things bother you. By writing what you did you have acknowledged its existence. Therefore you do believe in a higher power. Your hypocrisy is noted.
J. MELI
Jan 13th 2010, 12:50
@WilliamP.Flynn::::> You stated that "Jacqueline Calleja’s exhortation to celebrate the Year of the Priest turned out into an attack" We understand that you felt as if to be against what she stated, yet you too went into an attach against the local priest. Now even if you are a natural Maltese or Australia, you should have not attached also the duties of local priests.
Then when you stated without fear from God that "They insist on praying even though history and the present abound with heaven’s failure to protect humanity – the holocaust, the recent tsunami, Hurricane Katrina," then you also stated that "People have often died (or have been killed) praying to their protector and Saviour; and often the ones doing the killing had the imaginary imprimatur of the same friend, protector and Saviour – god." This what you stated in your statement??
But with this particular statement you had again indicated that you are a real "atheist" especially by your response being held so often on this newspaper by showing your great hatred against members of the Catholic Church and especially consecrated priest. You should be ashamed and have nothing to do in..live !!
renald williams
Jan 13th 2010, 12:09
Jesus prayed for everyone - I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word. John 17:20.
Christ Only High Priest: All Christians priests; some elders / bishops / presbyters / pastors or deacons, married with children.
Il-Katekizmu tal-Knisja, Gwanni Pawlu II, 25 ta’ Gunju 1992
Pagna 173 Paragrafu 662
Gesu’, il-Qassis Wahdieni tal-Patt il-Gdid... is-sacerdozju tieghu…
Pagna 201 Paragrafu 784
Kristu l-Mulej, il-Qassis il-Kbir… ghamel mill-Poplu gdid saltna u Qassisin ghal Alla Missieru.
Pagna 206 Paragrafu 803
Intom Gens mahtur, Sacerdozju regali…
Pagna 287 Paragrafu 1141
Dan is-Sacerdozzju komuni ta’ Kulhadd hu s-sacerdozju ta’ Kristu, li hu Wahdu l-Qassis, Sacerdozju li fih ghandha sehem il-membri Kollha tieghu.
Pagna 348 Paragrafu 1577
Ara 1 Tim 3:1-13, Titus 1:5-9.
l-Isqof… ragel ta’ Mara… ragel jaf imexxi tajjeb id-Dar tieghu; u li jzomm lil Uliedu… Ghax jekk wiehed ma jkunx jaf imexxi ‘l Daru stess, kif jista’ jiehu hsieb il-Knisja ta’ Alla?
Id-Djakni jkunu rgiel li ma jkunux mizzewgin ma’ aktar minn Mara wahda, u li jkunu jafu jmexxu ‘l Uliedhom u ‘l Djarhom sewwa.
Presbiteri… ragel ta’ Mara wahda, u jkollu Uliedu jemmnu… L-Isqof… bniedem li jzomm shih mal-Kelma.
Peace Health
William P Flynn
Jan 13th 2010, 10:40
Jacqueline Calleja’s exhortation to celebrate the Year of the Priest turned out into an attack.
Priests spread preposterous dogmatism, redundant mumbo-jumbo, and waste their own and other people’s time praying and quoting grab-bags of anachronistic, meaningless, yet easily manipulable scriptures ostensibly written by hallucinating Bronze Age shepherds.
They insist on praying even though history and the present abound with heaven’s failure to protect humanity – the holocaust, the recent tsunami, Hurricane Katrina.
People have often died (or have been killed) praying to their protector and saviour; and often the ones doing the killing had the imaginary imprimatur of the same friend, protector and saviour – god.
Priests interfere deeply with the lives of gullible people and instil fear of the hereafter in innocent children, the intellectually naïve and unsophisticated grownups. In doing so they also feed a wealth creation program for their religion; as well as derive immense power and undue influence.
Priests encourage people to gamble with their one real possession – their time and life on earth. They encourage their followers to pawn their one and only life to an imaginary friend, saviour and protector, in anticipation of a fictitious and hopelessly improbable eternity.
Nothing to celebrate, really.
jane camilleri haber
Jan 13th 2010, 10:38
A priest is called not made' no-one should take such an office of his own will but only those who have been called' however for an appropriate outcome much depends on the nurturing of that vocation and on the personal relationship with Jesus which one puts an effort to establish. the office - priest is one who starts off on the road to the priesthood on the spur of his call but then nurtures it on the trendal culture of his time. A priest who does not ( and early on in his training) make a difference between a bacholer layman working within the church as a voluntary and a priest; an anointed bachelor set apart by God and the church to consecrate himself fully in Christ for the holiness of His flock and to serve as prayerful mediatory and a sacrificial offering on its behalf, easily falls into the trap of dismemebering his call by gathering around him many 'missions' and indeed not realising it. we need holy priests but also holy spiritual directors and wise tutors to nurture these vocations and to guide them when such trends are noticed during their training.