The Church of Malta last week received the gift of seven newly ordained priests, one of whom is a member of my community. People’s perception and expectations of priests vary – some love, sponsor and pray for them, while others are indifferent or extremely anti-clerical.

A person who is chosen to become a priest is called to be a shepherd and a leader for the community and the Church asks for his whole life. This includes not only his celibacy but also a lifelong commitment, which becomes an inspiration for the people he ministers to.

People pressure priests to play different stereotype roles according to their mentality and this can greatly affect the way priesthood is perceived.

Some understand priesthood only in terms of a liturgical role. They see a priest as someone with special powers to connect with divinity, who represents holiness; this make priests feel special but also creates distance from people.

A presbyter is asked to stand between God and His people, to lead prayers and to officiate the liturgy, yet this does not incorporate his full role. It makes priesthood respected but not loved, as people project onto priests what they themselves would never dare live.

Christianity sheds new light on worship and gives this role a deeper understanding. Even the word ‘priest’ is not part of the New Testament vocabulary. Christian priesthood must go beyond this role and break the stereotype of priests bound only to the sanctuary and sacristy.

Another stereotype is that of a counsellor, a wise person who can listen, understand and guide those who come for help. This can easily transform priesthood in the role of psychologists, particularly when priests use psychotherapeutic tools more than spirituality. This role has always been part of priesthood and gives it a human, personal touch. But it can also mislead people if they think it is priests’ primary role. Cut off from community life and a deep spiritual understanding, this role can restrict priesthood to a psychological couch and strip priests from their role as ministers of God’s mercy which can facilitate healing not only through psychological tools but by proposing Christ’s mercy and a catechetical itinerary.

May we dare risk new directions that purify priesthood

A priest’s primary role is to make Christ present not only through sacraments, counselling and social involvement but also through Christ’s humanity. The main role of priesthood is the incarnation; priests minister to the Christian community and help people become what they receive: the Body of Christ. Priests are called to know their community, to challenge, to be present, to preach, to teach, to give advice and genuinely be human.

Incarnation always involves weakness, fragility and complexity. As Pope Francis says, “we are all sinners but not corrupt”. Priests are wounded healers and should always be disciples before being apostles, Christians before being priests. Only when we discover this dimension of priesthood can we free ourselves from people’s demands and projections and dare to be Good Shepherds who receive this vocation as a mystery and a gift. Only this type of priesthood can be a Word of God in today’s world, which hungers for authenticity and meaning rather than perfection.

Today we pray for our newly ordained priests. May we dare risk new directions that purify priesthood. We pray for an attitude of humility, simplicity, conversion and authenticity; only this can heal the bruises caused in recent years and bring people back to the Church. Priests should reach out more by a new way of being than by doing hundreds of new initiatives.

Pope Paul VI’s words are still prophetic and challenging for us today: “People are more impressed by witness than by teachers, and if they listen to teachers it is only because they bear witness.”

http://web.ordination2014.info

ciliamartin@hotmail.com

Fr Cilia is a member of the Missionary Society of St Paul.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.