St. Mary Parish, Manchester at 210 West Main Street, Manchester, MI 48158 US - Love and Veneration for the Priesthood
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So they went out and preached that men should repent. And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many that were sick and healed them. Priests are, as it were, an extension of Our Lord’s Sacred Humanity, because they continue to perform in souls the same miracles which He himself did while He was on earth: the blind see, people who can scarcely walk recover their strength, and those who have died through mortal sin recover the life of grace through the sacrament of Confession.
The priest does not seek worldly compensations or the enhancement of his reputation, nor does he measure his task according to this world’s scale of values. His task is not that of an arbitrator of differences (cf Luke 12:13) nor of caring for people’s material welfare: that is a job for every Christian, and for all men of good will, whereas the priest’s role is to bring people eternal life. That is what he has to offer.
It is also what the world needs most. That is why we must pray to God that the Church will always have enough priests, priests who are really trying to be holy. We must ask for and encourage priestly vocations, if possible, among the members of our own families, children, brothers and cousins. It is indeed a great joy for a family if God blesses them with the gift of a vocation.
The laity have the very pleasant duty to help priests, especially with their prayer, so that they celebrate Mass with dignity and spend many hours hearing confessions, eager to administer the sacraments to the sick and the elderly, and particularly keen to teach catechism.
We pray that priests will always be very concerned for the upkeep of God’s House, and cheerful, patient, generous, friendly and indefatigable workers in spreading the kingdom of Christ. We have to be generous in contributing financially and helping their work in whatever way we can. And we should never speak badly of them: One should speak about Christ’s priests only in order to praise them (cf J. Escrivá, Furrow, 904).
If we sometimes see faults and defects in our priests, we have to make excuses for them and behave like the good sons of Noah, covering over their failings with the cloak of charity (cf J. Escrivá, The Way, 75). That can be yet another reason to help them with our good example and our prayer, and – whenever it is opportune – with a correction which will be fraternal and filial at the same time.
To help us grow in love and veneration for priests, we can meditate on these words which Saint Catherine of Siena places on Our Lord’s lips: I do not want the respect which priests should be given to be in any way diminished, for the reverence and respect which is shown them is not referred to them, but to Me, by virtue of the Blood which I have given to them to administer. Were it not for this, you should render them the same reverence as lay people, and no more ... You must not offend them; by offending them you offend Me and not them. Therefore I forbid it and I have laid it down that you shall not touch my Christs (St Catherine of Siena, Dialogue, ch. 116, quoted in J. Escrivá, In Love with the Church, 38).