Being Priest: Who is he?

Last week, I had written about why do we need priests in the Church? This week, I would like to focus on who is a priest? It made me reflect, when an Anglican priest told me that he is doing a job; he has to apply seeing the classified on the newspaper for a vacancy in a parish. He is paid for his service in the parish by the diocese. This is not to compare Anglican and Catholic priesthood but just to reflect with you, what it means to be a priest? Most often, we come across priests as lecturers, professors, canons, doctors, singers, musicians, artists and so on. Is it important to have a profession or be man of God or may be both?

Not every professional can be a priest but every priest can be a professional. For instance, a physician cannot be a priest but a priest can be both priest and physician. That is called “being priest.” In other words, a priest is priest for every moment of his life. He is called to be priest every second of his life whereas a professional is not required to be in his profession whilst not on duty.

One of the persons told me that he does not want to see a priest who is less qualified than him to preach to him from the altar. The questions about qualification are an issue for some modern priests. It is significant to have qualified priests in our society today, in order to bring about the kingdom of God in an effective and a creative way. Our society needs priest of quality and all-rounders to an equitable dialogue with the most advanced world.

Pope Francis addressing the Catechists told that “catechist” is not a work but “be a catechist.” I think this suits my line of argument too, priesthood is not a job or a profession rather it is “being a priest.” Being a priest involves a deeper understanding of oneself and God. An inner depth of one’s knowledge about God and a deep experience of God through prayer and way of life will suffice my argument for pro priests. As St. Ignatius said, give me only your love and grace that is enough for me; true we have to grow in love and in grace of God and the rest will be given unto us.

Sometimes priest might have a temptation to think about their predecessors, that they have become popular, so I also must be popular. Thus follows every craze to be one. Why do I want to be popular? Pope Francis says, not to hail Pope’s name rather hail and recite Jesus’ name. This is the greatness of a person. One, who is last, will be first in the kingdom of God and one who is first, will be last. There will be a remote temptation and craving for titles, thus going to any extreme to get them. Priest’s life must not revolve around these worldly attraction and momentary greatness. Rather is in doing simple things like St. John Mary Vienne and St. Therese of Lisieux, we can glorify our God.

You are a priest forever, it is in ‘becoming priest’ we are accepted by the people of God. It requires a certain amount of dedication to prayer and a constant rapport with the people. A priest draws his inspiration from the Eucharist he celebrates and the church prayer that he recites every day. If this is true rest will fall in line; rest being a teacher, a professor, a physician, an artist and so on. A mediocre priest will find it hard in the long run to be able to work for the kingdom of God. A priest craving for attention and prestige sooner or later will drift along the current; however, there is always a temptation to be in the limelight. Soon people forget the sacraments and adore the priest because of his constant popularity and his work. This is exactly working against the will of God, where one seeks to be in the limelight whilst the centre-focus, Jesus and his church are side lined. This is just alarming and scandalous to the people of God.

Priests somehow have to watch and guard against this temptation of being workaholic to such an extent that one forgets he is priest forever. Craving for power, prestige and popularity can be an obstacle for the greater glory of God. Being a priest means, being a man of prayer and a man in constant touch with the people of God.