Thursday, April 17, 2014

I Am Only Hidden By The Priest

I know all sorts of priests.  Some are friends, some are acquaintances and some are those I encounter in confession but whose faces and names I do not even know.  Some are traditionally-minded while others teeter on the verge of heresy.  Some are good listeners and some give the impression they'd rather I not speak to them at all.  Some are more worldly than others. Some appear to be saintly. Others are more obviously struggling. Some priests offer Mass as if their lives and our salvation depended on them. Others treat the Mass like a stage show where they get to tell jokes or reveal how clever they really are.  Some priests clearly believe that when the raise the Host above them they are receiving into their hands the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ. Others - well, let's just say it's not clear what they believe.

Yet no matter how faithful, reverent and paternal a priest is or isn't, he is still an alter Christus who can absolve sins, confect the Eucharist, anoint the sick, bury the dead and baptize the newly-born.  They are the most powerful men in the world because the power of Jesus Christ to do all these things was conferred upon them.  

Our Lord reminded St Faustina that He hears our confession and absolves our sins. 

"I am only hidden by the priest". 

Disrespect any of them and you disrespect Him.  Let (s)he among you without sin cast the first stone. 

On the commemoration of the institution of the priesthood, remember to pray for these men in a particular way, especially the ones who you might think least appear Christ-like. It is for Him alone to judge. It is for us to pray for all of them. 

No priests, no Eucharist. No Eucharist, no life. 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Comments which reflect true Christian charity are always welcome. Comments which attack the Pope, the Church, priests or other bloggers will go in the dustbin, especially if they are anonymous. Thank you and God Bless you!