Bishop describes 'sacred, awesome' roles of priests

I would like to share some reflections on the priesthood, born of my own 40 years of priestly life.

First, the priest has the awesome responsibility of celebrating the Eucharist, of presiding at the Table of the Lord when the faithful join with Christ in offering His holy and perfect sacrifice to our God and Father, and of mediating divine life to God's people in the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Marriage, Reconciliation and the Anointing of the Sick.

The priest brings to these roles the sacred power to act in the person of Christ and to be a representative of God's people. He brings their joys and sorrows, successes and failures, hopes and disappointments, pleasures and pains, fears and strivings, and their deepest longings, aspirations and expectations.

One with all

To do this meaningfully and well, and not in a robotic or perfunctory fashion, the priest must be one with the people he serves.

He must be an integral part of their daily lives, standing in the midst of the community not as an aloof observer of a passing scene...not as a stern judge eager to scold, reprimand and punish...not as an ivory-tower intellectual offering spiritual bromides unrelated to people's life experience.

He must be a brother among brothers and sisters who resonates with their needs and desires, worries and burdens, and who relates to them through words, stories and symbols that strike a responsive and knowing chord within their hearts.

Priestliness

To do so, the priest need not be the most eloquent homilist, the most creative liturgist nor the most gifted musician; but he must be a man of integrity, humility and prayer, who lives what he celebrates and proclaims, and who, like Christ the Good Shepherd, embraces the flock with love, compassion, understanding and pastoral solicitude.

Like Christ, the teller of parables, the priest must be able to hold up a mirror to people, so that they can see themselves not as they would like to be but as they truly are.

In many respects, there is nothing new under the sun. Original sin still has its corrosive effect; and without God's grace, we can easily deceive ourselves and fall into the same sinful traps as did our biblical ancestors.

Priests' roles

Priests are subject to all the cultural and social influences that often distort the Gospel message and lead us to live selfishly rather than selflessly.

Therefore, the priest must be able to step back, assess, and critique constructively what is good and bad in the contemporary milieu in order to help those whom he serves to cast the beam out of their own eyes and to seize the pearl of precious price they may be overlooking.

The priest, in other words, must be a discerner, an interpreter and a prophet who keeps his own eyes and those of the people he serves fixed upon the prize of eternal life to which our journey of discipleship is destined.

Support system

Fortunately, the priest does not have to do this alone. He has the ancient wisdom and tradition of the Church to guide him. He has the support and pastoral wisdom of other members of the presbyterate to assist him.

And he has God's people -- with whom he is called to relate not in an authoritarian or autocratic way, but collaboratively -- to help him with their gifts and talents, with their "sensus fidelium" -- that is "the sense of the faithful," which too frequently is ignored or dismissed, but which can be an invaluable source of pastoral insight and direction.

It is God's faithful who often have answers to questions that elude philosophers and theologians, and who can offer a corrective to the members of the magisterium when we fall prey to clericalism or pharisaism. And it is the priest, interacting with deacons, religious and the laity, who is often in the best position to tap this sense of the faithful and to empower its expression.

Companion

In addition to his liturgical and preaching role, the priest must never forget his role to be a spiritual companion, walking with people in times of celebration, like the birth of a child or graduation from college...in times of crisis when death strikes or a marriage crumbles...and in times of distress when people are faced with an unwanted pregnancy or struggle with an addiction, a job loss or the diagnosis of Alzheimer's.

Often, those are the times when the priest must minister to those entrusted to his care not with sacramental gestures and ritual prayers but through simple presence, and the ability to empathize with the hurt and pain of the moment, which no words or actions can hope to touch or heal.

Time for self

If there is one bit of practical advice I would like to offer our new priests as they begin their ministry, it is that amidst the challenges and demands of daily service, priests must take time for themselves: time to relax...time to recreate...time to exercise...time to nurture friendships...time to read...time to think...and, most importantly, time to pray.

When the priest takes such time, he is not being self-indulgent nor is he engaging in escapism or hedonism. Rather, such time aside is absolutely necessary for a healthy and balanced life.

Remember, priests are earthen vessels, flesh and blood human beings who need to be restored and renewed...who need to be mended and healed...who need to experience affirmation and intimacy.

It is only by putting aside quality time for God, friends and themselves that priests can be the hopeful, joyful, spirit-filled heralds of the Good News and stewards of the mysteries of God they are meant to be.

(This column is derived from the homily Bishop Hubbard delivered when he recently ordained three new priests for the Albany Diocese. An archive of the Bishop's monthly columns can be found at http://www.evangelist.org/evv/bishcol.htm.)

(8/5/04)