September 18, 2024 at 1:36 p.m.
Pray for our priests
Life is a journey that is filled with peaks and valleys. As we battle through the challenges of our world we need to lean on and trust in God as well as one another.
It is easy to feel like we are battling alone. Since COVID, some have become more accustomed to or have normalized isolation. Personal human interaction is critical for our health and well-being. Additionally, technology and social media have enabled us to connect with such ease, but the intimacy of face-to-face communication has suffered. We are meant to be the face of Christ to each other and love one another, yet we can get tied up in the busyness of our own lives and fail to make enough time for our neighbor. We also tend to put up a facade to protect our areas of vulnerability and to give the impression we are in command of every aspect of our life.
Accompaniment is critical and provides accountability as we journey in community which is why Jesus sent out His apostles two-by-two. That is a life lesson we all need to follow. Imagine if we truly loved and supported each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. Instead of being pushed around by our secular, post-Christian, or dare I say anti-Christian culture we would unite in our spiritual battle against Satan. Evil is real and we all face temptation on various levels at every turn. To love and support one another is critical for our survival.
The most important relationship of all is our personal relationship with Jesus Christ, followed by our relationship with and our love for one another. With that said, please don’t forget that our priests also need our love, support and prayers. In June 2023, I dedicated my column to the importance of loving our priests. Without healthy clergy we will not have healthy parishes and we will all struggle. How often do we think about supporting and loving our priests? This is not meant to endorse clericalism but intended to reinforce that we are all in this together.
No one is immune from temptation and the battle of spiritual warfare. Just as Satan tempted Jesus, he continues to tempt us. Why would we think our priests are not in the cross hairs of the evil one as well? As our spiritual fathers, priests are on the front lines to help us achieve salvation. Praying for, supporting and loving our priests is critical. I encourage everyone reading this to pray for the well-being and holiness of our priests. Invite everyone you know to pray for our priests and ask St. John Vianney, patron saint of parish priests, to provide spiritual strength to all priests and to help guide those who are discerning the call to the priesthood or religious life.
Tom Cronin is the Director of Evangelization & Strategic Planning in the Diocese of Albany. Contact Tom with any questions about boosting evangelization efforts at your parish at [email protected] or by visiting www.rcda.org/evangelization. Follow me on Instagram: tom_rcda
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