Power of the Priest--Sunday 22 May

Last Sunday’s first reading (Acts 6) dealt with vocations. The apostles, who needed uninterrupted time to pray and do God’s work, realized that not only does God’s work entail listening to Him and taking His word to the people, but to fulfill the human needs of the people as well. As a result, seven men were appointed to take up this other part of God’s work and fulfill these human needs, while the others went on with praying and fulfilling the spiritual needs of the people.

There are so many people capable of filling the human needs of the world, but how few can fulfill the spiritual needs of the world today! When I think of those whom I trust to influence, guide, lead, or challenge me, without question, they are often priests. Its seems strange at first but if you look deeper into the mission of the priest, his foremost job is to do all four of these things because he is called to do what Jesus would do. Though it is the authority of the Church that leads the people, the ones who are entrusted to carry it out are the priests. The ones with all the political pressure may be the faces we see on  TV, but it’s the parish priests who have the real, worldly pressure. It is the parish priest who has to lay it on the line to the faces he sees and personally knows, and who know his faults, and still tell them the hard facts about right and wrong and the teachings of the Faith—no matter what his personal feelings or habits may be concerning the matter.

The priest is so very important, crucial, he is so very powerful. He comes from such a long line of authority, and with power invested in him through the Catholic Church, it is easy to forget that he is human and he can fall too. With the level of responsibility a single priest has in bringing the Word and the teachings of the Church—untainted to the people—it is no wonder the Apostles wished to simplify their lives in order to spend extra time in prayer.

So let us not forget to pray for our brothers the priests, they have such a powerful position to hold without room for error. It is in our best interest, and theirs, to uphold them in prayer, fasting, and support so that they may not fall, so that we may not fall.

My Way or the Highway--Saturday May 14th

Remember when you were 9 years old and you had that friend who had to have everything his/her way? “You have to listen to me; I’m the boss.” If you didn’t, you probably wanted to tell that kid “whatever loser” and walk away. Later in life, you probably met some people whose actions weren’t very Christian but when you called them out on it, they said “Jesus and I are tight. We’re friends and He understands me, so my lifestyle is ‘ok’ with Him.”

In the Gospel today, Jesus says, like the 9 year old, “You are My friends if you do what I command.” So why is it that His followers didn’t ask for a compromise or say “whatever loser” and walk away? Why does this sound so different than “We’re tight; He understands me and is ‘ok’ with everything I do”? I think Jesus’ statement should give us a perspective on our friendship with Him. It is like no other.

Because we are friends with Jesus doesn’t mean we take His words with a grain of salt and treat Him like we might our other friends: walk away so He gets the point that He’s asking for too much. Our friendship isn’t supposed to be based on a mutual understanding that one side of the friendship is a comfortably-confessed slacker either. Jesus didn’t come to say “I know you are sinners, I understand that so please know I love you and keep doing what you do best; I’ll take care of the rest.” He doesn’t leave room for slacking off; He said He came to show the way (and He laid down His life as example) and He said “You are My friends IF you do what I command.” When you were 9, you probably weren't convinced you wanted to give up your say in everything so that you could enjoy whatever plans your friend wanted to be boss of, so it was hard to surrender your will to his/her discretion. Jesus basically says it's my way or the highway if you want to participate in My plans, so I guess there is just one question: will you be His friend and agree to His commands?