Year For Priests 2009-2010

Article - Year for Priests

. . . Father Alberto Cutie wrote about his own experience of priesthood, when he said: “The Lord has called me to be a man of faith in a world full of doubt, to build bridges where walls have been erected… he has called me to be a ‘man for others’ in a world full of selfish men; to belong completely to him and to his people, without reservation; to unite my heart with those who are in greatest need; and to try lifting them up when they are down. The Lord has also called me to be a ‘sign of contradiction’, to live the Gospel in a radical way… he calls me to be faithful, even while not always successful… he calls me to say the Lord’s words at the consecration: the words which make him present sacramentally in our world…”

If a priest tries to be like Christ and has the courage to start every day again and again, then he can count on the great love of Our Lady. She is close to Christ, and she will also be close to his priests. Every priest has the mission to bring Christ to the world. Who can help us with this great task? Her only and burning desire was to share Jesus with everyone. That has to be the wish of every priest.

I think the words of the Dominican Father Jean-Baptiste Lacordaire wisely say a great deal about being a priest:

'To live in the midst of the world without wishing its pleasures;
to be a member of each family, yet belonging to none;
to share all sufferings;
to penetrate all secrets;
to heal all wounds;
to go from men to God and offer him their prayers;
to return from God to men to bring pardon and hope;
to have a heart of fire for charity
and a heart of bronze for chastity;
to teach and to pardon,
console and bless always.
My God, what a life!
And it is yours,
O priest of Jesus Christ.'

Father Duncan McVicar SI

Year For Priests 2009-2010
http://www.schoenstatt.org.uk/material/material.html