We have witnessed a lot of negative generalisations recently on priesthood. This is due to the many scandals (sexual, money, leadership wrangles, etc) that have befallen the church and the consecrated men and women.
However, this has been on account of a few who have failed to live up to their calling and people’s expectations. Despite this, there are so many devoted priests who have executed their duties with a lot of commitment.
But, just who is a priest in the Catholic Church? A priest is a baptised, anointed, ordained and commissioned male person, who, having completed the required training, is sent to evangelise and serve the faithful.
The responsibility of the priest is to serve and win back as many souls to Christ as possible. He does this through preaching the gospel, administering sacraments and his way of life. A priest is responsible for offering prayers of supplication, sacrifice and expiation to God in the name of whole community.
As such, his job is one of the most noble, important and powerful in the world. But equally the one with a powerful enemy trying to stop him from doing his work.
Although different people join priesthood for various reasons, at the heart of it is service to all. This is evident during the last a supper (John 13:15) after Jesus had washed the disciples’ feet when he said: “I did this as an example for you. So you should serve each other just as I served you.”
Just like any other profession, where some people do exceptionally well and some fail to deliver terribly, there are, have been and will continue to be so many good, loyal and devoted priests who have done their jobs exceptionally well with a lot of devotion and commitment. They have done so many heroic acts that have never and may never hit the face of the media.
There are so many priests who have gone beyond their comfort zones to feed the hungry, care for the sick and reach out to the refugees. There are priests who are working tirelessly in war-ravaged areas, who take care of those suffering from HIV/Aids and others who have established schools and hospitals. Many more priests have laid down their lives for the faith and the people they chose to serve.
Their ways of life have touched many and transformed many souls. The work of these priests has gone unnoticed on assumption that it is what they ought to do anyway. These priests have been the salt and light of the world.
But I can’t deny the fact that there are some who have failed to live up to expectations. Some who, by the way of their lives, have led the faithful to stray from the track.
Today, I write to encourage all our dear priests and all consecrated men and women who have devoted their lives and skills for the service of our church and humanity. To all those priests who have retained the dignity of priesthood and church at large. Success is not final and failure is not fatal. Keep doing good works. Keep touching the many souls, keep inspiring many young men who wish to pursue the call to priesthood.
Don’t be distracted, discouraged and derailed by the negative generalisations being made about priesthood on account of a few of your brother priests. Remain the light and salt of the world that Christ talked about in Matthew 5:13-14. The candle that neither dims nor blows out amidst the darkest hour of the night. Preach more and touch more lives. The world needs more dedicated men and women of your calibre.
To those who have fallen short of grace, don’t despair. Every saint had a past and every sinner has a future.
As a priest, one must realise that his mission on earth is to make God’s word known, to serve and win more souls to Christ. As a good shepherd of Christ’s flock, a priest should renounce his egoism, his love of comfort and vest with garments of service and not of a master.
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Furthermore, as a representative of Christ, every priest must realise that without Christ Jesus, his priesthood is meaningless, it is nothing and he can do nothing. Thus, a priest must exalt good and condemn evil in the strongest terms possible. But how can you condemn evil when you are part of that very system? When you conform to the same principles of those you want to condemn?
Priests and all consecrated souls, you are the light of the world. Be the champions of the social justice for the weak and the oppressed. Draw more strength from the great men of the Bible; Elijah, Jeremiah, Meshack, Abdenego, Shadrack and John the Baptist who even in the burning furnace, didn’t give in to the wicked kings of their times.
To tread on the safer lines, withdraw from the love of money (as it is well put in 1 Timothy 6:6-10); women, alcohol and power. Our beloved priests and men of God, the society looks upon you as the authority of good morals. Don’t preach water and drink wine. May the good Lord who began this good work in you, sustain you and keep you faithful. Be the light and salt of the world.
To our dear devoted Catholics. It is our duty and responsibility to pray for our priests. They are called and chosen from us and sent to our service. They are just imperfect human beings like any other who through the grace of the lord aspire for perfection. Be kind to them.
They too are humans just as each one of us. They need love, show them love. They feel nice when appreciated. Appreciate them for the good works they do. Don’t tempt them, rather, constantly remind them of their call and mission here on earth. Let us not rush into judging and condemning our priests when they fall. Instead, Let us pray for our priests that they don’t fall. Have you not heard that “Prevention is better than cure?”
Mr Mutobera is a master's student at Kenyatta University. [email protected]
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