Matt 23:9 and Addressing Priest as Father

  • Thread starter Thread starter erinbaldwin2
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
E

erinbaldwin2

Guest
Good morning; first time posting a thread; please let me know if I’m in the wrong thread.

The Matt 23:9 scripture in my New American Bible reads Jesus words: Call no one on earth your father; you have but one father in heaven.

My question: Why do we address priests as “Father”?
 
erinbaldwin2 said:
Good morning; first time posting a thread; please let me know if I’m in the wrong thread.

The Matt 23:9 scripture in my New American Bible reads Jesus words: Call no one on earth your father; you have but one father in heaven.

My question: Why do we address priests as “Father”?
Click to expand...
This is always misquoted. I am not very good at explaining the bible and the church too much and I am sure someone will come along and help you.

I did want to say that if we took verse completely to heart would we call anyone father? our own fathers?
 
**From the Catholic Answers LIBRARY; Faith Tracts;

(Speaking of Jesus) “He was using hyperbole (exaggeration to make a point) to show the scribes and Pharisees how sinful and proud they were for not looking humbly to God as the source of all authority and fatherhood and teaching, and instead setting themselves up as the ultimate authorities, father figures, and teachers.”
**
Read more here; catholic.com/library/Call_No_Man_Father.asp

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, Ora Pro Nobis Peccatoribus!

mark
 
A priest is our spiritual father, to help protect us spiritually and morally; much like how our biological fathers protect us physically and emotionally when we are most vulnerable.

EDIT: I always chuckle at this accusation of how we shouldn’t call priests “father” because Jesus told us not to call anyone that. I always respond, “what do you call the husband of your mother?” They frown, then walk away defeated. 👍
 
The_Scott said:
A priest is our spiritual father, to help protect us spiritually and morally; much like how our biological fathers protect us physically and emotionally when we are most vulnerable.

EDIT: I always chuckle at this accusation of how we shouldn’t call priests “father” because Jesus told us not to call anyone that. I always respond, “what do you call the husband of your mother?” They frown, then walk away defeated. 👍
Click to expand...
lol, yup, never a response to that one.

FSC
 
The_Scott said:
A priest is our spiritual father, to help protect us spiritually and morally; much like how our biological fathers protect us physically and emotionally when we are most vulnerable.

EDIT: I always chuckle at this accusation of how we shouldn’t call priests “father” because Jesus told us not to call anyone that. I always respond, “what do you call the husband of your mother?” They frown, then walk away defeated. 👍
Click to expand...
I was told by one person preemptively (i.e. she brought up the question) that, “I call no man father. I only refer to my dad as “dad.”” It is not a big challenge for them if they really take it seriously.
 
quasimodo said:
I was told by one person preemptively (i.e. she brought up the question) that, “I call no man father. I only refer to my dad as “dad.”” It is not a big challenge for them if they really take it seriously.
Click to expand...
Now, that’s funny! But Jesus also tells us not to call anyone “teacher.” That could be a problem for students and parents.
 
dictionary.net/dad
dictionary.reference.com/browse/dad
thefreedictionary.com/dad

“Dad” still means “father” . Jesus did not say it in English, so calling a man “father” is okay right?

What I mean to say is a word expresses an idea. Father and dad mean the same thing as abba and baba . some people get to caught up in actually words while forgetting that language expresses ideas.

There is nothing wrong with calling your dad, or a priest, father.
 
=erinbaldwin2;6907627]Good morning; first time posting a thread; please let me know if I’m in the wrong thread.
Click to expand...
The Matt 23:9 scripture in my New American Bible reads Jesus words: Call no one on earth your father; you have but one father in heaven.
Click to expand...
My question: Why do we address priests as “Father”?
Click to expand...
GREAT QUESTION especially for a first post:thumbsup:

The underlying message here is the mesage of the Girst Commanment [Exo. chapter 20]

**Exo. 20: **
And God spoke all these words, saying, "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. "You shall have no other gods before me.”

“You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;”

The reason calling priest “father” is both approiate and “OK” is that 1. They represent God the Father in human form to us. [No we are not to adore them]. 2. Through a special GRACE from God they become a precise image of Christ durring Mass, just prior to the Transubstanuation. 3. They have a Holy Spirit like Role in the Sacrament of Confession.

Further, priest have a family-like role of an earthly father. Just as DAD leads the family at home; priest simarly lead God’s family; the community of believers of his parish.

The CC proclaims the Catholic family as a domestic Church for Christ.

In summary; calling a priest is NOT placing “another god” BEFORE God; in fact quite the opposite. The Priest leads us closer to the REAL GOD!

WELCOME TO THE FORUM!

Love and prayers,
Pat
 
Actually Jesus did not have anything against biological fathers or spiritual fathers. What Jesus Christ intended might be to emphasis that we are all having a heavenly father. We should call a person father as one who is intended to be in the likeness of the heavenly father. When Jesus held with approbation the fourth commandment it may not be prudent to understand the Gospel language in a narrow sense and defeat the very message.
 
Jesus and the apostles refer to our father Abraham constantly.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top