Thank God for Priests

[thirddec]

I have recently been involved in a lot of discussions about different masses and how some priests have done this to the service and that etc. Today I went to Mass and I wasn’t thinking about whether it was short or long or whatever until the part where , let us offer each other a sign of peace was missing and I realised that this was obviously a more traditional mass, till then I was just focused on the mass. Of course my mind wanted to think again about all the discussions but I stopped it because just before that I was looking at the Priest sitting alone on the alter as the readings were being said and thought how isolated he looked. I thought about what it must be like to live your life as a priest. What spiritual trials they must endure that we don’t and thought we should do so much more to support them through our prayers and actions. So now for my preachy bit ( sorry ).
I think that we should think about this when we want to critise a priest for favouring one type of service over an other and if it helps the priest to feel better about it we should show our support by backing him. It doesn’t mean we can’t discuss other ideas but this should be done in a way that does not add to the burdens a priest carries. I have tried to express my feelings and as always my words bever seem quite right but I hope they have done some justice to my thinking.

He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.

 

[benedictus2]

I have recently been involved in a lot of discussions about different masses and how some priests have done this to the service and that etc. Today I went to Mass and I wasn’t thinking about whether it was short or long or whatever until the part where , let us offer each other a sign of peace was missing and I realised that this was obviously a more traditional mass, till then I was just focused on the mass. Of course my mind wanted to think again about all the discussions but I stopped it because just before that I was looking at the Priest sitting alone on the alter as the readings were being said and thought how isolated he looked. I thought about what it must be like to live your life as a priest. What spiritual trials they must endure that we don’t and thought we should do so much more to support them through our prayers and actions. So now for my preachy bit ( sorry ).
I think that we should think about this when we want to critise a priest for favouring one type of service over an other and if it helps the priest to feel better about it we should show our support by backing him. It doesn’t mean we can’t discuss other ideas but this should be done in a way that does not add to the burdens a priest carries. I have tried to express my feelings and as always my words bever seem quite right but I hope they have done some justice to my thinking.

He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.

What can I say except… Wonderful!

Thank you for posting your thoughts, it is beautiful reminder for me.

May the Lord embrace them and always be their guide.

A PRAYER FOR PRIESTS
By the late John J Cardinal Carberry

Keep them; I pray Thee, dearest Lord.
Keep them, for they are Thine
The priests whose lives burn out before
Thy consecrated shrine.
Keep them, for they are in the world,
Though from the world apart.
When earthly pleasures tempt, allure –
Shelter them in Thy heart.
Keep them and comfort them in hours
Of loneliness and pain,
When all their life of sacrifice
For souls seems but in vain.
Keep them and remember, Lord,
they have no one but Thee.
Yet, they have only human hearts,
With human frailty.
Keep them as spotless as the Host,
That daily they caress;
Their every thought and word and deed,
Deign, dearest Lord, to bless.

 

[CatholicGuy22]

Couldnt agree with you more! A priest enters into Jesus piesthood but also his victimhood. Its a life of sacrafice so that others may have life!!! We should thank priest for their yes to God! I am entering the seminary next year and boy its tough(girls,temptations,ect…) and thats just a taste im getting! I could imagine once im a priest!

 

[wild_thing]

I have recently been involved in a lot of discussions about different masses and how some priests have done this to the service and that etc. Today I went to Mass and I wasn’t thinking about whether it was short or long or whatever until the part where , let us offer each other a sign of peace was missing and I realised that this was obviously a more traditional mass, till then I was just focused on the mass. Of course my mind wanted to think again about all the discussions but I stopped it because just before that I was looking at the Priest sitting alone on the alter as the readings were being said and thought how isolated he looked. I thought about what it must be like to live your life as a priest. What spiritual trials they must endure that we don’t and thought we should do so much more to support them through our prayers and actions. So now for my preachy bit ( sorry ).
I think that we should think about this when we want to critise a priest for favouring one type of service over an other and if it helps the priest to feel better about it we should show our support by backing him. It doesn’t mean we can’t discuss other ideas but this should be done in a way that does not add to the burdens a priest carries. I have tried to express my feelings and as always my words bever seem quite right but I hope they have done some justice to my thinking.

He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.

Amen!

 

[odile53]

I have nothing but abject admiration for these courageous and selfless men who have dedicated their lives to the Lord and in service of others, and I’ve found that anytime I’ve had a concern, it’s best to express it in the most positive light possible. The last thing these guys need is another whiney, semi-informed parishioner! And I can’t say that I blame them if they get brusque on occasion. For pity’s sake, they are human beings standing in the place of Christ–they are NOT Christ Himself! They’re prone to the same limitations as the rest of us, and we really need to start cutting them a little slack, in all charity. So if Father thinks that it’s ok to have a certain thing a certain way, that’s fine with me. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything which could genuinely be called a liturgical “abuse,” just personal preferences and differences in aesthetic tastes.

I for one would love to see an EF Mass at my own parish, but I’m not going to whine about it when our pastor is so engaged in a ministry to migrant farm workers, has staff chaplaincy responsibilities at the local hospital plus a freestanding hospice, and is pretty much stuck with running a complex of beautiful but aging buildings himself (with occasional heavy-handed hints from the pulpit about how our church can use another good carpenter!) Plus he supervises and trains the lectors and eucharistic ministers himself, makes late night sick calls when someone is injured or takes a turn for the worse, and offers Mass at the county jail on Saturday afternoon. I think we as Catholics ought to start showing them a lot more appreciation than we generally do.

With all priests do, it’s not surprising that talented and intelligent young men may choose a life calling that affords them a less intense lifestyle. We need to pray for vocations, and support our parish priests so maybe the younger generation won’t think it’s a thankless job.

Just my two cents on the matter.

 

[PacoG]

And we have to remember that our priests are also under constant attack from the three sources of sin…the devil, the flesh and the world.

We have to pray that God gives them the strength and graces to overcome the devil, the flesh and the world.

 

[benedictus2]

With all priests do, it’s not surprising that talented and intelligent young men may choose a life calling that affords them a less intense lifestyle. ** We need to pray for vocations**, and support our parish priests so maybe the younger generation won’t think it’s a thankless job.

Just my two cents on the matter.

That indeed we do. We need to take Christ at His word and follow His command to petition the Lord of the Harvests to send more labourers.