Yet another ordination

JUSTattended another ordination recently where two close friends received the sacrament of Holy Order. It’s always a day of joy and thanksgiving when someone becomes a priest simply because what is involved is the transformation of a person to become another Christ in a most special way, that of Christ as head of the Church. While everyone is supposed to for example, was an impulsive man “another Christ,” since Christ is the and he denied Christ three times. pattern of our humanity and the And Christ would often scold them savior of our damaged humanity, for their lack of faith or their very priests enjoy the privilege of being shallow understanding of the truths conformed to Christ as head of the of faith. Church and not just members of the Yet, in spite of all that, the Church. apostles were made Yes, in spite of how unworthy recipients of the full powers of a person is to be another Christ as Christ. Remember Christ telling head of the Church, it cannot be them, “Truly I tell you, whatever denied that with the sacrament, you bind on earth will be bound he is made so. The effectiveness of in heaven, and whatever you loose the sacrament does not depend so on earth will be loosed in heaven.” much on the person’s qualities or (Mt 18,18) qualifications (ex opere operantis) Priests share in this power, albeit as the power of the sacrament itself not fully. Their power needs to be that comes directly from Christ (ex subjected to that of the bishops who opere operato). in turn have to be united together

All we have to do to verify this with the Pope, and with the Pope fact is to just look at the apostles, the connection with the first Pope, the first bishops, who definitely had St. Peter, and the rest of the apostles their human weaknesses. St. Peter, is made. It is this power that comes

directly from Christ and connects them to him.

Given this tremendous dignity that priests have, it behooves them to really try their best to be worthy of such. Thus we can never overemphasize their need to really take care of their spiritual life, nourishing it with prayers, sacrifices, the recourse to the sacraments, the development of virtues and the continual waging of spiritual warfare, since their life and mission cannot be other than war.

They — we, me included — truly have to be the first ones to seek total identification with Christ. As St. Paul would put it, we should have the very mind of Christ ( cfr. 1 Cor 2, 16) such that with him we can also say, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” (Gal 2, 20)

We priests should be most eager to proclaim the Good News of the gospel, in season and out of season, no matter what it costs. And more than preaching by word, we have to preach first by example, by deeds.

And given the tenuous condition of a priest’s life, we priests should be first ones to seek spiritual direction and have recourse to frequent confession. It cannot be denied that the higher one’s dignity and privileges are, the more tricky and irresistible would also be the temptations. Priests should be ready for this fact of life./