It was at the sixtieth birthday party. Close relatives came to congratulate the jubilant. At the celebratory dinner, one of them asked the celebrant: “Sixty years is a beautiful age. You have experienced a lot and met many people. Could you say which people were the most important in your life?” The jubilant smiled and said, “You’re probably expecting me to say, my family. Yes, it’s important to me. But the most important people in my life were the priests.” “Priests?” “Yes, priests. You know, if there were no priests, it would be very difficult for me to walk in life. They conveyed God’s forgiveness to me when I messed something up. When I sometimes didn’t know what to do in life, they always advised me in the right direction. I owe them a lot. Mainly for the fact that they taught me to live according to God’s ideas.” This jubilant understanding is that the sacrament of the priesthood is necessary for this world. Otherwise, Christ would not have established it at all. You, who strive to live a deep spiritual life, surely feel how important the priest is to you. Even the priest himself needs the help of another priest for his spiritual growth.
The Gospel tells us about the calling of the first apostles. Here began their preparation for the priesthood, which was instituted by Christ at the last supper. People have already found answers to many questions. But to the question: “Who is a priest?” – they cannot wait for an exhaustive answer. Priesthood is a sacrament. Just as we cannot fully understand what baptism or confirmation or the Eucharist is, so we cannot fully understand the mystery of the priesthood. That’s because it’s a gift from God. And all that is of God has such depth and breadth that man with his limited mind can hardly comprehend it.
So who is a priest?
There is a cycle of beautiful carvings on the facade of Chartres Cathedral. One of them represents Jesus Christ, the Son of God, standing shoulder to shoulder next to a man. It is obvious that both are looking at the same goal, they have to fulfill a common task. It is not difficult to guess what it is about: God’s glory and a redeemed man. Divine and human powers and abilities were combined to achieve this goal. Christ and the priest are not separate persons. They form a unity, difficult to understand, but nevertheless true and real. We must marvel at the extremely humble God who stands next to an evil, sinful man to use his personality to carry out his plan.
In the consecrated servant of God, the human world and the world of God meet. The priest is supposed to be an indicator of the right direction. But the more people look for the world of God in the priest, the more they see all the human shortcomings of the priest. And despite these shortcomings, with which the priest has to fight, like every person, when preaching the Gospel, when administering the sacrament and other priestly services, he represents Christ himself. The one who, because of the human weakness of the priest, rejects God’s word or the forgiveness offered to him by the priest is acting foolishly.
The famous French writer Camus wrote a play called “State of Siege”. It describes a medieval city in which a contagious disease appeared, and a quarantine was ordered there. Those who wanted to leave the city had to do so within two hours because after that no one could leave or enter the city. Officials and lawyers are leaving the city – and no one is sorry. Merchants and artisans are also leaving – and again, nothing, no one will be moved. The mayor leaves – and no one sheds a tear. And no one cries even when the doctor leaves, although he was much needed in the situation in the city. Shortly before the expiration of the two-hour deadline, the city broke out into tears. Someone else is leaving. He is a priest.
People stop him, kneel before him and cry: “Don’t leave us, father, we are your children!” Don’t leave us alone! When you leave, it will be as if God
left our city…” However, the priest does not listen, runs away, and disappears over the horizon. And despair arises among the sick. Hear the cry: “Christian people, we are alone!” This is how a play written by an unbeliever ends. He wanted to show the priest as a failing person – as a coward, and inadvertently pointed out how people need a priest very much…
So let’s pray together: “Lord, this world needs your priests.” Call to your service all whom you will. We ask you to call young people from our parish to serve you according to your will until the end of their lives.”
