Priesthood Sunday

This weekend is Priesthood Sunday. So let’s ask the question: what is a priest? From a sacramental perspective, a priest is a living sacrament where the man is united to Jesus in a unique way. When the priest acts as priest (celebrating Mass, hearing confessions, etc.), he acts “in persona Christi” or “in the person of Christ.” This means that in the Mass or in the confessional, it is not Fr. So-and-so who is praying or speaking, it is Jesus Himself. Every sacrament serves as a sign pointing to some higher, spiritual reality; the priest is a living sacrament in that he serves as the sign of Jesus’ presence within the Church. 

That is the theological teaching, but what does that actually mean in day-to-day life? The priest is a man, just like any other, who has been called by God to something extraordinary. Like many of the figures in the Bible (Moses, Gideon, David, etc.), they are regular people who are called to give themselves to God and His mission. Upon hearing the call, many struggle with the weight of it, whether feeling incapable of it or feeling unworthy of it. I myself experienced this: “Why are you calling me? Have you not been paying attention to what I have done? Why would you want me?” Just as the best confessors are the ones most aware of their own sinfulness, so too the best priests are the ones most aware of their own unworthiness. But God does not call the worthy; He makes worthy the called. 

But when we speak of the “call,” we must be clear in what we mean. God does not call in the booming voice from the sky. He calls in more subtle ways: perhaps it is a persistent thought in the back of one’s mind, perhaps it is a sense of calm and peace at the thought of serving others, perhaps God even speaks through other people to suggest a young man consider the priesthood. If you are thinking God might be speaking to you, nudging you towards the priesthood, connect with a priest and talk to him about what you are experiencing. Perhaps he has gone through the same thing, and like him, perhaps God is doing something extraordinary in your life.