The Joy of the Priesthood
But even on this side of heaven, the difficulty of its sacrifices and sorrows are strongly overshadowed by its joys and its rewards. Jesus promised that we would receive one hundredfold in this life and we priests know it is true. I cannot think of a more meaningful life. What could be more satisfying than helping people in their sorrows, giving them hope, and being an instrument of God's grace? In the survey I conducted, mentioned in the last chapter, when asked if they believed their lives and ministries as priests make a difference in the world, 89.1 percent of the priests said yes. If young people had an inkling of the satisfaction and a taste of the joys of priestly life, many more would be knocking on rectory doors to join our ranks.
As I read that I thought to myself that we need to show our priests more often how much we appreciate their service to us. Despite the differences I have had with some priests at my parishes I am very grateful for them.
2 comments:
Yes nice post. without them we wouldn't have Jesus in the Eucharist. I get peeved sometimes too with them but they are stretched pretty thin and they are faithful to God's teaching.
Yes, I think the joy that you have as a priest is really amazing. I never cease to be inspired by many of the older priests I know, who've been priests for fifty or sixty years, and radiate an inner joy that is very beautiful. Even as a seminarian, I really feel that I've received the hundredfold from following the vocation that He has called me to.
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