Friday, December 01, 2006

The Joy of the Priesthood

I can't promise that this will be my last post of the day, but I promise to try.

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:

Russ Rentler, M.D. said...

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.

Gildas said...

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.

About Me

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Catholic and politically conservative, I graduated with a BA in History (concentration in American) and Political Science. I'm between two parishes; one in Wisconsin that is fairly traditional, and one in Illinois that is fairly liberal. I teach CCD. I work in the food service industry, which basically means I'm working in fast food until I find a better job. I'd like to work for the church somehow. Right now I'm working on getting my teaching certification, although I'm unsure thats the correct path for me. This blog is as random as I am. I hope you enjoy.