PRIESTS, BE HOLY! OTHERWISE YOUR LIFE WILL BE A DISASTER!

Word of the Lord

“Speak to the whole Israelite community and tell them: Be holy, for I, the LORD your God, am holy.” (Lv 19:2)

“So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mt 5:48)

From Church documents

“Priests of the New Testament, by their vocation and ordination, are in a certain sense set apart in the bosom of the People of God. However, they are not to be separated from the People of God or from any person; but they are to be totally dedicated to the work for which the Lord has chosen them (Cf. Acts 13:2). They cannot be ministers of Christ unless they be witnesses and dispensers of a life other than earthly life. But they cannot be of service to men if they remain strangers to the life and conditions of men (Paul VI, encyclical Ecclesiam Suam, Aug. 6, 1964, 56). Their ministry itself, by a special title, forbids that they be conformed to this world; (cf. Rom 12:2) yet at the same time it requires that they live in this world among men. They are to live as good shepherds that know their sheep, and they are to seek to lead those who are not of this sheepfold that they, too, may hear the voice of Christ, so that there might be one fold and one shepherd (cf. Jn 10:14-16).” (Second Vatican Council, Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests, Presbyterorum Ordinis, 3)

“God, who alone is holy and who alone bestows holiness, willed to take as his companions and helpers men who would humbly dedicate themselves to the work of sanctification. Hence, through the ministry of the bishop, God consecrates priests, that being made sharers by special title in the priesthood of Christ, they might act as his ministers in performing sacred functions. In the liturgy they continue to carry on his priestly office by the action of his Spirit.” (Second Vatican Council, Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests, Presbyterorum Ordinis, 5)

“Priests who perform their duties sincerely and indefatigably in the Spirit of Christ arrive at holiness by this very fact.” (Second Vatican Council, Decree on the Ministry and Life of Priests, Presbyterorum Ordinis, 13)

From the writings of Blessed Father Paolo Manna

“Beware: God will never use vain, proud men full of confidence in their personal merits to convert and sanctify peoples. God is jealous of his glory. To destroy vices, he will not use a priest who loves the world, […] a priest whose faith is lukewarm, sluggish, without mortification. [...] Let’s be honest when we [priests] complain about the ruins that the enemies of religion make in the field we have to cultivate; it is our own fault [that people don’t convert to God].” (P. Manna, Chiamati alla santità, Naples 1977, p. 112)

“Let the missionaries, more direct instruments in the conversion of souls, be saints, and the unbelievers will not hesitate to convert.” (P. Manna, Virtù Apostoliche, Milan 1944, p. 41)

“Of course it goes without saying that whoever is called to the priesthood is therefore himself called to a very high degree of holiness. One can be good doctor, lawyer, professor without being saint, but this cannot be the case for the priest: it would be a contradiction in terms. […] Priestly vocation and holiness must be closely united: there can be holiness without priesthood, but not vice versa.” (P. Manna, Chiamati alla santità, Naples 1977, p. 80)

“And this priestly holiness, which was God’s choice, this priestly holiness, which was accepted on our part, is also the expectation of the whole world. Everyone knows that the priest must be holy, and everyone expects and demands it, even the villains who scorn and fight us.” (P. Manna, Chiamati alla santità, Naples 1977, pp. 87-88)

Questions for reflection

·         What do I remember of my priestly ordination?

·         Are the ideals of that day present in me? To what extent?

·         Honestly, how much an example of a priestly life am I for those to whom God has sent me?

·         When was the last time I asked God to strengthen me in my fidelity and help me in a good, human, and priestly life?

·         When was the last time I prayed for missions and missionaries?

PRAYER

Thrice holy God, you choose and call people to serve your people as their shepherds. Look at all the priests of the Church and renew in them the grace of Holy Order. May the Holy Spirit, with which they were filled, animate in them the grace of holiness, so that their ministry and their life may be lived in holiness. Let them fix their gaze on Jesus Christ, High Priest and Good Shepherd, and follow him with a generous heart, making their life a gift for you and for the Church.

Most Holy Mother, Mother of priests, intercede for them with Your Son.

They belong to Him! Make them holy in heart and body and faithful to their vocation. Strengthen those who are weak and lead them to Christ! Send them “good angels” to lift them up from their weakness. Intercede for them all, [O Mother,] that they may have deep faith, unshakable hope, perfect love, and a deep sense of God’s holiness and what belongs to God. Amen.

IT IS NOT POSSIBLE THAT A RELIGIOUS MAN OR WOMAN MAY LOVE JESUS CHRIST AND DO NOT HAVE THE ZEAL FOR THE MISSION!

The missionary dimension of consecrated life

From the Gospel of Matthew

“Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?

When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’

And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ […] Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’

He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me. And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.’” (Mt 25:37-40, 44-46)

From Church documents

“Religious should carefully keep before their minds the fact that the Church presents Christ to believers and non-believers alike in a striking manner daily through them.” (Second Vatican. Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, n. 46)

“Religious institutes of the contemplative and of the active life have so far played, and still do play, the main role in the evangelization of the world. This sacred synod gladly acknowledges their merits and thanks God for all that they have expended for the glory of God and the service of souls while exhorting them to go on untiringly in the work which they have begun, since they know that the virtue of charity, which by reason of their vocation they are bound to practice with greater perfection, obliges and impels them to a truly catholic spirit and work. (cf. Dogmatic constitution, Lumen Gentium, 44)

Institutes of the contemplative life, by their prayers, sufferings, and works of penance have a very great importance in the conversion of souls, because it is God who sends workers into His harvest when He is asked to do so (cf. Matt. 9:38) God who opens the minds of non-Christians to hear the Gospel (cf. Acts 16:14), and God who fructifies the word of salvation in their hearts (cf. 1Cor. 3:7). In fact, these institutes are asked to found houses in mission areas, as not a few of them have already done, so that there, living out their lives in a way accommodated to the truly religious traditions of the people, they can bear excellent witness among non-Christians to the majesty and love of God, as well as to our union in Christ.

Institutes of the active life, whether they pursue a strictly mission ideal or not, should ask themselves sincerely in the presence of God, whether they would not be able to extend their activity for the expansion of the Kingdom of God among the nations; whether they could possibly leave certain ministries to others so that they themselves could expend their forces for the missions, whether they could possibly undertake activity in the missions, adapting their constitutions if necessary, but according to the spirit of their founder; whether their members are involved as totally as possible in the mission effort; and whether their type of life is a witness to the Gospel accommodated to the character and condition of the people.

Now since, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, secular institutes are daily increasing in the Church, their activity, under the authority of the bishop, could be fruitful in the missions in many ways as a sign of complete dedication to the evangelization of the world.” (Second Vatican. Council, Decree on the Mission Activity on the Church, Ad Gentes, n. 40)

“Religious, for their part, find in their consecrated life a privileged means of effective evangelization. At the deepest level of their being they are caught Up in the dynamism of the Church's life, which is thirsty for the divine Absolute and called to holiness. It is to this holiness that they bear witness. They embody the Church in her desire to give herself completely to the radical demands of the beatitudes. By their lives they are a sign of total availability to God, the Church and the brethren.”

(Paul VI, Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Nuntiandi, n.69)

“From the inexhaustible and manifold richness of the Spirit come the vocations of the Institutes of Consecrated Life, whose members, ‘because of the dedication to the service of the Church deriving from their very consecration, have an obligation to play a special part in missionary activity, in a manner appropriate to their Institute.’” (John Paul II, Encyclical Letter, Redemptoris Missio, n. 69)

“The sense of mission is at the very heart of every form of consecrated life. To the extent that consecrated persons live a life completely devoted to the Father (cf. Lk 2:49; Jn 4:34), held fast by Christ (cf. Jn 15:16; Gal 1:15-16) and animated by the Spirit (cf. Lk 24:49; Acts 1:8; 2:4), they cooperate effectively in the mission of the Lord Jesus (cf. Jn 20:21) and contribute in a particularly profound way to the renewal of the world.” (John Paul II, Post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Vita Consecrata, n. 25)

“Those who love God, the Father of all, cannot fail to love their fellow human beings, whom they recognize as brothers and sisters. Precisely for this reason, they cannot remain indifferent to the fact that many men and women do not know the full manifestation of God’s love in Christ. […] This drive is felt above all by the members of Institutes, whether of the contemplative or of the active life.” (John Paul II, Post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Vita Consecrata, n. 77)

From the writings of Blessed Father Paolo Manna

“This zeal for the salvation of non-Christians must be a part of the life of every consecrated soul who loves Jesus Christ.” (P. Manna, Donne senza paura, Naples 1977, p. 8)

“Oh the Sisters, souls consecrated to Jesus Christ, are all Missionaries by the very nature of their vocation! And they well realize the fullness of their vocation, made of love and sacrifice, and faithfully respond to it!” (P. Manna, Donne senza paura, Naples 1977, p. 7)

“You work behind the scenes [out of public view], but through your work, blessed by God, the idea [of mission] gains ground and, through ways that are largely unknown to us, the Kingdom of Our Lord is advancing, religious vocations multiply and souls are saved.” (P. Manna, Donne senza paura, Naples 1977, p. 14)

“Consecrated persons have dedicated their whole life to the divine Master whom they call the Bridegroom of their souls and continue to make him ever greater promises of love and obedience. Thus, they cannot be indifferent and do nothing for the salvation of millions of souls of unbelievers, for whom Jesus also shed his precious blood.” (Cf. P. Manna, La conversione del mondo infedele, Milan 1920, p. 230)

“Not all religious women, however, can and must become Missionaries, [in the sense of going to mission lands], […] but all must be missionaries by desire, disposition, and will.” (P. Manna, Donne senza paura, Naples 1977, pp. 7-8)

Questions for reflection

·         How do I promote the missionary zeal in my community, apostolate, and work?

·         When was the last time I prayed for missions, missionaries, and missionary vocations?

·         How can I pursue my missionary vocation and devote myself to mission within the charism of my Congregation?

·         What can I do for the missionary activity of the Church within the charism of my Congregation?

PRAYER

Look, O Lord, to these your sons and daughters: priests, consecrated women and men, and lay persons, who leave everything, to bear witness to your Word and your heart.

Be for each of them “the powerful protector, the strong presence, the shelter from the daily burdens, the refuge from the midday sun, the help not to stumble, the help to prevent falls”.

Support them in challenging times; save their strength, comfort their hearts, crown their work of spiritual achievements. They do not seek human success, or fleeting goods: but only your triumph and the good of souls.

May your crucified image, which will accompany them throughout their lives, speak to them about heroism, self-denial, love, peace: may it be a comfort and guide, light and strength to them, so that, through them, your blessed Name spreads further in the world, and they, surrounded by an ever-greater number of your sons and daughters, may they sing to you the hymn of gratitude, glory and redemption. (Cf. Conferral of the Crucifix to Men and Women Missionaries, Homily of Pope John XXIII,  Vatican Basilica, Sunday, 11 October 1959)

LAY PEOPLE ARE TRUE MISSIONARIES

The missionary dimension of laity

From the Gospel of Matthew

“Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?

When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’

And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.’ […] Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’

He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me. And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.’” (Mt 25:37-40, 44-46)

From Church documents

“The term laity is here understood to mean all the faithful […]. These faithful are by baptism made one body with Christ and are constituted among the People of God; they are in their own way made sharers in the priestly, prophetical, and kingly functions of Christ; and they carry out for their own part the mission of the whole Christian people in the Church and in the world.” (Second Vatican Council, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium, n. 31)

“The mission ad gentes is incumbent upon the entire People of God. Whereas the foundation of a new church requires the Eucharist and hence the priestly ministry, missionary activity, which is carried out in a wide variety of ways, is the task of all the Christian faithful.

It is clear that from the very origins of Christianity, the laity - as individuals, families, and entire communities - shared in spreading the faith.” (John Paul II, Encyclical Letter, Redemptoris Missio, n. 71)

“The sphere in which lay people are present and active as missionaries is very extensive. ‘Their own field […] is the vast and complicated world of politics, society and economics’ (Paul VI, Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi, 70) on the local, national and international levels. Within the Church, there are various types of services, functions, ministries and ways of promoting the Christian life.”  (John Paul II, Encyclical Letter, Redemptoris Missio, n. 72)

“In virtue of their baptism, all the members of the People of God have become missionary disciples (cf. Mt 28:19). All the baptized, whatever their position in the Church or their level of instruction in the faith, are agents of evangelization, and it would be insufficient to envisage a plan of evangelization to be carried out by professionals while the rest of the faithful would simply be passive recipients.” (Pope Francis, Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, n. 120)

From the writings of Blessed Father Paolo Manna

“[God did not want to form] a special caste, distinct from the rest of humanity, to form a particular people. All men and women as well as all Christians are called to holiness.” (P. Manna, Chiamati alla santità, Naples 1977, p. 85)

Spreading the faith and promoting missionary vocations are great duties that arise from the daily Christian prayer “Thy Kingdom Come”. And what will happen if we do not all cooperate in this coming? Who will give the missionaries to the Church, who will support them in their difficult work, if not us? (Cf. P. Manna, “Venga il Regno tuo!”, Christmas 1921, single issue distributed for the opening of the Sacred Heart Seminary at Ducenta)

In war, there are always those on the front line and those in the rear. What do those in the back do for the fighting soldiers? They speak of them with great admiration. Do Christians speak of the missionaries? Do they feel admiration and affection for them?

In the rear, they pray for the soldiers and send them various things. And you, do you pray for the soldiers of Jesus Christ, for the missionaries, so that the Lord will give them strength, courage, patience and all grace? What do you send them? (Cf. P. Manna, “Propaganda Missionaria”, July 1918, p. 1)

Questions for reflection

·         What do I remember about the sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation that oblige me to be included in the missionary task of the Church?

·         How do I fulfill my missionary vocation at work, in the family and in the parish?

·         How can I be more involved in helping the missions ad gentes?

·         When I pray with the words of the “Our Father,” am I aware that this prayer is a commitment to care for the Church throughout the world?

·         When was the last time I prayed for missions and missionaries?

PRAYER

Lord Jesus Christ, you are the King of the world, the hope and expectation of all nations. You have redeemed all people with your precious blood.

Look kindly on all the nations that have been scattered throughout this vast world and let them know Your Truth.

Look o Lord! Only a part of humanity knows your name. Only a part of humanity prays to you. For the poor who do not know you, look not on their sins, but show your mercy to the world. Let all people know you, believe in you and serve you. You are our life and salvation, our resurrection, together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, God in eternity. Amen. Card. Henry Newman