The Priesthood

Pray for our priests!

Thoughts on Priesthood and Adoration

by Francisco de Zurbarán

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A Priest's One Necessary Sermon

The Lamb who is adored in the glory of heaven is present in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar here on earth. If a priest were to preach but one sermon from the day of his Ordination until his death, that one sermon could be this: Ecce Agnus Dei, ecce qui tollit peccata mundi; Behold the Lamb of God, behold Him who taketh away the sins of the world (John 1:29).

Disappear Into Adoration

The priest is but a herald. He announces the presence of the Immolated Lamb, and then annihilates himself in humble adoration. Adoration leads inexorably to self-effacement. The Lamb is exalted; the herald of the Lamb disappears. The Bridegroom shines forth in all His beauty; the friend of the Bridegroom withdraws, content to listen to the sound of his voice.

You can read Father Mark Daniel Kirby's entire post here.

Priests

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O Unspeakable Mystery!

Oh sublime divinity of priests

To whom is given that which

is not granted to angels.

From an old holy card.

Farewell and RIP, Msgr. Daniel J. Dever

November 2nd is a special day for priests and those who have been a part of the Catholic educational system in Hawai'i. Because it is All Souls Day, it makes it more special to celebrate the life of a good priest and a good man, Fr. Daniel Dever. On that day also, he would have celebrated in person his 86th birthday. The gathering of the faithful at the 6 p.m. funeral Mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace celebrated -- as he probably looked on and was among those present -- his very life, a life well lived.

I didn't know Fr. Dever, but the homily of Fr. Gary Secor gave a wonderful image of what a beautiful priest he was. In a gist, Fr. Dever lived his life not for himself, but truly and wonderfully, for Christ.

About Fr. Daniel Dever by Patrick Downes, Editor of the Hawaii Catholic Herald.

Vatican Official: Priests Are 'Foreigners' in a World Far From God

ROME, OCT. 26, 2011 (Zenit.org).- The prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy is urging priests to keep their eyes fixed on Peter, even though they are as foreigners in a world estranged from God.

You can read the entire Zenit article here.

Study: Most Priests Are Happy, Appreciate Celibacy

One of the Diocese of Honolulu's Happy Priests

Priests in general are among the happiest members of society, says Monsignor Stephen Rossetti, and contrary to secular opinion, most embrace celibacy as a positive aspect of their vocation.

These were some of the conclusions outlined by Monsignor Rossetti in his book, “Why Priests Are Happy” (Ave Maria Press), which will be released Wednesday.

You can read the entire Zenit article here.

Profile of a Priest

"...The cardinal's poetic address offered a profile of the priest of the 21st century.

'It is right that the priest insert himself in the ordinary life of men, but he must not yield to the conformisms and compromises of society,' he said.

The priest 'is not like 'others.' What people expect from him is, in fact, that he not be 'like others.'"

Cardinal Piacenza said a priest 'will not hesitate to give his life, either in a brief but intense period of generous dedication without limits, or in a daily, long donation in the drop-by-drop progression of humble gestures of service to his people, tending always to the defense and formation of human greatness and of the Christian growth of each of the faithful and of the whole of his people.'

'A priest must be simultaneously little and great, noble in spirit as a king, simple and natural as a peasant,' the Vatican official continued. 'A hero in overcoming himself, sovereign of his desires, a servant of the little ones and weak ones; who is not humbled in face of the powerful, but who bends down to the poor and the little ones, a disciple of his Lord and head of his flock.'

He added, 'No more precious gift can be given to a community than a priest according to the heart of Christ.'

Source: Zenit, where you can read this article in its entirety.

Fighting Back - Attacks on the Priesthood

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There should be no doubt left in our minds that the devil has declared war on the Church and is putting all his efforts into destroying her by the ruination of her priests.

Will he succeed? Of course not! But that does not mean we should just let things happen and hope for the best. We must fight back!

The laity can do one of two things:

1. Give up on the Church because we feel we have been betrayed by the fallen priests;

-or-

2. Fight back with all our might, fortified by the strength God will give us and in turn declare war against evil.

We must constantly pray for these fine, yet frail men of God and offer many, many sacrifices on their behalf.

Our priests MUST:

In all humility realize that they will be at the mercy of these continued satanic assaults unless:

1. Get on their knees in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament as often as they can during the day, beginning as soon as the awake. This must be their first priority.

2. Become true sons of Mary by permitting her to guide and protect them by asking for her constant guidance and protection, especially through her most Holy Rosary.

They should totally consecrate themselves to Our Lady and clothe themselves with her Brown Scapular.

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3. Be obedient to our holy Father, the Pope, the holy magisterium and their immediate authority, their bishop.

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The devil's grip on our priests will be loosened if we fight back together, both priests and laity.

Lastly, until our bishops and pastors lead the congregation in praying the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel, we can do it privately at the end of the Holy Mass.

PRAYER TO SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL

St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou,
O Prince of the heavenly hosts,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan,
and all the evil spirits,
who prowl about the world
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen..

St. Michael prayer courtesy of EWTN

Changes in Our Parishes - Priests

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Seems like the summertime always seems to brings difficult changes in parish churches. Priests that we have come to know very well and to love and care for, are reassigned by their bishops.

Many people do not like change. It is only natural that we like things just the way we have grown accustomed them to be.  This seems to be apparently true when it comes to our priests remaining with us.

One priest has been at the same parish for eight years. He was supposed to be reassigned two years ago but was able to remain at the parish he had come to love, for an additional two years. Now it is his time to leave. He mentioned that he told three people about his departure and they all cried. He then stopped telling individuals, instead opting to tell everyone after the conclusion of Sunday Mass. He like all faithful priests knows he must be obedient to his bishop.

Why is it that the knee-jerk reaction of some individuals is to blame the bishop? Some go as far as to get angry at the bishops and to criticize them to others. We seem to forget that a priest should not be attached to anyone or anything. He must always be obedient. He must be ready to shepherd his flock no matter where he is sent. I know the priests know this and respect their bishops' decision. Why can't we?

I remember when I was younger, the parish my family belonged to grew very close to the Franciscan friars...the Capuchins. Each time one of the friars was reassigned, some of the people were ready to protest and to sign petitions. One wise priest admonished them. This kind of reaction on the part of the laity is not at all helpful.  It will not help to change a bishop's decision.

Another thing I have noticed is that those who volunteer to help out sometimes have a problem with the way the new priest does things. We have to remember, we have to accommodate and change to suit the new priest, not the other way around.

We must remember a priest is in persona christi or alter christus....another Christ.

In this month of June, our holy Father's prayer intention is for our priests. Please pray for your priests, especially the new ones assigned to your parish.

Line-up of our Diocesan Priests for Prayer for the Month of March

March: Pray for priests

Hawaii’s Secular Franciscans are resurrecting an earlier practice of designating days of the year for prayers for local priests. The concept is simple: On the day listed, prayer for that priest. Here is the March lineup. The Hawaii Catholic Herald will publish the lists one month at a time.

MARCH

1 Father Thomas Acklin, OSB
2 Father Thomas Gross
3 Father H. James Bartlett, SM
4 Father Clarence Guerreiro, SSCC
5 Father Maryjoseph K. Han
6 Father Manuel Hewe
7 Father Kenneth Templin, SM
8 Father Carmelo Lim
9 Father David Travers, SJ
10 Father Joseph Pathiyil, MF
11 Father Khanh Hoang
12 Father Timothy Eden, SM
13 Bishop Larry Silva
14 your pastor or associate pastor
15 Pope Benedict XVI
16 Father Alapaki Kim
17 Father Samuel E. Loterte, SSS
18 Father Ramelo Somera
19 Father Johnathan Hurrell, SSCC
20 Father Salvador Bringas
21 Father Dennis Koshko
22 Father Joseph E. Specht, SJ
23 Father Teodulo Gaquit
24 Father Bertram Lock, SSCC
25 Father William Kunisch
26 Father Geronimo Castro, MS
27 Father Cosmenio Rosimo
28 Father Albert Garcia, SSCC
29 Father Paul Li
30 Father Napoleon Andres, MS
31 Father Mario Raquepo
For information about the Secular Franciscans of Hawaii, call one of the following: Sharon Paopao, Hilo, 961-4434; Peter Callahan, Kona, 315-7609; Cliff Arrington, Kealakekua, 328-8752; Toni Rodrigues, Maui, 878-1651; John Bonn, Kauai, 631-9320; Chad Parker, Honolulu, 259-5045.

Source: Hawaii Catholic Herald
Mahalo to Editor Patrick Downes for his permission to post this on our blog.

Video 'Priesthood, men with a mission' makes call to change the world

The Church: The Mission: The Priest

"The Church is the mystery of the Incarnation prolonged throughout the centuries, the Church is essentially a mission. That is the meaning of the word "apostolate." It is sent. It is a mission: "As the Father has sent me, so I send you." (John 20:21).

This mission character of the Church is of infinite importance because the authority of the Church is derived from this mission. It is because it is sent that the Church can address itself to the entire world, because, precisely, it is totally entrusted with the presence of Jesus it bears throughout history in order to gather all humankind in one flock under the leadership of one sole Shepherd.

We are all sent by the One who sends us, by the Only One who sends us, who is Jesus Christ, ad each degree of authority is essentially the repetition of being sent, of mission: Ite Missa est. This is of absolutely prime importance. It is clear that as a priest I am not myself. I am a priest precisely so as not to be myself, in order to be the sacrament of Jesus Christ.

It is clear that if men entrust their soul, their deepest secrets, to a priest, it is because the priest is not himself, it is because he is the sacrament of Jesus. It is clear that the priest could never enter into the mystery of man if he was not sent. And, even if he is mediocre, he is sent. And even if he is mediocre, he has the grace of the mission.

It happens that the priest gives some souls some counsels that are infinitely beyond him, because he is a sacrament and that , insofar as he conforms to this mission, he can count on the help of God.I have experienced that, I know that I must never undertake anything on my own, because I am sent.

- Father Maurice Zundel

From the Magnificat, September 2010, Vol.12 No. 7

The Catholic Priest in the Modern World: A Living Martyr for His Faith in the Priesthood

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...Consequently, as a society becomes more secularized and materially preoccupied, there will be a corresponding lack of interest in the priesthood. Once flourishing Catholic cultures that have become materially wealthy, become proportionally de-Catholicized and, to coin a term, desacerdotalized. Vocations to the priesthood decrease, as departures from the active priesthood increase. As we might add, naturally.

The modern media in societies like our own are, with rare exception, not friendly to the Catholic priesthood. Or, more accurately, the media are friendly in so far as Catholic bishops and priests do not challenge the secular values of a society—like contraception, sodomy or adultery. But once these values are challenged, the opposition is a plain fact of contemporary history.

However, this is not, in my judgment, the main grounds for claiming that a Catholic priest must expect to live a martyr’s life in the modern world. I believe the main reason is the spread of alien ideas in nominally Catholic circles about what exactly is a priest...

You can read Father John Hardon's article in its entirety here.

Thanks Sue Cifelli.

Of Priests as Witnesses

4,800
views 4,800
views vatican — June 13, 2010 — Pope Benedict XVI renewed his thanks to faithful priests throughout the world today. The Pope was speaking to ... vatican — June 13, 2010 — Pope Benedict XVI renewed his thanks to faithful priests throughout the world today.

The Pope was speaking to the faithful gathered in St Peter's Square to pray the traditional Sunday Angelus with him.

He said he hopes that the figure of holy Curé of Ars, St John Marie Vianney, might continue to provide a nourishing example to priests in their personal conversation with God.

The Pope also recalled the Polish priest and martyr, Father Jerzy Popielusko, who was beatified on June 6 in Warsaw, noting how many works of integral human development arise from the free intitiatives and the witness of priests in every society and in every age.

The Holy Father recalled the beatification this wee ...

"You Are a Priest Forever"

Thanks to Ed of In God's Company 2

The Vocation of Priest is an exalted one, and remains a great mystery

Photo of Father Edward Sousa, Jr. Courtesy of Ed Sousa, Sr.

In his message of 12 Mar 2010, our Holy Father said "..."it is important clearly to bear in mind the theological specificity of ordained ministry, in order not to surrender to the temptation of reducing it to predominant cultural models.

Read the rest over at Ed's blog

Archbishop: Priesthood Is a Gift, Not a Right

The priesthood is a gift from God, and thus it cannot be claimed as a right, says the secretary of the Congregation for Clergy.

Read the rest of the Zenit article here

Is a Strong Priesthood In the World's Future?

Prayer, Liturgy Seen As Pillars of Renewal

By Father Massimo Camisasca

"...Why is it that today the priestly life -- which has made thousands of men happy and contributed enormously to the spiritual growth of humanity -- is going through such a profound qualitative crisis?..."

Read the rest here

Priest Postcard Appreciation Campaign

Alter Christi - Appreciation Postcard Campaign

The mission of this project, Year of the Priest, Appreciation Post Card Campaign is as follows:

In this year of the priest, I promise to fulfill my commitment to offer spiritual gifts for every priest living in my diocese and to make this known by mailing one of these cards to each one of them as I accomplish my daily spiritual works for them.

H/T Jane of Spiritual Mothers of Priests

What transpired after the dinner

I invite you to read my post on A Tribute to Our Priests.