He made them, the vicars of his love. – St. Ambrose
How often do most of us express gratitude towards our devoted priests for their prayers, the Sacraments, and ultimately their self-sacrifice? Not often enough. It is imperative that we take the time to genuinely convey our appreciation to our priests and let them know that we care about them. We must recognize and value all that they do for us. Our gratitude should manifest through both our actions and our words, demonstrating how much we value their care for our spiritual well-being.
It is the priest, empowered by the Holy Spirit during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, who effectuates the change of bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. Without access to the Flesh and Blood of Christ, we would be spiritually adrift, deprived of this invaluable gift of eternal life—the true Bread from Heaven, Jesus Christ. The Eucharist is the “source and summit” of the Christian life, providing us with the spiritual sustenance necessary to navigate our existence in this world each and everyday of our lives. Without the priest, there is no Eucharist, and without the Eucharist, there is no Church.
The following is a poem that I wrote entitled “Beloved Priest” from my self-published book Belonging to Christ – A Book of Catholic Poetry that captivates the beauty of the priesthood:
As the dawn slowly rises
until the heavy dark descends,
he marks the hours
with the prayer that sanctifies the day.
With a zealous heart
on fire with the word,
he breaks open the truth
to those who thirst.
He acts as the Bridegroom
at the Supper of the Lamb.
Before the altar he stands
in the person of Christ the Head.
Transubstantiation,
the sweet taste of heaven on earth,
the Kingdom is before us,
a precious gift of priceless worth.
With the outpouring of the Spirit
his hands absolve us from our sin.
We receive pardon, and
the Body is made whole again.
As Christ the Physician,
the power of grace manifests.
By the sacred anointing
the sick are given peace, courage,
healing, and strength.
God’s beloved priest
is of immeasurable value.
For without his vocation
we have nothing.
We should express gratitude and appreciation for the gift of spiritual fatherhood bestowed upon us by our priests. Especially on occasions like Father’s Day, it’s essential to remember to thank our priests for their unwavering dedication to serving God and His Church.
Photo by Shannon Douglas on Unsplash
