Keywords: Priesthood, virtues, morality, example, principles, sainthood
Abstract:
The priestly mission has as its main purpose not only the sacramental life, that of sharing the God’s grace, help and blessing by means of the divine services, but also the didactic and pastoral care, that of advising and guiding the faithful on the redemptive way, by his words and the living example. Between the teaching word and priest’s deeds should be a perfect agreement, for if the deeds contradict him and the theory does not go together with practice, all his liturgical, homiletic and pastoral efforts become senseless or without effects, because the language of deeds is stronger than that of the words. The sermon does not have the diamantine power of the example. For this reason, the priest should identify himself with the teaching he is preaching. The success of the priest’s pastoral work is not given by his rhetorical skills, but by the beauty and crown of his virtues which should shine as the sun’s light and the refined gold. A priest with a pure and virtuous life, enriched with the flowers of virtues represent a barometer, a guide and a torch that enlightens the path of his flock to God, for “as the worthy and skilful commander saves the ship from drowning, in the same way the good shepherd gives life and health to his rational flock”, says Saint John the Ladder. The lack of a pure life dishonours and disarm the priest, cancelling all his merits and efforts. The faithful make progress in the spiritual life in proportion to the level of morality and spiritualization of the priest life. A virtuous priest can reflect the heaven’s glamour and warm the world with the beams of his good deeds like a clean mirror of the Sun of Righteousness. The pastoral experience of the priest is the reflection of his religious life a of the Christian virtues that he practices. Though the Christian virtues are required of every believer who want to achieve the level of moral perfection, the priest, nevertheless, as the one who was required to become the living incarnation of the Christian perfection, he should surpass his believers with his life and works, overcoming them through his virtues, for the true life in Christ. Fulfilling is his person the supreme example of the life of our Lord Jesus Christ, which the Holy Apostles and Church Fathers manifested in their works, the priest can say with a clear conscience like the Saint Apostle Paul: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4, 7-8).
Pages: 22-71