It was in my teenage years that I first felt that God was calling me to the priesthood. It was a somewhat strange encounter. As a young teenager I was thoroughly engaged in the process of understanding and establishing my personal identity — establishing some independence from my parents and my own voice among my peers — as well as wondering what the future held for me. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do in life, but of one thing I was sure — I didn’t want to lead a mundane life. I wanted to do something different, something out of the ordinary. I suppose it was the spirit of independence at that age (which sometimes borders on rebelliousness) that fostered that sentiment in me. In my own way I was a rebel. I didn’t want to do things or follow paths simply because I was told to do so or because others were doing so. I wanted the path I followed in life to be a path in which I was thoroughly convinced and which I had consciously chosen.
It was in this context that Christ appeared at my doorstep — or, rather, I found myself at his. Certainly, through a lengthy and prayerful process of discernment I became clearly aware that I was not entering the priesthood because I thought it was sufficiently different or because it was a way to express my “individuality.” I entered because Christ called me. But those of us whom Christ calls to the priesthood, we are indeed called to be signs of contradiction, a sign that is often rejected by the world around us.
Jesus was always clear about the cost of discipleship: “all will hate you because of me,” he warned his followers. (Lk 21:17) This warning is to be heeded by all Christ’s followers, but especially by priests. “If you find that the world hates you, know it has hated me before you,” Jesus told his disciples. (Jn 15:18) Jesus was hated because he preached something contrary to what was accepted at his time. Priests are called to preach the Gospel, which remains counter-cultural. In fact, the very life and witness of a priest is a sign of contradiction.
Much of our modern culture values “progress” at any price. Thus, when, for example, the church objects to the use of embryonic stem cells for research because a human life is destroyed in the process, the church is maligned as unscientific and obstructionist. The priest, personifying the church, often receives the brunt of this inaccurate assessment. No less so, in the Western Church, in which priest are called to celibacy, this evangelical witness is misconstrued as being anti-family, anti-love, anachronistic — when the reality is far from such an inaccurate perception! When the defense of human life, celibacy for the sake of the kingdom, and a promise of obedience are misconstrued, the priest all the more becomes a sign of contradiction.
As our society distances itself more and more from Gospel values, more so is the authentic, convinced witness of the Christian needed, and leading us must be our shepherds, the priests. As the world insidiously tempts us with a life of materialism, a culture of relativism and action devoid of moral consequences, the witness of the Christian is needed to point to that which is beyond the tangible, that which is founded on truth, a life founded on love and responsibility. The Christian, and thus the priest as the leader of our communities, must point with his word and example to the kingdom of God. This is the tall order of priests.
In the early centuries of the church, living a Christian life often meant persecution and sometimes martyrdom. In our modern culture, we should expect no less. The early centuries were known as the time of “red martyrdom.” Today we face a “white martyrdom:” while we do not shed our blood, we nonetheless suffer for our faith. The word martyr literally means “witness.” The world today hungers and thirsts for authentic Christian witnesses, and priests are called to lead us in such a witness. Pope Benedict XVI noted in his letter declaring the Year for Priests: “In today’s world, as in the troubled times of the Curé of Ars, the lives and activity of priests need to be distinguished by a determined witness to the Gospel.” He then added the poignant words of Pope Paul VI, “modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses.” The priest must be a teacher and witness. He must teach with his witness and witness with his teaching.
This tall order may seem daunting, particularly for our seminarians and those who feel called to the priesthood, and indeed for us priests! But we should always take comfort in the words of Christ to his disciples, “know that I am with you always, until the end of the world.” (Mt 28:20) I was told of a study a couple of years ago that considered the level of job satisfaction of people in various professions. The top two “professions” which expressed the highest level of job satisfaction were firefighters and priests! I think that when we live our lives with a clear sense of purpose, the incidentals do not matter much (whether they be long hours, sacrifices, etc.). The life of a priest is the personification of the words of Christ which we utter daily: “This is my blood … to be poured out on behalf of many.” (Mk 14:24) The life of a priest is anything but mundane! It is, indeed, a sign of contradiction — but a life filled with meaning and purpose as we preach and guide our flock in the kingdom of God. Jesus warned his disciples: “You will suffer in the world. But take courage! I have overcome the world.” (Jn 16:33)