Reclaiming Our Priestly Character

I would not often recommend a book or product on this site, but the new book by Fr. David Toups 'Reclaiming Our Priestly Character' warrants one. He does an excellent job in helping to clarify the doctrine of Priestly Character, and it is a 'must read' for all priests, I am convinced. In only three chapters, he helps to draw out the Church's teaching on priestly identity, attempts (and does so very well) to explain the reasons that this needs to be reclaimed, and gives some excellent suggestions for how to do this.

Further, in an article on Zenit, Fr. Toups gives a little taste of the book:

Q: Your book focuses on recovering what you call the “doctrine of the priestly character.” Can you describe this “doctrine” in a nutshell?

Father Toups: The “doctrine of the priestly character” is about the permanent relationship the priest enters into with Christ the High Priest on the day of his ordination.

The priest is always a priest; he is not a simple functionary who performs ritual actions, but rather he is configured to Christ in the depths of his being by what is called an ontological change.

Christ is working through him at the altar, “This is my Body,” and in the confessional, “I absolve you of your sins,” but also in his daily actions outside the sanctuary.

The character that the priest receives is a comfort to the faithful inasmuch as they realize that their faith is not based in the personality of the priest, but rather the Person of Christ working through the priest.

On the other hand, the priest is called, like all of the faithful, to a life of holiness. The character received at ordination is actually a dynamism for priestly holiness. The more he can assimilate his life to Christ and submit to the gift he received at ordination, the more he will be a credible witness to the faithful and edify the Body of Christ.

Q: Is it your view that the nature of the priesthood is unknown or misunderstood by many priests? Is mandatory “continuing priestly education” the answer?

Father Toups: Studies show that there has been confusion regarding the exact nature of the priesthood among priests themselves depending on the timing of their seminary training.

Immediately following the Second Vatican Council, there was confusion among priests and laity alike about the difference between the priesthood of the faithful and the ministerial priesthood.

Vatican II’s intention was not to suppress one in order to highlight the other, but rather to recognize the universal call to holiness and the dignity of both.

The ministerial priesthood is a specific vocation within the Church in which a man is called by Christ in the apostolic line to offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Priests are different by virtue of ordination, as confirmed by the council itself in paragraph 10 of “Lumen Gentium,” which emphasized that the baptized and the ordained share in the one and the same priesthood of Christ, but in a way that differs “in essence and not only in degree.”

This difference certainly does not mean better or even holier -- that would be a major error -- but it does mean that there is a distinction.

Cardinal Avery Dulles points out that, if anything, the priesthood of the faithful is more exalted because the ministerial priesthood is ordered to its service. Hence, a recovery from the confusion lies in the need to understand the balance a priest is to find; he is both a servant and one who has been set aside by Christ and the Church to stand "in persona Christi" -- not as a personal honor, but as “one who has come to serve and not be served.”

The priest need not be embarrassed about this high calling, but should boldly live it out in the midst of the world. Pope John Paul the Great regularly reminded priests: “Do not be afraid to be who you are!”

Holy Thursday

Tonight, we celebrate the start of the Holy Triduum. With the Mass of the Lord's Supper, we remember the love of Christ in giving us not only the example of Service, which He further proves in His acceptance of the Cross. But most important, we remember the giving of the Priesthood and the Eucharist. Intimately tied together, the priesthood exists to provide the Eucharist, which makes the Church. The priest serves the Church, not the other way around!

This wonderful Day's liturgy ends with the transfer of the Blessed Sacrament, while singing the beautiful Pange Lingua, writen in Latin by St. Thomas Aquinas, the most influential theologian on the Eucharist. For our prayer, it is translated here:

Sing, my tongue, the Savior's Glory,
of His flesh the mystery sing;
of the Blood, all price exceeding,
shed by our immortal King,
destined, for the world's redemption,
from a noble womb to spring.

Of a pure and spotless Virgin
born for us on earth below,
He, as Man, with man conversing,
stayed, the seeds of truth to sow;
then He closed in solemn order
wondrously His life of woe.

On the night of that Last Supper,
seated with His chosen band,
He the Pascal victim eating,
first fulfills the Law's command;
then as Food to His Apostles
gives Himself with His own hand.

Word-made-Flesh, the bread of nature
by His word to Flesh He turns;
wine into His Blood He changes;-
what though sense no change discerns?
Only be the heart in earnest,
faith her lesson quickly learns.

Down in adoration falling,
Lo! the sacred Host we hail;
Lo! o'er ancient forms departing,
newer rites of grace prevail;
faith for all defects supplying,
where the feeble sense fail.

To the everlasting Father,
and the Son who reigns on high,
with the Holy Ghost proceeding
forth from Each eternally,
be salvation, honor, blessing,
might and endless majesty.
Amen.

Palm Sunday

Hosanna - save us. This is the cry of the people who lined the streets and placed their coats and palms as Jesus rode by. It is the cry that a child who is in danger cries out to his or her parents. Jesus comes into the city of Jerusalem, His own city, and they cry for salvation.

Just a few days later, the cry is that they want Him to die, to be crucified. In a prophetic statement, they tell Pilate "Let his blood be on us and on our children." Jesus is lead to Calvary, silently offering His life to the Father, and upon the cross pours out His blood. In this, He saves those who are willing to come to Him. By being immersed into His death and Resurrection, by being washed in His blood, we find salvation and healing of sin. Yes, may His blood be on us!

In responding to a vocation, we cry with all our being to Jesus Christ. We cry out that He would save us, lead us, and heal us.

Fifth Sunday of Lent

We hear the story of the raising of Lazarus. In this episode of the life of Christ, we learn something important about Jesus. When he is told that his friend is sick, he simply stays put. A close friend would have started traveling under the news, but Jesus simply states this sickness would demonstrate the glory of God. When He finally goes, he announces that Lazarus is asleep, and He must waken him. Martha, Mary, and the Jewish onlookers all accuse Jesus of not being there and doing all that He could to prevent the death. What a friend, huh?

In the end, though, Jesus knows exactly what he was going to do. He calls for the tomb to be opened. Martha objects - there will be a stench. The tomb is opened though, and Jesus calls Lazarus out, who rises and comes out bound, but alive. What he experienced was the resuscitation, a return to this natural life, and he will die again.

For us, we are so often like Martha and Mary. We might wonder why Jesus is not responding (at least the way we want), and we question whether we are really His friends. Yet, it is for the Glory of God - Jesus knows what he is going to do in our lives. We might object to opening up the places of death - after all, there is s stench around there. Jesus simply speaks our name and a command, and only in listening and responding, can we find freedom.

May we respond to the voice of Jesus calling us into life and freedom!

Fourth Sunday of Lent

We hear the account of the man born blind. The event starts with the question of whose sin prompted him to be born blind. Jesus replies that he is blind that all will see God's glory. Jesus knew what he was going to do. The man is healed, by being faithful to what Jesus Christ asks.
Others cannot believe it is him - it is simply more believable to them that there was someone who looked exactly like him. The validity of the man's claim is questioned, by neighbors, scribes, and the Sanhedrin.
Jesus reminds them, though, that sinful blindness is not being born physically blind, but to be spiritually blind to the point that one cannot see the work of God.

In discerning a vocation, one of our first prayers should be to open our hearts and eyes of our heart. Without this, we could simply ignore the work of God, and ignore His call in our lives. Christ is willing to heal us, if we are willing to let Him.

Third Sunday of Lent

This weekend, we hear the episode of the Samaritan woman at the well. To say this is a chance encounter between Jesus Christ and the woman is to miss the point. This woman was at the well at noon - this is not the typical time to be at wells, gathering your water for the day. There most have been a reason for her to avoid going in the morning, and certainly the fact that she had five husbands and appears to be in an adulterous relationship would have caused her to be shunned even by the Samaritans. She is there out of thirst - no matter how much we protest we need water. Jesus begins to speak to her, asking for a cup of water - and she is surprised that that he, a Jew would even speak to her. The conversation starts on a natural level - he is thirsty, and she is thirsty. But Jesus moves it into a spiritual level - if she knew who he was, she would ask for the living water, the water that flows out on its own and quenches all thirst. She desires this water - it would make her life easier after all. She no longer would need to go to the well, which was a place of great work, but must have been a place of shame, too. She begins to see Jesus as a man, a prophet, and finally the Messiah, the Christ. She goes through a conversion, and she converses with the townspeople. Jesus is calling her to repentance, certainly, but the fruits of conversion are already being seen.

Though it is an error to see priesthood as a career, it is a natural tendancy to initially begin to discern a vocation to the priesthood from the natural level - how am I to provide for myself. But the question needs to deepen and grow. As our faith in Jesus Christ grows, we begin to change our approach. No longer are we searching for the water that satisfies our natural thirst, but we seek the water of life that will lead us to salvation. May the Lord give us this water always!

New Seminarians

We are pleased to belatedly announce the acceptance of 2 new seminarians, both of whom are transfers to St. John Vianney College Seminary at the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN. They are Paul Blaschko and Butch Hendrickson. They have been invited to become 'authors' for this blog, as well as the other 5 seminarians from our Diocese. Please continue to pray for all of their discernment!