A Priest Never Belongs to Himself He is to be Configured to Christ!

Does Our Consecration 
as Priests

 extend to the Daily Reality of our Lives?

Pope BenedictXVI at the Holy Thursday Chrism Mass   criticized dissent from church teachings as illegitimate pathways toward reform and renewal. In the presence of  1,600 priests, bishops and cardinals, the pope cautioned against calls for women’s ordination, saying such campaigns seemed more “a desperate push” to fulfill one’s own preferences rather than a sincere attempt to conform one’s life more closely to Christ. The pope said he wanted to use the occasion to ask all priests, including himself, to meditate upon what their consecration really means.

Do we operate as men of God in fellowship with Jesus Christ? This question places the Lord before us and us before him. “Are you resolved to be more united with the Lord Jesus and more closely conformed to him, denying yourselves and confirming those promises about sacred duties towards Christ’s Church which, prompted by love of him, you willingly and joyfully pledged on the day of your priestly ordination? We need,  I (also) need, not to claim my life as my own, but to place it at the disposal of another – of Christ. I should be asking not what I stand to gain, but what I can give for him and for others. Or to put it more specifically, this configuration to Christ, who came not to be served but to serve, who does not take, but rather gives – what form does it take in the often dramatic situation of the Church today.

  

           

A Priests Concern should always 

be for the Salvation of Souls!

We are concerned with the salvation of men and women in body and soul. Zelus animarum leads to salus animarum.  No one should ever have the impression that we work conscientiously when on duty, but before and after hours we belong only to ourselves. A priest never belongs to himself. People must sense our zeal,  through which we bear credible witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Let us ask the Lord to fill us with joy in his message, so that we may serve his truth and his love with joyful zeal.

A Priests Near Death Experience 
Changes His Life!

While reading the Comments and various news reports of the Pope's address to the Priests on Holy Thursday. I recalled a program I saw on Mother Angelica Live in the late 1980’s about a priest who had a near death experience and how it changed his life.  Fr. Steven Scheier was involved in an accident in 1985 while traveling back to his parish. He had a head-on collision with a pickup truck and with Jesus who had condemned him to Hell.

Fr. Scheier was standing before the judgment of Jesus. He doesn’t know how long it lasted. He says the Lord took him through his entire life, and showed him every incident how he had failed in his priestly service. Before the accident he was thinking there would be time to convert but during his judgment scene, Jesus told him there is no more time. He said he knew he was talking to Truth and when you are talking to Truth you can’t give excuses. At the end of his judgment, his sentence from Jesus was hell. Fr. Scheier said “yes” as that was the only logical thing he deserved.  However, because of his devotion to Our Lady, (he was saying Hail Mary’s aloud as he was dying and then recovering) He was favored by God to have another chance.   At that moment, he heard a woman’s voice say, “Son, will you please spare his life and his eternal soul?” 

The Lord replied, “Mother, he’s been a priest for 12 years for himself and not for me, let him reap the punishment he deserves.” “But Son,’ she said, ‘if we give him special graces and strengths . . . then let’s see if he bears fruit; if not, your will be done.” There was very short pause, after which Jesus said, “Mother, he’s yours.”

I hope by including his story in this post it will help someone to save their own soul.  We so easily put blinders upon our eyes and excuse ourselves from grave faults. Bishops, priests and laity take advantage of the time God has given you today to serve Him!  Pray to God that he will show us the truth about ourselves today! It is not guaranteed we shall see tomorrow!   

Click alsoWindow’s Media Player: Fr. Schierer Interview with Mother Anglelica

       
 A priest for himself not for Me!

Father survived the accident but did not recall his near death experience until he was fully recovered and returned to his parish ministry. One day when celebrating Mass, the Gospel was about the fig tree (Luke 13:1-9).     When he was reading the Parable of the Fig Tree the words leapt off the page to him, especially the order to cut down the fig tree but getting a reprieve of one more year to bear fruit. As he read the Gospel he recalled his near death experience.  He finished Mass as best he could and back at the rectory

He remembered the spiritual conversation that had taken place shortly after his accident. In that conversation Fr. Scheier found himself standing before the judgment of Jesus. He doesn’t know how long it lasted. He says the Lord took him through his entire life, and showed him how he had failed in his priestly service. Fr. Scheier said “yes” to everything Jesus said about his life. Before the accident he was thinking there would be time to convert but during this judgment scene Jesus taught him there is no time. Now before Jesus he was talking to Truth and when you are talking to Truth you can’t give excuses. At the end of his judgment, his sentence from Jesus was hell. Fr. Scheier said “yes” as that was the only logical thing he deserved. At that moment, however, he heard a woman say, “Son, will you please spare his life and his eternal soul?” The Lord replied, “Mother, he’s been a priest for twelve years for himself and not for me, let him reap the punishment he deserves.” “But Son,” she said, “if we give him special graces and strengths then let’s see if he bears fruit; if not, your will be done.” There was very short pause, after which Jesus said, “Mother, he’s yours.”

                             

                         

 The Parable of the Fig Tree

"Look here, for three years now I have been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and finding none. Cut it down: why should it be taking up the ground?” “Sir,” the man replied, “leave it one more year and give me time to dig round it and manure it: it may bear fruit next year; if not, then you can cut it down.” Click for complete  Homily by Fr. Tommy Lane   

The Pope mentions a group of Austrian Priests' Calling for Disobedience

Recently a group of priests from Austria issued a summons to disobedience, and at the same time gave concrete examples of the forms this disobedience might take, even to the point of disregarding definitive decisions of the Church’s Magisterium, such as the question of women’s ordination, for which Blessed Pope John Paul II stated irrevocably that the Church has received no authority from the Lord. Is disobedience a path of renewal for the Church?

We would like to believe that the authors of this summons are motivated by concern for the Church, that they are convinced that the slow pace of institutions has to be overcome by drastic measures, in order to open up new paths and to bring the Church up to date. But is disobedience  really a way to do this? Do we sense here anything of that configuration to Christ which is the precondition for true renewal, or do we merely sense a desperate push to do something to change the Church in accordance with one’s own preferences and ideas?

Surely Christ himself corrected human traditions which threatened to stifle the word and the will of God? Indeed he did, so as to rekindle obedience to the true will of God, to his ever enduring word. His concern was for true obedience, as opposed to human caprice. He lived out his task with obedience and humility all the way to the Cross, and so gave credibility to his mission. Not my will, but thine be done: these words reveal to us the Son, in his humility and his divinity, and they show us the true path."

Let Us Pray for Our Priests! 

Priests at the Holy Thursday Mass

Lord Jesus, you have chosen your priests from among us and sent them out to proclaim your word and to act in your name. For so great a gift to your Church, we give you thanks. We ask you to fill them with the fire of your love, that their ministry may reveal your presence in the Church. Since they are earthen vessels, we pray that your power may shine out through their weakness. In their afflictions let them never be crushed in their doubts never despair; in temptation never be destroyed; in persecution never abandoned. Inspire them through prayer to live each day the mystery of your dying and rising. In times of weakness send them your Spirit, and help them to praise your heavenly Father and pray for poor sinners. By the same Holy Spirit put your words on their lips and your love in their hearts, to bring good news to the poor and healing to the brokenhearted. And may the gift of Mary your mother, to the disciple whom you loved, be your gift to every priest. Grant that she who formed you in her human image, may form them in your divine image, by the power of your Spirit. Amen

Also see: 

 A Priests Concern should always be Salvation of Souls!

 Bloggers Banter over Traditions!

 The Priestly Blessing is an Epiphany for those with faith!

Videos:

Direct Window’s Media Player: Fr. Schierer Interview with Mother Anglelica

Embedded Sancte Pater Blog:    Fr. Schierer Interview with Mother Angelica