This past weekend nine men were ordained to the priesthood for my home
Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. On the Sunday feast of Corpus
Christi my family and I assisted at the first Mass, a Mass of
Thanksgiving, of a new priest who had grown up in our parish. It was a
beautiful Mass, and the sanctuary was full of men who had received the
Sacrament of Holy Orders: deacons, priests, and even two bishops.
As the Mass went on, and I stood in back with my one year old son, I was
filled with incredible gratitude for the gift of the priesthood that
has been given to the Church. I watched those men in the sanctuary, who
have given their whole lives to the Church, to spread the Gospel, to
administer the Sacraments, to be another Christ for us, and I prayed for
them. It is a good thing that Holy Orders is a sacrament, because the
priesthood is a vocation that can only be lived fully with sacramental
graces.
GITA - CHENNAI - INDIA
ReplyDeletePriesthood is one call in the world that suffered in recent history so much of beating due to careless leaders and equally insensitive practitioners. In such a context, your write up is so understanding and supporting. There is a line of yours, "I prayed for them". Indeed, let me too pray for all of Catholic Church's all priests everywhere...