To serve the People of God with heroic love

“ People love us — priests — despite our imperfections. They see us as representatives of Jesus Christ on earth; they esteem us for our noble works and our sacrifices.  They see our lives as meaningful and edifying.”

A PRIEST’S life can be filled with joy — that is, if a priest loves working with people. It is not only filled with the sense of accomplishment and fulfillment; it is also very nourishing with the love and care of the People of God.

People love us — priests — despite our imperfections. They see us as representatives of Jesus Christ on earth; they esteem us for our noble works and our sacrifices.  They see our lives as meaningful and edifying.

But priesthood can also be filled with sorrow and grief, especially if it is not lived well and properly. Absolutely, it is not for the fainthearted, but rather for those who are bold enough to face the challenges and sacrifices of ministry. It requires having “thick skin” because the job is prone to criticism, misjudgment and condemnation.

I tell seminarians about this reality of priesthood. I just don’t glorify or romanticize it. I tell them what it truly is. I don’t mean to discourage them but to let their feet be grounded in the realities of the ministry of ordained priesthood.

“Who says that priests would be free of sorrows?” I would tell seminarians. “Even Jesus, who is already God, experienced rejection, criticism and most of all crucifixion and death.” So I tell seminarians not only to enjoy ministry but also to face its difficulties.

So what’s the basis for continuing to live this life? What’s the fundamental reason why anyone can embrace this life? It’s the heroic and unconditional love for the People of God. One has to love the people of God — warts and all. One has to be willing to live, to serve, to suffer, and to die for them and with them.

In Corinthians 12:31-13:13, St. Paul tells us about the famous qualities of heroic love: “Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, it is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”  These qualities of heroic love are meant not just for people in marriage but also for priests. It’s because priests, as many people contend, are married to the People of God — the Church.

St. Paul tells us that love is the greatest of all theological virtues, not faith or hope. Yes, priests can put faith in people’s hearts and minds — they can make them believe in God, know all the attributes of God and all dogmas pertaining to their faith — but if they don’t show them the love of Jesus Christ or if they don’t love them with a shepherd’s heart, then they will just be “resounding gongs or clanging cymbals.”

This is why Pope Francis wants priests to show the profound mercy of God in this Year of Mercy. Without a doubt, he wants priests to challenge people to live just lives that care for the poor and the downtrodden, and also for priests to highlight the mercy of God to all people.

Pope Francis would agree with me that we need more than bishops and priests who can organize long and massive processions or gatherings that break world records, but who can transform people’s hearts that burn with the mercy and love for fellow human beings and are willing change society according to values of the Gospel.

What we need are not only bishops, priests and ministers who can articulate Christian doctrines or inspire people with positive preaching that boost their self-esteem.  What we need are Christian leaders and prophets who model simplicity of life and detachment from prestige, power, and material things.

What we need are not just preachers who can talk about the promises of God — his abiding presence and the eternal life that we inherited in Jesus Christ — but also who can challenge us to live the Gospel concretely in the here and now.

Yes, more than anything else, we need priests, bishops, and ministers who can show the heroic love and mercy of God for all people!

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From a Filipino immigrant family, Reverend Rodel G. Balagtas was ordained to the priesthood from St. John’s Seminary in 1991. He served as Associate Pastor at St. Augustine, Culver City (1991-1993); St. Martha, Valinda (1993-1999); and St. Joseph the Worker, Canoga Park (1999-2001). In 2001, he served as Administrator Pro Tem of St. John Neumann in Santa Maria, CA, until his appointment as pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary, Los Angeles, in 2002, which lasted 12 years. His term as Associate Director of Pastoral Field Education at St. John’s Seminary began in July 2014.

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