It is commonly assumed that to be a priest means that you have been ordained by the Church and confirmed by the Bishop, yet in truth you are chosen to be a priest and Good Sheppard of Christ’s ministry, you do not need study to be one nor be ordained, you are called/chosen for service. David was chosen by God, told him not to forget where he came from, so we must too never lose that sense, no matter our wealth or achievements in life. Your knowledge of the Holy bible is your sword - the stronger your knowledge and understanding of the gospels, the sharper your sword, and the more conscious and accurate you become with your words when you minister. Jesus chose disciples to carry on his teachings through the office of the church, and that responsibility is passed down to all mankind to share, participate and practice in Christ’s ministry. We all make up the holy priesthood. Christ was sent by the father, the apostles sent by Jesus, so that the office of his holy teaching may continue. His body is the church which grooms the holy temple of our spirit, it stirs up our desire causing us to increase our exercise of the sacred duty of teaching in the name of Christ. So must you, like Jesus, be a Good Sheppard, this is what the Lord wants from you. Pastors/Priests of the holy faithful people of God, they are shepherds who go with the people of God - sometimes behind, sometimes ahead, but always accompanying the people of God. When you hear someone is a priest, over the centuries people have been talking about ecclesiastical careers within the Church, but priesthood is a service not a career, just like God himself did for his people. In the way God serves his people, he has a style, that of - compassion, tenderness, and closeness.
There are 4 ways we should be close to God. The first is to be close to God in prayer, just being with him. The second is to be close in the sacraments of the mass and to the Bishop. The third is close to the people of God. Lastly, fourth is being close to God's style. God became close to us through his son Jesus and his story, so even right now is he close to you and even in the heart of sinfulness he is their close to you. Foremost, priests must be close to God in prayer. A priest who doesn’t pray slowly dries, up and their fire is quenched. The second closeness to bishop. In the bishop we have your source of unity, you’re not his servant, you’re his co-worker and you need to be close to him. So, close to God close to your Bishop, and remember, just because you don’t like him, never speak ill over him or any other priest. If you have something against another, speak with them first, don’t gossip. And stay close to holy people of God, all our brothers and sisters across every continent. None of you need to study in order to become a priest. Paul said to Timothy, “Remember your mother and grandmother and where you come from.” The 4 kinds of closeness - To God - To Bishop – To yourselves and the people of God – And lastly, close to God’s style. His style is one of compassion, tenderness and closeness. Don’t close your heart to problems, you’re going to see many of them. When someone comes to speak to you, or you to them, you must spend time with them and listen and take them seriously and using compassion leads to you becoming more forgiving and merciful. Be men and women who pardon others. God pardons everyone and doesn’t tire of pardoning, it’s we who tire. For those us of who are priests but become businessmen or some kind of entrepreneur, we lose the closeness to the people and that poverty which make us more Christ-like.
There is a story about an very intelligent priest who was great at what he did in mass and also he was a great administrator, but his heart was attached to the office and one day, he saw that one of his employees, an elderly man, had made a mistake and he dismissed immediately. The elderly man soon after died. This was an ordained priest who ended up an entrepreneur, a businessman. Be a shepherd, be close to God, to your to bishop and people. Be servant shepherds not entrepreneurs. And always remember, closeness is a beautiful part of being a priest because Jesus consoles shepherds because he is the Good Shepard. Seek consolation from Jesus and carry the crosses as there will be some in your life and place them into the hands of Jesus and do not be afraid. If you are close to the lord, and to another, if you have God’s style – tenderness, compassion and closeness, you have nothing to fear.