How do you know if you are being called?
Seven Sisters Apostolate….I’ve heard about it. Never quite appreciated it until yesterday.
Wow! I was invited to join an apostolate for a priest who has brought me closer to Jesus than I ever thought I could be. What a joyful feeling to know my participation in this apostolate is for a holy priest in my life who will be receiving prayers from each of seven women, each on a different day of the week, only for him, for one hour, for a year!! I owe him so much and am truly joyful to spend time with Jesus each Friday asking for him to love and protect this special co-worker of God.
It was interesting how, when asked to join, the anchoress (Patti – one of the seven of us) was so happy I said “yes”. Of course, I said yes. I immediately knew this was a wonderful privilege for me join this formalized prayer group to set time aside each week to pray for a priest who we all respect and care for and who deserves every one of the prayers he will be receiving from 6 other women and myself for a year. That is 365 hours of prayer! That should surely get the attention of Our Lord in heaven as he showers his grace on Father.
We, devoted Catholics, appreciate the priests in our lives and the spiritual gifts they provide us. When I was a child, priests were “It”. We stood when they entered the room, and we stood when they left the room. When we responded, it was always “Yes, Father, or No, Father”. No other responses were acceptable, unless you wanted the rath of Sisters Paulette, Margaret Mary, Joann, or Jennifer. It was always a big deal when my priest visited the classroom. His involvement in my catholic education and my spiritual relationship with Jesus made me want to love Jesus even more.
It's obvious that each priest is different from any other priest, just like we are different from others around us. A priest is a priest and a person. We get the benefit of a two-fer. Recently, I was reminded of that when Father said to me, “I’m both”. Somehow, with my upbringing and the ultimate respect I’ve always had for priests, it can be easy to forget the “person” who wears the collar. They are sad, happy, angry, suspicious, caring, and every other adjective you can imagine. They go to baseball games, football games, concerts, visit the dentist, garden, fish, and take vacations just like everyone else. They wear their collar all of the time spiritually, but not always visually, and they walk among us, enjoying life like all of us do.
But they, in many ways, have a special place in our hearts, as we look to them for spiritual guidance and count on them to be there when we need to talk to someone or need a shoulder to cry on. I think of priests as the “Face of Jesus” on earth for me. How blessed I am to know Jesus in this special way.
Yes, priests have their failings, and they will be the first to admit they are no more perfect than the rest of us. However, my experience is they reflect a humility which is not always easy to see in others. Recently, I was reminded of the word ‘humility’ by the priest for whom I pray this apostolate. My whole way of thinking about things in my work and personal life changed. And I am sure it was because of the counsel I received from the priest I trust to give me the helpful guidance I needed at a time which was difficult for me to accept. But it happened, and my outlook on things became different from one day to the next. And I am happier for it.
Priests generally have a respect from the general public. We’ve all watched people address a priest on the street or on television as “Father”, even though they may not be Catholic or believe in God. I’ve often seen this and always feel some sense of pride that the world generally respects a man wearing the collar. Of course, history also reflects those priests who were not the ‘men of God’ we expected them to be. However, this article is about priests who love and care for the flock they tend. And the vast majority are priests we count on to administer the sacraments, preside at Mass, be our confessors at Confession, and so, so, so much more.
Growing a relationship with my pastor was important to me. Sure, it was enough that I go to Mass each Sunday and see Jesus on the altar. However, I felt I also needed to know better the man behind the chasable. I found ways to get to know him and be open to his spiritual guidance allowing me to change my life and become closer to Jesus. I owe the hour each week in this apostolate to the priest who changed my life 180 degrees. In looking back at the last couple of years, I wonder where I would be today in my spiritual life if not for Father. I fear, I would be a whole lot less passionate about my faith and less focused on my relationship with Jesus. That is reason enough to pray for the priest who made me a more devout Catholic.
Why do we pray for priests? Afterall, don’t they already have a ticket to heaven? Some may, but I can imagine a priest’s life to be full of joys and disappointments. Living alone, having responsibilities for so many souls, administrative responsibilities for which no training was likely provided, are among the many reasons why we need to pray for our priests. With all this on their platter, they are among those who are in most need of our prayers. They pray for us. Surely, we can do the same.
Priests can be difficult, cranky, a pleasure, confusing, dedicated, messy, focused, scattered, kind, and even funny. But they all have a common element about them. They love Jesus, they love us, and they have a mission to get us all to heaven, as in the case of the priest I’ve referred to in this article. How blessed are all of us to have priests look after souls and worry about getting us to heaven. The humility it takes to put another ahead of themselves, is a grace given to them by God.
It is said in John 15:13-14, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do whatever I command you”. In a very special way, priests do lay down their lives for us. They give up the kind of life most of us take for granted, to be Jesus for us here on earth. And that level of humility challenges the mind to understand. If you know you couldn’t give up your life to be a priest, then imagine how much priests love Our Lord to do so for all of us. And because we love Jesus, and follow his commandments, the faces of Jesus here on earth, we call Catholic priests, give their lives so that we may get to heaven. Talk about sacrifice.
This is why this Apostolate is so special to me. If the mission of the priest I pray for is to find a way to get me to heaven, I’m ready when Jesus is ready for me. How can I not spend an hour each week and pray for my priest?
A lot has changed since that time when I said “Yes Father, and No Father” to the priest who pastored my parish as a child. Times appear to be more casual in the respect given to priests. Oh, don’t get me wrong. Priests still have the respect of those who rely on them for spiritual guidance and of Catholics around the world. But they are also someone we don’t just see at Mass once a week. My witness is that they are a spiritual presence of the parish as they participate in ministry activities, contributors to parish commissions and committees, a contributor in community activities and even friendships with parishioners, which I don’t recall being the case many years ago. It is wonderful to see.
As we all know, being a priest can likely be lonely. Loneliness can be debilitating for some and breeds a sense of sadness. An engaged priest can sidestep this loneliness by being part of his parishioner’s world. The priest and the parishioners both benefit with his engagement. Jesus’ friends were not just the apostles. His travels allowed him to call many “a friend”. The priest I pray for in our apostolate is one of these priests. He is engaging and a wonderful resource for those parishioners who need to see the Face of Jesus often.
If you have the opportunity to pray for a priest either via an apostolate or just because your priest needs your prayers for one reason or another, please take advantage of the opportunity. It is a joyful feeling helping a priest both here on earth, and putting a good word in with Jesus to ensure his ticket to heaven is punched. Our priests do more for their flock than most of us know. I know from experience that the word “humility” comes into play more often than most of us realize. And for that reason alone, I will always be there for the priest I pray for during the next year, just as he is there for me when I need him.
Thank you, Jesus, for sending us your co-workers here on earth and the priest I pray for this coming year. I’m blessed and I know it.