Thank A Priest

Every Holy Thursday, we commemorate the night Jesus instituted two sacraments in the Catholic Church, Eucharist and Holy Orders.

According to recent studies… a great number of priests quit each year. They don’t quit because they have a lack of faith in God. They don’t quit because they don’t believe in the calling God has placed on their life. Most don’t even quit because of financial reasons.

Priests quit because they are overwhelmed with mental exhaustion.

Until you’re a priest you’ll never fully understand what it’s like to carry spiritual burdens for people. Getting up in the middle of night, praying for your family of faith. Awakened in the middle of night with someone on your heart. Overwhelmed with concern by a persons absence or distance.

Your mind continually occupied with the presentation of the upcoming Sunday message - how to preach it, what to teach on, how do we apply it? Getting critiqued on a continual basis.

Being told you need to do better or that some areas of the church simply need to be better.

Priests invest their whole life into people and yet people will turn their backs on their pastor at the first sign of a storm, usually without a conversation. Priests stand in the middle of disputes.

Priests stand in the middle of gossip.

Priests council broken marriages.

Priests comfort those who have suffered loss.

Priests navigate the waters of imperfect people with a desire to see each one thrive in their faith.

They long for spiritual breakthroughs. Your priest craves the very best for you. All of this, while trying to battle their own flesh and grow in their own relationship with God.

Priests see the posts.

Priests hear the whispers.

Priests endure the negativity.

Priests are continually caring for the sheep while fending off the wolves.

Priest pours out and pour out - rarely being poured into.

What keeps a priest going? YOU!

You - the person who is genuinely hungry.

You - the person who worships with passion and freedom.

You - the teenager who is striving to be a follower of Jesus.

You - the single mom who understands the beauty of the hope found in Christ.

You - the one who walks through the door for the first time because you’re in search of peace, hope, and community.

Pray for your priest. Serve with your priest.

Talk with your priest. Encourage your priest.

They are human. They need You more than you think!

Join me in thanking and praying for our priests. Let us also continue to pray for more holy and bold vocations to the holy priesthood.

Thank a priest today and be sure to pray for him.