Father, what is the priesthood for you?
It is doing everything so that people may meet Christ. It would be best if they met him by meeting me. But that does not always work.
It is giving my time, my strength, my ideas and my plans into God's hands, so that he may use it all for other people. And along the way I too receive something from him.
It is gathering „crumbs”. God allows me to make small gestures, small works, allows me to say small words, so that it may lead one person to a meeting with the one God. And that is the little crumb — priceless for God, though for many perhaps unnoticeable. From time to time he reminds me that I too am a crumb.
What is the prayer of others for a priest?
It very often happens that when I no longer feel like doing anything, when my „hands drop”, a moment later I have the sense that someone is holding up those tired, drooping hands. It is probably Jesus carrying my cross with me, but often it is also a „Simon” sent by him, who is praying for me. Thank God I have a few of these „Simons”.
Father, what is the Eucharist for you?
On Holy Thursday, the feast of the institution of the Eucharist, the Gospel is not about the institution of the Eucharist but about the washing of feet. That is an important pointer for me — the Eucharist is God's service towards man. He will do everything so that I may not be hungry. Even if first he has to be ground down, killed. Giving himself out in bread, he reminds me that I too can be food for others. Especially as a priest.
Fr Michał Orzoł SAC
