The prayer of lay people for priests.
It is above all a sign of love for priests. Besides, it is not possible to pray for someone you do not love. Prayer is always possible. Those who pray are probably above all the ones who are not able to support pastoral undertakings financially, who cannot offer professional help. But they can pray. Prayer is in general the best response to everything that happens. The only wise response to the weakness of priests is prayer for their intention: for the conversion of the sinful, for the protection of the good from evil: I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one (Jn 17:15). In other words, taking up prayer for someone is a witness of wisdom. Prayer for a priest one does not necessarily like will probably be especially precious. Prayer for priests is also proof of imagination. The one who will pray for priests is the person who senses, understands and is aware of the difficulties priests go through. It is also a sign of discreet kindness, perhaps even… of love for a particular priest?
My priesthood.
For me the priesthood is a fascinating adventure. As a priest I am never bored. The priesthood is something that I keep on liking. A great deal keeps happening in my priesthood. I have neither the desire nor the need to feel like a lay person, even for a short while. For me the priesthood means sharing everything with Christ. To walk hand in hand with Christ through life — that is the priesthood. You are those who have stood by me in my trials (Lk 22:28) — that for me is the quintessence of being a priest.
Fr Waldemar
