Priests

Priests are mysterious people. You find them in all sizes, age, weight and collars. You’ll find them everywhere, hustling through a street, sharing a joke or a word of consolation, preaching, teaching, forgiving, practicing a sport or a musical instrument. Children run towards them, young people admire them, the elderly wait for them patiently, and Mary protects them.  The priest is Prudence wearing a T-shirt, Power with the Breviary in his hands, Justice in every argument, Caution in any festivity, Faith anchored on a rock, Hope sprinkled with a touch of  humor, and Love expressed in his personality. A priest can be a monk in a convent, a newspaper editor, a mediator in a workers quarrel, a student, a professor, and a well-known personality on the media. Once they used to refer to him as the man who lives in that house on the corner, now he is a part of every family, He can penetrate secrets, share in any domestic trouble, and can heal many wounds. He is thirsty for souls, has the kindness of a dear friend, discipline of a sergeant, courage of a lion, has an encyclopaedic authority, and can adapt himself to any circumstance.  Although he can manage many projects, he remains humble. His hours are very long, his salary very low, but his Boss is irreplaceable. He cherishes the smile of a child, a good word, a meal cooked by his mother, and whoever calls him ‘Father.’ The priest is everything to everyone in the eyes of God. He may be quoted wrongly, misunderstood and can make mistakes. But he always forgives because he is a vehicle of forgiveness, an instrument of peace and a mediator between heaven and earth. No wonder God is crazy about him. He is that man standing at the altar, wearing sacred vestments, who realizing his nothingness, speaks in our name to God, and talks to us in the name of God. Even though the greatest act he can do is to offer the sacrifice of the Mass, the biggest consolation for us all is when he tells us  ‘Go in peace, your sins are forgiven.’