By Fr. John Adamski

Recently, I’ve been reading an article which develops the theological framework for the notions of priesthood and ministry in today’s Church. The article quotes a very pertinent section from the Second Vatican Council’s Decree on Priests: “They cannot be ministers of Christ unless they are witnesses and dispensers of a life other than this earthly one. But they cannot be of service to men if they remain strangers to the life and conditions of men.”

That statement sums up one of the most basic tensions in the life of the priest. He is called to live as a person pointing in a very definite direction: God, but he can’t do this effectively without sharing the conditions of life in contemporary society.

That position is certainly much of the Church’s reflection during the liturgy of this time of year. Jesus came in order to point us back in God’s direction. He chose to do that by becoming man, God-with-us, and sharing our experience of life. These two poles are united in the life of Jesus Christ: the life of a man in faithfulness to the will of God.

As the Council pointed out, this is largely the task for the priest also. In a world that often seems to pay little attention to anything beyond itself, the priest must be the person who invited deeper reflection and understanding of the meaning of human life.

He encourages man to look beneath the surface or appearance of things in order to see the signs of God’s care and love. The priest must have a personal involvement with this faith perspective if he is to be a credible witness to its reality. In other words, he must practice and experience the faith which he preaches and proclaims.

The priests will never succeed in helping others come to believe in God if his own life and preaching don’t seem to reflect the tide and turmoil that is the inevitable consequences of being human. Just as Jesus brought humanity into a new relationship with God through his sharing life as man, so the priest must show that the human search for meaning should find its fullest answer in the following of Jesus Christ. The priest cannot be a stranger to life: its problems, challenges, joys and sorrows. This theological background for the priesthood never remains just theoretical in the life of the priest. Rather, it’s a constant personal challenge and critique for my life. I must be quite sure that I’m making a serious, genuine effort to grow as a man of faith in Jesus. Thus the importance and seriousness of prayer.

I must know Jesus as my friend before I can hope to help others grow in his friendship. That’s difficult since I realize that I have not completed that dimension of my life. My weaknesses and failings can hold me back. But, if I ever stop reaching toward the fullness of faith, I’m betraying my role and function as leader for God’s people. It’s a sobering and serious, daily part of my life.

My faith must be fleshed out in very realistic, human terms if it is to be understandable to the people around me. Many people see the priest today as an isolated individual who does not share their experience of life and therefore does not relate well to them. Inasmuch as any of the structures of my lifestyle are obstacles to the sharing of faith, then they should be reexamined or changed.

That’s an important area of concern in ministry today: the effectiveness of our lives and witness for others. You can help your priests by clarifying for them the circumstances or conditions which you feel hinder their leadership responsibility. All this simply means that the Church needs vital men to continue the leadership role among God’s people –vital in their faith and their understanding of life. A person should be drawn to priesthood not from any desire to withdraw from life or avoid its harsh realities, but rather because he recognizes the value of the human experience as the place where faith in God become possible. A person who wants to serve in the Church must love life and God and be willing to share his experience of both.