Only Christ should shine out

THIS was a point strongly and repeatedly pounded on me and

my batch during our pre-ordination seminar many years ago. Only Christ

should shine out in our ministry. We have to learn to pass unnoticed,

avoiding grabbing the focus of public attention from the real light of

the world.

            When we say Mass and administer the sacraments, when we

preach, when we make public appeal for some aid, and even when we go

around, etc., we should try our best that it is Christ whom people

see, hear, appreciate, give glory and thanks to. It’s not us, the

priests, who at best can only be ministers of Christ and, as such,

have the grave duty to show and give Christ to the people.

            This is, of course, a tough task to do, for which we,

priests, have been given the sacramental grace, to show that more than

us and our human powers, it is Christ who is actually doing things

through us. We, priests, should always be aware that we are living and

doing things mainly in the spiritual and supernatural sphere of the

world.

            But, obviously, to that grace the priests should

correspond as best that we can, always purifying our intention, always

conscious of who we are and of whom we are representing and

ministering, always aware of our need to use all the means to fit the

role given to us as perfectly as possible.

            This will require of the priests some relevant skills of

how to present oneself to the people and manage to show Christ, how to

lead in order to serve, how to follow Christ closely in order to lead

the people.

            For this, priests should just try our best to know how to

interpret and play out that indication given by Christ that we have to

be clever like serpents yet innocent like doves. (cfr. Mt 10,16) We

have to learn how to be both servants and leaders at the same time.

            We have to know how to make full use of our human powers

at the exclusive service of showing and giving Christ to the people.

We have to be wary of the danger to taint our intentions with some

ulterior motives of wanting to gain some human glory for ourselves.

            This is the usual danger of those who are more gifted in

terms of intelligence, talents, speaking prowess, etc. They have to do

everything to be properly guarded against this danger, going the extra

mile to hide and disappear even as they give their all in their

ministry.

            They have to go deep in the virtue of humility and

obedience, having no other desire than to be like Christ who emptied

himself completely by becoming man being God, and by offering his life

on the cross for the sins of mankind.

            They should have no other desire than to serve and to

offer their lives as a ransom for sins of men. That is why the Pope,

who is the very Vicar of Christ here on earth, describes himself as

the ‘Servant of servants.’

            Definitely, this will require a lot of training and

discipline. But the effort needed will always be worthwhile and will

surely redound to the good of all. It will be an effort that will not

go unnoticed by Christ himself who cannot be outdone in generosity.

            Let us hope and pray that every priest will always exude

the identity and presence of Christ wherever he is, whatever he is

doing, and especially when he administers the sacraments. This is not

a pipe dream, an exaggeration. Christ has given the priest everything

for the priest to represent Christ sacramentally. The priest just has

to do his part.

            What a beautiful world we would have if every priest truly

becomes ‘another Christ’ as head of the Church!