St. John Vianney on the wondrous gift of the priesthood

When Benedict XVI announced the Year for Priests in 2009, he emphasized its connection to the 150th anniversary of the passing of St. John Vianney, the patron saint of priests.

The papal proclamation letter included thought-provoking quotations from St. John Vianney, highlighting the supernatural reality of the priestly vocation.

“God obeys him: he utters a few words, and the Lord descends from heaven at his voice, to be contained within a small host…

“Without the Sacrament of Holy Orders, we would not have the Lord. Who put Him there in that tabernacle? The priest.

“Who welcomed your soul at the beginning of your life? The priest.

“Who feeds your soul and gives it strength for its journey? The priest.

“Who will prepare it to appear before God, bathing it one last time in the blood of Jesus Christ? The priest, always the priest.

“And if this soul should happen to die [as a result of sin], who will raise it up, who will restore its calm and peace? Again, the priest…”

So awesome is the gift of the priesthood, so essential are the graces that the Lord conveys to us through their priestly ministry, that none of us can really fathom it – not even the priest himself.

“Only in heaven will he fully realize what he is.”

“Were we to fully realize what a priest is on earth, we would die: not of fright, but of love…

“The priest is not a priest for himself; he is a priest for you.”

May we never take our priests for granted! As they generously respond to the Lord’s call, and offer a total gift of self, let us uphold them in prayer.

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