Celebration of Clergy or Priest Day!!!!!

 

Yesterday priests, religious and laity kept sending festal wishes to priests all over the world....The what's up social media was extremely busy sending these lovely wishes and prayers for the priests and religious men. I too received and sent many throughout the day and still receiving even today. What made me to admire is the thought behind those wishes, that i am thought of and prayed for by my dear and near ones from all over the globe. It was a day of thanking the Lord for the gift of priesthood and the ministry that we render in the name of Jesus. The model of John May Vianney clearly sends the message that we need not be intelligent and super human being in order to serve, preach and excrete the ministry in the name of Jesus. He teaches us that it is enough to put on the person of Christ and be like Him in our apostolate. He taught us that we need to trust and believe that the Lord is making use of the priests the way they are. Another big lesson that he taught is that the priests need to be available for the people when they come or call for spiritual service and ministry. It may not be possible sometimes due to massive responsibilities and works that the pastors have to shoulder. But he seems to be saying that let the priests not become administrators and bosses of people, but become spiritual guides to lead them to Jesus the saviour and Lord. 

I always pray that these holy men and women teach us a lot with regard to our call, vocation and exercise of the apostolate. As we know today that many of us are not available for the sheep as a result they stray and seek pastors who lead them on the wrong path. Many of them are confused with regard to teaching and correct christian path and spirituality. As shepherds, the priests have to be updated and renewed in order to satisfy the hunger and thirst of our people. Let us not become workaholic but be real leaders of the people to lead them to the only supreme Leader Jesus. 

The teaching and example of John Mary Vianney will live forever because it is genuine and sincere, it has been left behind from the spiritual bond and experience of the Lord who guided the destiny of Vianney. He faced all the challenges and difficulties in life to be a shepherd of the Lord, he gave totally into the hands of the Lord and made himself available for the service of the people. Today the need of our people is to be listened and spoken to as the pandemic has brought in a lot of stress and tension, people are losing jobs and becoming poorer, children are going through tremendous stress of not being connected with their companions in the school. In this situation the priests have to come out from the comfort zones and be of service to these suffering men and women. We have to be real Jesus and his voice, hands, feet and love.