Priesthood is not a career. Priesthood is not designed to provide us with a comfortable livelihood. Priesthood is not a reward for any achievement of ours. It is a service. Our Lord said that he came not to be served but to serve. (Mark 10:45) It is a lifetime of entering into the Holy of Holies, to worship God, to give him praise, to offer prayer for and on behalf of the whole Church. It is a lifetime spent washing the feet of others – being involved in the daily concerns of your parishioners, helping them when they turn to you in their needs, suffering with them when they suffer, rejoicing with them when they rejoice.
Cardinal Basil Hume
Fr James Lyons
“To give and not to count the cost! St Francis of Assisi put these words as part of his beautiful prayer, and I have pondered this as I’ve reflected on my own situation….”
Fr Patrick Bridgman
“The Diocesan priesthood is an incredible way to live our Christian life. In the midst of people’s lives, we gather the community together to celebrate Christ’s presence… “
Cardinal Tom Williams
“… I have come to the conviction that my vocation to priesthood, seeking to serve as Christ served, although it has inevitably involved sacrifice and commitment, has been an incredibly rich source of fulfillment and deep-down happiness because it is rooted in love – Christ’s love… “
Read more…
St John Paul II
“I am often asked, especially by young people, why I became a priest. Maybe some of you would like to ask the same question. Let me try briefly to reply. I must begin by saying it is impossible to explain entirely…”
Cardinal John Dew
“Pope Francis gave a wonderful talk on synodality. In that talk, he said “the only authority we have is the authority of service”. That was very significant for me. It is not the title that we carry, it is not the clothes we wear that are important. It is rather to serve, and to try to be like Jesus who came “not to be served, but to serve”.