I BECAME YOUR FATHER IN CHRIST JESUS

One of the greatest blessings I have as a transitional deacon is to preside at baptisms. Because of the current pandemic, I have been privileged to baptize a significant number of children whose baptisms had to be postponed and, reflecting on the gift of new life in Christ that has been given to each of the children I have baptized, it is a beautiful and humbling reminder of how valuable each child is as a gift from God, their value as an important member of the Church and the reality of what it means to call our priests “Father.”

Sometimes, we can take the title “Father” for granted when we address our priests. In some instances, people can even be hostile to the title. And yet, how true it is that our priests truly are our spiritual fathers. Our priests are the ones who help to provide the food for our spiritual nourishment through the Holy Eucharist. When we are sick, they come to bring us encouragement and strength through the Anointing of the Sick. When we fall into sin because of our human nature, our priests are there to restore us to right relationship with Christ through the Sacrament of Penance. Our priests act in the person of Christ, and thanks to their vocation, they provide us with the care that we need and they inspire seminarians and aspirants to be the good and faithful shepherds that Christ’s flock needs and deserves.

Through the common priesthood of Christ which we received at baptism, may we always offer our prayers and support for our priests and seminarians, trusting that through our vocation, the Christian faithful may live up to their fullest potential as disciples of the Lord.