A CRITERION FOR THE PRIESTHOOD:Feast of St. Vianney St. Vianney, a French parish priest, was as outstanding in his pastoral concern and priestly zeal as in his personal holiness and humility - the hallmark of an effective parish priest. He helped his parishioners in Ars come back to Christ from a life of religious ignorance and spiritual indifference. Life of St. Vianney: Beacon of Hope and Criterion for Generations of Priests St. Vianney was a contemplative at heart and his prayer life was deeply connected to his priestly vocation. He was an assiduous adorer of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. At the appointment of him as the parish priest, Ars Parish was notorious for its religious ignorance, spiritual indifference and for its mundane attachments. St. Vianney inspired his parishioners to approach the Holy Eucharist with real faith and deep reverence. He prayed to God: “Grant me the conversion of my parish, and I am ready to suffer whatever you wish for the rest of my life.” He spent long hours at the confessional, often shedding tears for the sinners. He comforted them saying, “Your sins are just like grains of sand in front of the great mountain of the mercy of God.” St. Vianney found his pastoral joy in selfless service. He says, “My secret is simple; it is to give all and to keep nothing for myself.” He taught his parishioners to share their belongings with the needy. He was a loving child of the Blessed Mother who was his “most lasting affection.” This way, he allowed the wave of renewal to transform his parishioners. In essence, he was an exotic example of a parish priest acutely aware of his pastoral responsibilities. Impartial Ministry and Gender Sensitivity St. Vianney’s priestly heart was proactive in responding to the signs of the times with commendable pastoral prudence. Education was the key for him to empower women, the other half of humanity. He left no stone unturned for the education of girls. With Catherine Lassagne and Benedicta Lardet, he established La Providence, a home for girls deprived of their right to education. Today we have become more conscious of gender insensitivity around us, even within the sacred precincts of the family and church institutions. We must be ready to rethink our attitudes. We need to work together towards a more gender sensitive environment. Let the mantra TOGETHER WE CAN END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN find an echo in us, inspired by the life of this saint. OPPORTUNITIES AHEAD: TO BE THE SIGNS OF HOPE The following questions may lead us to a profound reflection, deep introspection, change of attitude and transformation of lives as priests and people of God! May the spirit of Jesus through St. Vianney inspire us to invest our precious time before the Blessed Sacrament so that we find our priestly joy in selfless service! Am I joyful in my priestly life? What/Who is the source of my joy? Does my life communicate at times ‘priesthood is yet another career ’? As a parish priest, do I value the Empowerment of the Laity, Lay collaboration, cooperation, networking, diversity in leadership, succession planning and reviewing of pastoral activities? Are they essential for the effective pastoral ministry and welfare of the parish community? As a priest do I invest my minimum or maximum time for my ministry? Are the words of Blessed John Paul II, ‘Celibacy is the sign of unlimited availability to Christ and to others” applicable to my celibacy life? Do my ‘misplaced’ priorities take me away from the presence of Jesus? Do I invest quality time in my Parish Ministry? Do I provide opportunities for the promotion of gender sensitivity in my parish? God presents priests with the opportunity to accompany the ‘people of God’ from the womb to the tomb through sacraments. He makes them the sign of HOPE in a milieu that abounds in a culture of indifference and negligence of the Word of God and gender insensitivity. St. Vianney teaches us to turn to Mother Mary with the simplicity and confidence of a child. Let him inspire our young people to SAY YES TO THE CALL TO PRIESTHOOD& RELIGIOUS LIFE and an INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP STYLE. We intercede through the powerful intersession of St.Vianney. Amen. Fr.R. Arockia Dhas is the Deputy Secretary and PRO of the Regional Bishops’ Council of the North (Rbcn Delhi Region) for CBCI and CCBI. He serves as the Secretary and Networking for Buland Prajatantra, a Hindi Tabloid for the Hindi Speaking Dioceses. His contact details: deputysecretaryrbcn@gmail/ bulandprajatantra@gmail; Mob: 9873970141/ 9013578142
Posted on: Sat, 03 Aug 2013 13:55:19 +0000
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