I took a walk recently, and there are some open plots nearby. The one property has stables, and the horse roam free, grazing the grass. The horses are free and large enough to clear the fence, but they remain obediently confined to their grazing area.
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| Horses on a plot, 31 July 2023 |
Sometimes freedom can seem to the world to explore what is beyond that fence and do what you want with no consequences. However, the horse is exposed to grave dangers beyond the fence and will grow hungry, thirsty and tired. The fence is not a way of imprisoning the horse but rather a healthy boundary that signifies the true freedom and protection of the horse. Our Lord called apostles by asking them to leave behind their former livelihoods and begin anew. Some said yes and followed him through the narrow gate into that fence, leading them to eternal life. Others said no, as the prospect of entering the gate seemed like a loss of freedom, and instead, they preferred the false freedom of the comfort of life outside the fence (filled with riches, lack of sacrifice and control).
Priesthood is another one of those misunderstood aspects of the Catholic Church. Questions like why are priests male or choose to be unmarried arise or why should I let a priest who is only human listen to my sins. The rise of many non-denominational Christian groups makes it seem like the tradition of priesthood in the Catholic Church is old-fashioned and hierarchical. In fact, the way a priest lives may even seem ridiculous or some imprisonment. Once again, the beauty of a Church founded by Jesus Christ more than 2,000 years ago is that history trumps fashionable trends.
Our Lord gave his apostles an important mission to go out and make disciples of all people. Priests are ordained to carry out this very function. You do not need to be a priest to carry out the work of the apostolate. Still, priests signify that Our Lord chose twelve ordinary men to be his apostles. He asked them to devote their entire lives to the special work of fishing out men.
The sacrament of Holy Orders ordains the priest with a special gift of the Holy Spirit, enabling him to exercise a sacred power in the name and with the authority of Jesus Christ for the service of the People of God (CC, 323).
The bishop is the vicar of Jesus Christ on earth, allowing him to shepherd his priests and deacons. The bishop's ordination confers upon him the offices of teaching, sanctifying and ruling (CC, 326). In addition, the sacramental powers he receives allow him to ordain priests. This power to ordain keeps the long unbroken line from Our Lord and his first twelve apostles to Peter, the first Pope and all the popes and bishops who succeeded him.
Suppose it feels like this is some man-made concept. In that case, we need to remember where this power originated: "And he called the Twelve together and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal." (Luke 9:1-2)
So if we are doubtful about what gives popes, bishops and priests power to baptise, forgive sins, and consecrate the Eucharist, we must ask Our Lord why he wanted it to be this way.
When the priest is anointed with the Holy Spirit, he is sealed with a spiritual character that can never be removed and configures and allows him to act in the name of Jesus Christ the priest (CC, 328). God writes on his soul with a permanent marker; nothing the priest does could wipe it away. "For it is witnessed of him,"You are a priest for ever, according to the order of Melchiz'edek." (Hebrews 7:17)
The sacrament can only be received by a man and someone deemed suitable by the Church. It is not because the Church dislikes women but because of how we were created in God's image and likeness. If we are honest with ourselves, what makes a man different from a woman? A man has testicles which testify that he is a man (Dr Christopher West). Those testicles carry seeds called semen because a man is a giver of life. Priests study and train in the seminary (a word derived from semen), and the priest's greatest gift he gives the body of the Church (which is us all) is the actual body of Jesus Christ in the form of the Eucharist. Like a woman, the Church's body receives the seed of her husband.
No man can bear children. He was not created to do so and would be incompetent if he even tried. In the same breath, no woman can give the seed of life. She was created for man by God in her beautiful complementarity, making her complete man like a piece of a puzzle. So the Church holds true to God's design by allowing men to become priests. When we try to break God's creation, we expect to get a cheap imitation product which never lasts.
Priests are also human, just like us, making them sinners too. They are graced with special power from God to give us the Sacraments and Holy Eucharist. Priests must be aware of their weaknesses and get up again every time they stumble, as more is expected from them. However, avoiding confessing to a priest because he is also a sinner is like choosing not to go to a doctor when we are ill because he is human and can contract the same illness. That would be setting yourself up for disaster!
Back to the horses, they are used to make antivenom against snake bites because they are docile. They have bountiful blood and antibodies. Over some time, a horse is injected with a small but increasing amount of venom until it is immunised against the toxin. Priests, like horses, are obedient, and their awareness of sin and regular confession enables them to be the perfect candidate to help other sinners find the true antivenom of sin, Our Lord Jesus Christ. The Church would be nothing without our priests, and they would have no value without the body of the Church (the people of God), making us one family dependent on each other.
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