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Learning the Ropes: More For Us to Learn
I could not ask for a parish that was more welcoming, hospitable and on fire for God. However more importantly it was also a parish full of pastoral challenges. Challenges give us those formative experiences that shape and form us into better ministers; they are those teaching moments giving us the experience to handle similar challenges better in the future. Ministering at a large and active parish – that baptizes roughly 30 children a month and operates in two languages and cultures – certainly provided ample opportunity for growth experiences. I really cannot thank the parishioners at St. John Vianney enough for what they taught me about priestly ministry. Their zeal for the Lord and desire to love, know, and serve him more deeply has been a great witness to me of collaboration in service of the Lord.
Yet they also reminded me of the unique and special role the priest plays in the lives of the faithful. Being a priest is no ordinary 9-to-5 job and demands of us every ounce of our being, yet that sacrifice is one that is happily made because in doing so we glorify God. Priests are tasked with the awesome responsibility of leading the faithful towards God – a task that is humbling and scary, but also exciting. No matter the nature of his ministry, whether it is teaching at a university or being an associate pastor, the life of a priest is one that is inherently geared towards others. It is easy to think that we become priests to make ourselves holy, but the people of St. John Vianney reminded me that we are priests to bring others to holiness and in doing so we find our own path towards God. Simply put, priesthood is about people.
