What Priests Want

02-28-2016Weekly ReflectionFr. Brian Jazdzewski

At the outset here, I'm going to ask you to think beyond your current Pastor. Think about what priests want in a very general way. Priests who you know and those you don't. Old priests and young priests. Priests in our diocese and those outside our diocese. Priests of the United States and international priests. And, the comparisons can go on and on. Continue to ask yourself the question about what priests want. Now that the question is planted in your thoughts, you need to know my inspiration.

I attended a meeting this week in La Crosse at which about 14 priests and Bishop Callahan were present. The meeting followed a Memorial Mass for one of our homegrown missionary priests, Fr. Ed Penchi. He was one of the priests who helped begin and operate our diocesan parish in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. You may be familiar with the parish because we often forward our Lenten contributions in that direction. Anyway, listening to some of their remarks, I gathered a sense that priests, like any one of us, have needs.

There are, of course, some real human needs of priests. They enjoy building relationships with people who, they believe; God has sent them to serve. Speaking of service, priests also need people in their assignments who are willing to serve; those who step up and don't wait to be asked. These relationships become essential because the priest realizes that he is not alone in serving Jesus and His Catholic Church. Priests truly are inspired by people around them who, at times, have a sense of joyful service which is more contagious than the common cold or flu.

Along with a countless list of human needs, there are spiritual needs, too. Again, when a priest leads prayers, he needs to know that there are others around them who are sincere about their relationship with Jesus. Priests find delight in knowing that, when he is be bopping around the church, there are members of the faithful who are doing the same. He joins them in wanting to be around Jesus so that His blessings equally fill the souls of the faithful.

Connected to the spiritual needs is getting to the core needs of priests. They feel called to, and compelled to, be SACRAMENTAL ministers in the Catholic Church. Priests regularly remark how they most feel like a priest when they are celebrating the sacraments. Even more, closest to the hearts of many priests are the paired sacraments of Penance and Eucharist. What really brings priests delight is when they have many people around them to receive these vehicles of grace. Yes, we, as Catholics, really believe Jesus enters our lives in the Eucharist. Yes, we, as Catholics, really believe Jesus forgives our sins through the sacrament of Penance.

So we continue to journey through Lent in this Year of Mercy. At the root of the season is a spirit of repentance; that means for each of us. Repentance means nothing without Jesus. Penance, Eucharist and the other sacraments mean nothing without Jesus. Prayer and service mean nothing without Jesus. So, perhaps what priests need more than anything, is people who honestly, sincerely, openly, persistently pursue a relationship with the person we are all trying to model…JESUS!

BACK TO LIST