By Richard DeZao
Delaware state deputy
Knight of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus throughout the Diocese of Wilmington praise God for the gift of all priests, especially on this Priesthood Sunday, Sept. 24.
We remember all priests from our many parishes and schools, including those who are retired or have been called to serve the church elsewhere.
We all know different priests. They vary in personal styles, cultural backgrounds, ages and all their other human characteristics. We may have positive or negative impressions about them in large part due to our reaction to those characteristics. Some may be more “favored” by us than others. However, our belief in the priesthood is not about a particular priest, i.e., that individual person. It is about a man called in a special way to serve our Lord by serving us, the Lord’s flock.
Holy Orders and the Mass
“They appointed presbyters [priests] for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord in whom they had put their faith.” (Acts 14:23)
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: The anointing of the Spirit seals the priest with an indelible, spiritual character that configures him to Christ the priest and enables him to act in the name of Christ the Head (CCC 328). Through the ordained ministry, especially that of bishops and priests, the presence of Christ as head of the church is made visible in the midst of the community of believers. The church teaches that when a man participates in priesthood after the sacrament of Holy Orders, he acts in persona Christi Capitis, that is, representing the person of Christ. Thus priests, in celebrating the Eucharist, join each offering of the Eucharistic elements in union with the sacrifice of Christ. Through their celebration of the Holy Eucharist, they make present the one eternal sacrifice of Christ on the cross (reference: CCC 1548-1553).
This presence of Christ in the priest during ecclesial service confers upon him the authority to act in the sacraments, so that even a minister’s personal sins cannot impede the fruit of grace. As stated by St. Thomas Aquinas in his Summa Theologica: “the sacrament is not wrought by the righteousness of either the celebrant or the recipient, but by the power of God.” There is no doubt of the efficacy of the sacraments.
This is not to deny that priests are still human. This summer, Bishop Andrew Cozzins (Diocese of Crookston, Minn.) shared a reflection upon his first Mass following ordination to the priesthood in 1996. “Interestingly, as I prepared for that day, I had a troubling thought. I had always believed in Christ’s real presence in the Eucharist when someone else consecrated the bread and the wine, but would I believe in his true presence when I was the one to say those words: ‘This is my body…?’ This thought was with me even in the joy of that first Mass.”
Bishop Cozzins concluded: “I can honestly say that that day, when I said the words of Jesus over the bread, ‘Take this all of you and eat of it, for this is my body which will be given up for you,’ and then I raised up the consecrated host for all to see, placed it on the paten, and genuflected, I had no doubt that I was genuflecting before the Lord of the universe. All my doubts faded away and I knew I, too, was a priest of Jesus Christ forever.”
Just as any of Bishop Cozzins’ personal doubts faded years ago, any doubts we may have about the priesthood should fade in the presence of our one, true, Catholic faith. How great is the eternal Triune God who gives us the gift of priesthood.
Prayer and Service
Bishop Robert Barron (Diocese of Winona-Rochester Minn.) said: “A priest prays for others, intercedes, and performs sacrifices. Priests are border walkers. They walk the border between heaven and earth. They are mediators as friends of God and friends of the human race. They bring divinity and humanity together. It means you must be a person of prayer — intercessory prayer — prayer on behalf of others. It pleases God to channel his providential care precisely through us and through the instrumentality of our prayer.”
We rejoice in God’s great favor of extending the priesthood of Jesus Christ in order to send us these ordained men who have both the privilege of being called and the subsequent duty to pray and serve. They rejoice in this ministry, from the Rev. Onyedikachukwu Chibundu John Enemuo following his recent ordination, to our bishop, the Most Rev. William E. Koenig, with his duty to teach, sanctify and govern in our diocese. We are grateful for such service from all these consecrated ministers.
Your personal appreciation
Every Catholic, young and old, can make a difference if we show our support for the sacredness of Christ’s priesthood and our thankfulness for our priests who are there for us whenever we are in need. A simple note, a smile or a phone call to assure him of your loving care and gratitude for his presence in the life of your local church will go a long way to serve the greater good of our wonderful and growing Catholic church. Let them know that you value their service and that you pray for them. Celebrate and thank a priest today.
Priesthood Sunday is set aside to honor the priesthood in the United States. It is a day to reflect upon and affirm the role of the priesthood in the life of the church. It is also our opportunity to reaffirm the priesthood of Jesus Christ and its central place in the life of the church. This day specifically honors priests, without whom the holy sacraments could not be conferred, for a single day out of the 365 days of the year during which they tirelessly serve their parishes. It is a day to pray for our priests, and to praise God for their vocation, courage and generosity.
Richard DeZao is Knights of Columbus state deputy for Delaware. For more information about the Knights of Columbus, go to kofc.org/join
