14th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME C
YOUR NAMES ARE
WRITTEN IN HEAVEN
Last week, we bade Fr. Mars, one
of our priests, a final farewell.
After almost two years of battling with cancer, he succumbed and gave up
his last breath. He was my friend
and my parish companion. As we mourned for him, I couldn’t help but recall the
very words of the Lord Jesus in today’s gospel: “The harvest if great, but the
laborers are few. Pray therefore
to the Lord of the harvest to send more laborers into his harvest.” (Luke 10:2)
Let me reflect with you on the
life and mission of a priest. You may not be ordained priests, but hopefully,
you will come to realize how connected you are to the life of the priests you
know in your church community.
The gospel points out three
moments in the life of a priest.
First, Jesus calls men to be his priests. God calls these men to serve him. We may jokingly tell a person: “Why don’t you go and become
a priest!” I hope it’s that
simple. You see, there is a
mystery involved. God chooses, a man responds and God confirms his choice. “Many are called but few are chosen.”
Second, priests are sent on a
mission. We do not send ourselves, nor do we choose where we want to go. We wait for God’s will to unfold and
then we follow. The sending is the easy part. The gospel says the way people receive us is where the
challenge enters. Some people will
welcome us. Some people will close
doors. To the open hearts, share
the peace of the Lord. To those who close doors, give the warning that they
have refused God’s grace.
St. Paul speaks of himself as a bearer
of the marks of Jesus in his body (Gal 6:17b). That means, he suffered for his
mission. Every priest today
suffers from opposition, gossip and indifference he receives from the people he
serves. A priest prays for you, works for you, lives close to you. But not all
appreciate his unique contribution in their lives. Surprisingly, it’s the simple folks who are most sensitive
to the blessings of having a priest in their midst.
Last week, I took a tricycle
going home to the rectory. I was surprised when the driver took time during the
trip to say how much he appreciated what I have been doing for the parish. He
said, he noticed how things changed for the better, and that his devotion to
God was definitely affected by it.
Some people only look for the fault in priests. And this driver, so different,
was a breath of fresh air!
Third, there is a reward waiting
in heaven for a priest. Jesus
himself said: rejoice that your name is written in heaven! Who would not rejoice on earth knowing
that heaven’s doors are already open for him, provided of course that he
remains faithful to the Lord. I
imagine Fr. Mars breezing through the gates of heaven without having to wait
too long for his visa processing!
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