Living in Constant Encounter

AN ABYSS SEPARATES the priest from the religious functionary; they are qualitatively different. Sadly, however, the priest can be slowly transformed, little by little, into a religious functionary. When that happens, the priesthood ceases to be a bridge, and the priest is no longer a pontifex, a builder of bridges; he ends up simply having a function to perform. He ceases to be a mediator and becomes simply an intermediary. No one chooses to be a priest; it is Jesus Christ who does the choosing. Priestly existence remains true to itself only when it draws deeply on direct encounter with Jesus Christ. The priest must seek the Lord and let himself be sought in return; he must encounter the Lord and allow himself to be encountered in turn. All of this goes together; it is inseparable. John Paul II in his book Gift and Mystery speaks of the priest as the person who is in contact with God. He presents the priest as engaged in a twofold movement of seeking to encounter God (ascent) and receiving holiness from God (descent). "It is the holiness of the paschal mystery," he writes. When the priest moves away from this dual movement, he becomes disoriented. Holiness is not just a collection of virtues. Indeed, such a conception of holiness causes great harm; it stifles our hearts, and after a while it fashions us into Pharisees. Holiness means "walking in the presence of God and being perfect"; holiness means living in constant encounter with Jesus Christ.

TO BEGIN THIS PRAYER, I propose that you meditate on the presentation of Jesus in the temple (Luke 2: 22-39). The liturgy for the feast tells us that in this mystery "the Lord goes out to meet the people. " There in the temple we find old people and young, Law and Spirit, promise and reality, prophet and God's faithful people. This is Candlemas Day, when we celebrate the small flame that will keep growing until it becomes the fire of the paschal vigil.