To be a priest means to bring light to where there is darkness,
to have a strong mind, a great heart to love all people,
to have true faith in what one believes
and in Jesus, the divine Master,
to have ready hands to reach out to all who need help.
To be a priest means to believe in life beyond death,
peace beyond anguish, love beyond fear;
to believe that everything we experience,
be it gladness or sadness, joy or pain, health or illness
are part of the journey toward the full realization of our humanity.
To be a priest means to have strong trust in God and to bring hope
even in the midst of chaos and confusion, frustration and pain;
to believe that love is the only language of God,
to reach out in forgiveness even when it is hard and impossible.
To be a priest means to break oneself
in order to be the Body of Christ;
to share one’s life with the poor and the needy,
to bring peace where there is hatred, proclaim liberty to captives,
to bring God’s reign where there is oppression and exploitation.
To be a priest means to empty one’s own self
to put on the message of Christ as the armour,
to stand for the values of the Gospel
even in the midst of opposition
and be a bearer of Christ’s light in the world of today.
May the babe of Bethlehem bless you with true peace, joy and happiness.
PCF
Francis Menezes, S.J.
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