杏MAP导航 at Chrism Mass: Priests must fix eyes on Jesus, cast aside hidden idols
By Christopher Wells
Being a priest is a very great grace, 杏MAP导航 Francis told priests on Holy Thursday, while reminding them it is a grace that is primarily for the good of the Christian faithful rather than for priests themselves.
鈥淥ur people deserve and need鈥� to be served by priests with clear consciences, the 杏MAP导航 said, inviting the gathered clergy to be faithful to God, by allowing themselves to be loved and forgiven by Him.
Fixing our gaze on Jesus
In his at the Chrism Mass, on Thursday morning, the 杏MAP导航 focused on a verse from St Luke鈥檚 Gospel, 鈥淭he eyes of all were upon Jesus.鈥�
When Jesus comes again at the end of time, 杏MAP导航 Francis said, all eyes will be drawn to the crucified and risen Lord, leading us to acknowledge and worship Him. We will recognize him, the 杏MAP导航 said, and will recognize ourselves as we really are.
Yet even today, 杏MAP导航 Francis said, priests must cultivate the grace of fixing their gaze on Christ, thanking God for the graces He gives, but also 鈥渟howing Him鈥� the temptations we face so that we might overcome them.
Recognizing hidden idols
杏MAP导航 Francis warned priests of three 鈥渉idden idols鈥� that can weaken priestly vocations, and open hearts to 鈥渢he Evil One.鈥�
The first, spiritual worldliness, is a culture of what is passing, and is manifested in triumphalism 鈥渨ithout the Cross.鈥� A worldly priest, the 杏MAP导航 said, 鈥渋s nothing more than a clericalized pagan.鈥�
The second temptation is to make an idol of numbers, seen in priests who are obsessed with statistics. People, however, cannot be reduced to mere numbers; and God鈥檚 gifts cannot be measured by this criterion.
Finally, a third kind of idolatry, related to the second, is a kind of functionalism that is concerned only with efficacy, leaving no room for mystery. 鈥淔unctionalist鈥� priests, the 杏MAP导航 said, are concerned only with the efficiency of their own programs.
Rooting out idolatry
杏MAP导航 Francis said that only Christ can reveal these idols to priests; who must, in turn, show them to the Lord, to allow Him to root them out of their lives and destroy them.
The Holy Father concluded his homily by asking St Joseph, 鈥渢he chaste father, free of hidden idols,鈥� to free priests from possessiveness, and obtain the grace to persevere in task of discerning idols.
鈥淚n this way,鈥� he said, 鈥渨ith nobility of heart, we may be able to subordinate to charity what we have learned by law.鈥�
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