Thursday Musings

"I never wanted anything save that of becoming a priest of Jesus...never had any lofty ambition or dream of any prospective 'ecclesiastical' career that would require strategic positioning and calculated relationship with whoever can propel me on top. Neither had I ever been enticed with the possibility of making it big and acquiring things I did not grow up with, nor being able to purchase and enjoy things that previously were simply out of reach of my family's meager resources. I just wanted to become a priest of Jesus...

Remaining and striving to be a good one now is my daily cross as a priest. Day to day I struggle to be gentle, magnanimous, humble, down-to-earth, simple, modest...even merciful, compassionate, and forgiving...willing to die to my pride (which abounds), be unnoticed and unacknowledged, less favored than others, and remain at peace in moments of persecution and injustices big or small. These are my many, little, daily deaths to self; my paradise, hell, heaven, earth, calvary and empty tomb rolled into one as a priest of Jesus...

Someday, everything shall come to pass...I pray only that when that day comes, I shall at least be still recognizable as a priest of Jesus, when I come to meet him face to face."

an anonymous fool-for-Christ

I am a priest.

I am called to become like Jesus.

Jesus fasted and prayed. He cured the sick and showed mercy to the sinner. He preached the Gospel. He is good news himself. He walked on water and fed the crowd with five loaves and a couple of fish. Everybody had his fill, with twelve baskets full of leftover. He laughed with his friends, cried with them, went hungry with them, even got mad at them at times. But he always loved each one of them -to the point of feeding them with his body and blood as food and drink.He did not even wait until all of them has repented. He willingly died on the cross for them, and for whoever would care to be counted among those who followed him.

I am a priest.

I was ordained to become like Jesus.

My altar cannot be other than the altar of Jesus; my sacrifice, the sacrifice of Jesus.

Jesus IS altar and sacrifice.

I am ordained to be altar and sacrifice like Jesus.