REFLECTION – Priesthood and Lent

by Father John Dresko

In a moment not given to many parishes in the Church, our parish is about to witness a true son of the parish be ordained to the Holy Priesthood. On Sunday morning, March 6, at the hierarchical Divine Liturgy, His Eminence, Archbishop Benjamin of San Francisco, will lay his hands on the head of Deacon Stephen Osburn and elevate him to the priesthood. In the Divine Liturgy, the deacon is ordained to the priesthood immediately following the Great Entrance and the transfer of the Holy Gifts from the Table of Oblation to the Holy Altar. As the bishop uncovers the Gifts to make them ready for the transfer, he puts the aer (the large vestment covering the bread the wine) on the head of the deacon, covering him. This is the liturgical action that shows the community that the man being ordained is now one of the gifts offered to God in the Church. After his ordination, a portion of the Lamb is taken and placed in the hands of the newly-ordained priest and he is told to guard it.

As he begins his priestly ministry, a man is brought to mind of one thing: his only real task as a priest is to be crucified. He does not preach his own mind; he preaches the mind of Christ and the Church. He does not teach his own mind; He teaches the mind of Christ and the Church. He does not serve himself; he serves Christ and the Church. He does not feed himself, He feeds his flock. The word priest means the “one who offers.” What does he offer? Of course, he stands at the head of a church community and offers the sacrifice at the liturgy. But more importantly, and even perhaps as a prerequisite for offering the sacrifice at the altar, he must offer himself as a sacrifice, just as our Lord Jesus Christ did. But Father Stephen’s priesthood is also a reflection of the priesthood that every baptized Christian shares in.

In his first Epistle, the holy Apostle Peter tells us:

“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.” (1 Peter 2:9-10)

Each of us, ordained to the Holy Priesthood of the Church or not, belongs to the royal priesthood of the Church. Each of us is called to offer the sacrifice. What sacrifice? First of all, of course, we are of one mind when the ordained priest offers the Gifts at the Divine Liturgy. But each of us is also called to be crucified just like the ordained priest is called. Our crucifixion, however, is experienced in a different context.

And that is where Priesthood and Lent meet. Figuratively speaking, the Great Lenten effort that each of us makes is our own focused (laser focused, we hope!) ministry to ourselves. The ordained priest does not preach his own mind, but the mind of Christ and the Church. So during Lent, we make spiritual effort to put aside our own minds and thoughts, and pick up the thoughts of Christ and the Church. How easy it is to simply embrace all the varied teachings and doctrines preached to us by the world. How difficult it is to lay aside our own thoughts and desires to discover and embrace the teachings and mind ofour Lord and His Church. We read something good instead of plopping down in front of TV day after day. We turn off the music and the online barrage of material that bombards us every single day. In that solitude, we will find God.

The ordained priest does not teach his own mind, but the mind of Christ and the Church. So during Lent, we strive to understand the teachings of Christ and His Church. We read the scriptures and the prayer books of the Church. And then we witness those teachings to the world; sometimes by speaking, but mostly by living a sober and Christian life.

The ordained priest does not serve himself, but serves Christ and the Church. So during Lent, each of us is to make the effort to turn away from ourselves and our appetites to focus on Christ and the Church. We do that by first of all, denying ourselves. We fast from food, types and amounts, to place all of it in proper perspective. We don’t serve our bodies — we make our bodies serve us and the Lord. We serve the Lord by serving others. Offer some time in volunteering. Offer some money to a beggar. It is in others that we find the Lord, not in ourselves.

The ordained priest does not feed himself, he feeds his flock. So during Lent we feed our own flocks. Who are those flocks? Perhaps its our children. What do we feed them? Do we allow them to gobble up the junk food of this society and culture, going along with all of the winds and trends of the day, never challenging them to be Christian and holy? Perhaps its our neighbors or our immediate families? Do we feed them indifference and hostility? Perhaps its the flock of our creation? Do we feed creation itself with assaults, misuse and abuse?

You see, brothers and sisters, when we witness the ordination of Father Stephen on March 6, we are witnessing his response to a call he has felt since his childhood. But Great Lent is our own annual challenge to answer the very same call — to become royal priests who offer themselves, the world and all of creation to the Lord. Our prayers, fasting and repentance is the priesthood we all have.

May our efforts be worthy of a blessing. Have a fruitful, peaceful and quiet Lenten journey!