The Real Priesthood

There is such a shortage of real Priests in the world. This is a sign of harsh and negative times where the darkness is so strong as to push people so far from God that they are discouraged and empty, without hope for the future. A real Priest is one whose whole life is an outpouring of grace, love and light to people. They do not use other people for their sensual or selfish ends. They do not hold power over other people pretending to know things that they do not have any personal experience of. They do not enter the clergy to hide from other people or to pursue more private, secret and clandestine purposes. They are not sensual or lascivious. They are not alcoholics or mean. They do not pretend holiness. A real priest is not a predator of children. It is almost insane to have to spell this out, but in such a screwed up world, it is necessary to help you know what a real priest is. The examples of the Roman clergy are appalling in that 15% were indicted or accused of sexually molesting children and others. No other profession has had such a statistically high level of incidents of abuse of other people in recent times. A true Priest is one who is a grace and a blessing to those around them. They give of themselves. They are not selfish or stiff. They love and are a personification of love. They give of themselves to all who are in need and they think of others first before themselves. A real Priest has a real relationship with God at the center of their being and has seen God because they are pure in heart. A real priest is a disciplined person who does not allow any negative attitudes or behaviors, is not addicted to anything, and is poised and balanced without being stiff and aloof. A problem priest is a contradiction in terms. A real Priest is not what is cranked out by the seminaries, since they are not required to have any experience of God. An experience of God is really meeting God, knowing God and listening to God. Then the next step is because of God's love for us and the experience of being with God, one gives their whole life in service to that love and that relationship. They cannot be taught in the seminaries. Only a true Teacher can mediate that relationship with one who is striving for that kind of deep relationship with God.