Ministerial Priesthood

NEW DELHI, Sept. 15, 2009, 14.00 Hrs (George Kureethra):

The Pope has inaugurated the Year for Priests, describing it as a year of prayer by priests, with priests and for priests. The stress is on priestly ministry and spirituality.

The very term ministerial priesthood implies that priests are at the service of the People of God. According to St Peter the whole Christian Community is a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people set apart to proclaim God’s wonders (1Pet 2/9). The ministerial priesthood is at the service of this royal priesthood. I would like to highlight in this article one of the most important dimensions of ministerial priesthood that Jesus very much stressed, namely, servant hood. “As you know”, Jesus said, “the so called rulers of the nations act as tyrants and their great ones oppress them. But it shall not be so among you; whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you shall make himself slave of all. Think of the Son of Man who has not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life to redeem many.” (Mk 10, 42-45).

Jesus confirmed this teaching by his own example when at the last Supper he washed the feet of his own disciples. “Do you understand what I have done to you?” Jesus asked. “You call me Master and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, you also must wash one another’s feet.” (Jn 13, 13-14).

I have been fortunate to come across some very holy and humble priests during my seminary studies and early priesthood. It was in 1951 that I joined the Delhi Archdiocese as a seminarian. I was sent to the Allahabad Seminary for my formation. In those days the Allahabad Seminary was a very tiny one. We were just 37 seminarians including theologians, philosophers and minor seminarians. Not one of our professors had a doctorate. But they were very humble, holy and dedicated priests. They took great pains to prepare the classes and taught us well. They were more interested in our formation than in teaching. I was deeply impressed by them. It was enough to look at the way they spent their lives with the seminarians – in the classrooms, in the garden, in taking part in the manual work and in sports.

I used to correspond with my Archbishop, Joseph Fernandes, frequently. He used to reply promptly, using always an Inland Letter Form, the cheapest form of communication. No letterheads, no printed envelops. Once I wrote to him for a permission. The reply came within a few days, and it consisted of just one word, yes. Not another word. When the time came for priestly ordination, I wrote to him saying that arrangements would have to be made for our retreat prior to the ordination. In those days candidates came straight from the retreat to the Ordination Ceremony. We were two of us, myself and Fr Thomson Panakkal. The Archbishop made arrangements for our retreat in St Xavier’s School. I wrote to him saying that we would take a taxi from the railway station to go to St Xavier’s. When we arrived at the railway station I was shocked beyond belief that the Archbishop himself was there on the platform to receive us! He warmly welcomed us and took us to St Xavier’s where he introduced us to the preacher, Fr Charles Saldhana S J, a great Jesuit. The retreat was another great experience for me. Though we were just the two of us, Fr Saldhana preached a full-scale retreat, without any shortcuts, as if he was preaching to a crowd of sixty priests. There was the morning prayer and meditation, followed my Mass. From 9.00 a.m. to 9.45 meditation. Meditation again at 11.00. In the afternoon at 3.00 there was a conference. Meditation again at 6.00, followed by adoration. At 9.00 pm. there were points for mediation, concluding with night prayers. Fr Saldhana was available throughout the retreat. I learned from him how to put my heart and soul to a job without counting how many would be the beneficiaries. It was a great learning experience.

We were ordained in the cathedral on 21st December 1960. In those days concelebration was not permitted. Archbishop Joseph was the ordaining prelate, and Archbishop Angelo Fernandes was the commentator. I distinctly remember how after the post-communion prayer Archbishop Angelo declaimed in his sonorous voice the famous poem by Lacordaire, The Beautiful Hands of a Priest. Later I learnt that among the priests present was an Italian priest, Fr Favrin, who was then parish priest of Karol Bagh. He owned an old car and also an old motorcycle which he used to repair himself. As a result the grease and the dirt left some permanent stains on his hands. When Archbishop Angelo declaimed the poem The Beautiful Hands of Priest, Fr Favrin proudly displayed his hands to those around him saying, Look, look, the beautiful hands of a Priest! Later at dinner, he introduced me to the priests and alluding to my very short height, said: “Fathers, I have great pleasure in introducing to you the latest pocket edition of a priest!” For many years I was known as the pocket edition. Such hilarious mirth was a welcome relief to us new priests.

Later I had the opportunity to live in the Archbishop’s house for some weeks where I again experienced the humility of Archbishop Joseph. When he came to the dining room he would be the first one to greet us, without waiting for us to greet him. Whenever the postman arrived, the Archbishop himself would go and distribute the letters to the priests. Of course, fifty years ago our diocese was a very small one, with just a handful of priests and a few thousand faithful. There was hardly any project worth talking about. Archbishop Angelo was here mainly as the Secretary General of the CBCI, which post he held for many years. I am amazed at the way the diocese has grown. We have benefited very much from the presence of a very large number of men and women religious. Today the religious priests outnumber the diocesan. More women religious are engaged in social service and other forms of apostolate than in educational activities. The laity has come to their own, making tremendous contributions to the growth of the diocese.

The wise Chinese philosopher Lao-Tsu wrote:

What have the river and the sea done

To be the kings of the hundred valleys?

They have put themselves below them

And that is why they reign in the hundred valleys.

The meaning is clear. Life is in the valleys. Culture and civilization flourish in the valleys. But there would be no valleys without the river and the sea. By placing themselves below the valleys, the river and the sea control life in the valleys

Lao-Tsu continues:

If the saint wants to be at the top of his people,

First he has to learn how to talk with humility,

If he wants to lead his people, he should be last.

That is how the saint is at the top of his people.

And he doesn’t make them suffer.

Willingly they place him at the top

And do not get tired of him.

Since he doesn’t compete with anybody,

Nobody can compete with him

(as quoted in the Christian Community Bible)