A Brother's Heart

​Oh, how difficult it is to be a brother! And the point is that, as Saint Francis of Assisi said, “one chooses one’s friends, but accepts one’s family.” Siblings are to be accepted with love and as they are. We always look for the best in them, we advise and help them while at the same time we let them do the same to us. It’s a mutual relationship of love that one doesn’t choose, but rather embraces.

The priest is called to be a brother to all, without any type of preferential treatment. Everyone is important to him. No matter who they are or what they do, they can be assured that in the priest they have a brother they can trust. But beware that their brother priest is not exempt from imperfections and weaknesses. On the contrary, the priest also works hard everyday to improve himself and overcome his ego. This is beautiful: to see that both, those who are priests and those who are not, must fight everyday to be a saint, and we fight this battle together supporting each other.

“But he said in reply to the one who told him, ‘Who is my mother? Who are my brothers?’ And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father is my brother, and sister, and mother’” (Mt 12: 48-50).

(Article and image originally at ​https://catholic-link.org/seven-hearts-of-a-priest/)