What's Your Story? - They Have Accepted God’s Call

For me every Catholic priest is a real and tangible link between the people and God, a bridge between Earth and Heaven.
The priest has a vocation -has been chosen by God - with a special calling from Jesus Himself to follow in His footsteps in the world today.
Priests are the human embodiment of Christ on earth - ever available to us throughout our lives .They help strengthen our relationship with God and guide us how to do His will.
They are the only people on earth ordained with God’s divine authority and power:
•to celebrate the Mass for us
•to consecrate the bread and wine into The Body and Blood of Christ
•to grant us the assurance of God’s forgiveness in Confession and
•to administer the Sacrament of the Sick which aids recovery or gives us strength for our final journey to eternal life.
When I visited St Peter’s Basilica in Rome I experienced a truly deep awareness and appreciation of the authenticity of our Catholic faith . Our faith has been handed down to us from Jesus -the Son of God and our Blessed mother Mary - through Peter and the apostles and priests parents and teachers . It is still alive and being nurtured and practised daily in all corners of the world over 2000 years later as a result of the dedicated service of our priests. These men who down through the ages – in good times and bad - have given their lives so selflessly - to do the work of Jesus – leading us to the Father.
We all enjoy the presence of the priest at many happy events in life: Celebrating the Sacraments of Baptism, First Penance, First Communion , Confirmation , Weddings, and also on Anniversaries, Special birthdays , Community events and other celebratory occasions .We are so privileged to have the priest present during these happy times and his presence adds a very special dimension signifying that Jesus himself is among us.
Then there are sad times when sickness, trouble ,worry ,loss ,anxiety, addiction, poverty, misfortune, abandonment, tragedy etc. etc. come to us or our families. In such times we all become very aware that we are totally powerless over so many things.
We realize how important it is to have a real knowledge, relationship, faith and trust in God to whom we turn for support , comfort and assistance.
At such times the priest through his ministry has a very special role .He brings support, advice, guidance , counselling ,encouragement, comfort, hope and consolation to all in these situations. He brings the presence of Jesus in a way that no other person can.
Whether life be short or long - death awaits us all and this can be a scary thought but through our faith we know and trust that God has reserved a place for each one of us- and we look forward to His invitation to take our place in the Kingdom He has prepared for us.
I hope and pray that when my time comes that I - like my parents, brothers and grandparents will have the privilege of having a priest to administer the sacrament of the sick to me to help me on my way.
The rite of a Christian funeral celebrated by the priest brings value, dignity and closure to our earthly lives. We are reminded and assured that death is not the end but indeed the beginning of eternal life. The priest – by his words and presence - provides love ,support, comfort and consolation to the bereaved family and friends.
Throughout my life I have had the privilege of meeting so many priests at so many levels and in so many situations. They have all been unique individuals with different personalities, interests, personal qualities , strengths and indeed even some human weaknesses - as we all have .
However they all have one very special thing in common . They have accepted God’s call - a call to leave all, to follow Him and to devote their lives to carrying on his mission here on earth . They are there to instruct , encourage , guide and support all of God’s people through their work , word and example.
We trust and pray that God will continue to call many more to follow in their footsteps so that we will continue to experience – through His priests - the love and care of God till the end of time. We ask this through Christ , Our Lord . Amen
Mary Hampsey
The priest has a vocation -has been chosen by God - with a special calling from Jesus Himself to follow in His footsteps in the world today.
Priests are the human embodiment of Christ on earth - ever available to us throughout our lives .They help strengthen our relationship with God and guide us how to do His will.
They are the only people on earth ordained with God’s divine authority and power:
•to celebrate the Mass for us
•to consecrate the bread and wine into The Body and Blood of Christ
•to grant us the assurance of God’s forgiveness in Confession and
•to administer the Sacrament of the Sick which aids recovery or gives us strength for our final journey to eternal life.
When I visited St Peter’s Basilica in Rome I experienced a truly deep awareness and appreciation of the authenticity of our Catholic faith . Our faith has been handed down to us from Jesus -the Son of God and our Blessed mother Mary - through Peter and the apostles and priests parents and teachers . It is still alive and being nurtured and practised daily in all corners of the world over 2000 years later as a result of the dedicated service of our priests. These men who down through the ages – in good times and bad - have given their lives so selflessly - to do the work of Jesus – leading us to the Father.
We all enjoy the presence of the priest at many happy events in life: Celebrating the Sacraments of Baptism, First Penance, First Communion , Confirmation , Weddings, and also on Anniversaries, Special birthdays , Community events and other celebratory occasions .We are so privileged to have the priest present during these happy times and his presence adds a very special dimension signifying that Jesus himself is among us.
Then there are sad times when sickness, trouble ,worry ,loss ,anxiety, addiction, poverty, misfortune, abandonment, tragedy etc. etc. come to us or our families. In such times we all become very aware that we are totally powerless over so many things.
We realize how important it is to have a real knowledge, relationship, faith and trust in God to whom we turn for support , comfort and assistance.
At such times the priest through his ministry has a very special role .He brings support, advice, guidance , counselling ,encouragement, comfort, hope and consolation to all in these situations. He brings the presence of Jesus in a way that no other person can.
Whether life be short or long - death awaits us all and this can be a scary thought but through our faith we know and trust that God has reserved a place for each one of us- and we look forward to His invitation to take our place in the Kingdom He has prepared for us.
I hope and pray that when my time comes that I - like my parents, brothers and grandparents will have the privilege of having a priest to administer the sacrament of the sick to me to help me on my way.
The rite of a Christian funeral celebrated by the priest brings value, dignity and closure to our earthly lives. We are reminded and assured that death is not the end but indeed the beginning of eternal life. The priest – by his words and presence - provides love ,support, comfort and consolation to the bereaved family and friends.
Throughout my life I have had the privilege of meeting so many priests at so many levels and in so many situations. They have all been unique individuals with different personalities, interests, personal qualities , strengths and indeed even some human weaknesses - as we all have .
However they all have one very special thing in common . They have accepted God’s call - a call to leave all, to follow Him and to devote their lives to carrying on his mission here on earth . They are there to instruct , encourage , guide and support all of God’s people through their work , word and example.
We trust and pray that God will continue to call many more to follow in their footsteps so that we will continue to experience – through His priests - the love and care of God till the end of time. We ask this through Christ , Our Lord . Amen
Mary Hampsey
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