Pray for the Religious

"I don’t go to church," responded J (name withheld) to my question on which parish she goes to on Sundays. Somewhat taken aback, I asked her if she’d tell me why she stayed away. She candidly explained that she had read many negative things about priests and had come to a conclusion that she would rather pray directly to God than attend mass. The following week, I got a similar response from a friend who paid a visit in my residence. B (name withheld) told me that he had little respect for clergymen as a result of past experiences in his parish where one priest left to get married and another whom he overheard several times making remarks that were uncalled for, if not outrageous.

Without the complete facts, it was beyond me to defend the priests who caused J and B’s disillusionment. I could only offer a general response. I cited many positive experiences I had with priests in activities in church or otherwise. I also related to them the sharing of my wife, Debbie, who briefly worked in a call centre. For eight hours she received calls from customers, responding to their queries and needs. There were times that she encountered difficult and disrespectful callers that drained her emotionally. But at the end of the day, she would be reinvigorated with the thought that out of 100 callers, only two on the average verbally abused her. She would tell me: "The number of good people simply overwhelm the very few bad ones." That statement is true among the religious as well.

Jesus Christ who established the Church on earth designated St Peter as its first leader. Simon Peter was not a perfect follower of Christ. The most flagrant of his weaknesses was denying knowing Jesus three times when the Saviour was to be crucified. Yet Jesus made him the Rock, for Peter repented for his sins, committing himself to preaching and living God’s Word. "And I also say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." (Matthew 16:18) As a true servant, Peter died for the Faith. Through the centuries, many have followed the footsteps of St Peter: some dying in martyrdom, others strengthening the Church through evangelisation to the ends of the earth. Through the centuries, there, too, have been followers, including the religious, who have committed scandalous acts that affected not only the Church as an institution, but caused disillusionment among believers.

We must realise, though, that the religious who have dedicated themselves to serving God are human. Satan tempts the religious as he does lay persons. The devil delights more in the fall of God’s ministers; as this advances his intent in destroying God’s City on earth. Such attempt was made on God’s loyal servant Job. "And Jehovah said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job? for there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and turneth away from evil: and he still holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause." (Job 2:3)

As much as the religious must pray hard to keep their vows, we the faithful must as well pray for them that they will be shielded from the devil, that they learn from the life of St Peter and that they model themselves after Jesus Christ. As St Paul, a pious person, wrote to the Hebrews: "Pray for us: for we are persuaded that we have a good conscience, desiring to live honorably in all things." (Hebrews 13:18)

by Mel Libre