As a young child, I grew up appreciating priests and often wondered how they led their lives. For instance, one Christmas morning after Mass, my mom invited our parish priest to have breakfast at our home. I was so excited to meet this priest that I thought God had visited us. I kept staring at him, admiring his joy in being with people, saying Mass for them, and visiting them in their homes.
As I matured, I became more exposed to the lives and ministries of priests. I served at Mass, helped clean the church, and sang in the choir. I even traveled to remote villages to assist priests with their Masses.
There was one parish priest whom I admired the most. He had lost his right hand in an accident and wore an artificial wooden hand, yet he continued to serve as the head of the parish. He was not the “perfect” priest that people often hope for; rumors circulated about his gambling vice and his tendency to ask for more money from parishioners. Despite this, he was incredibly supportive and caring towards altar servers and seminarians. In fact, he inspired more young men to enter the seminary than any of his predecessors.
I grew up respecting priests for their calling to represent Jesus to others in the world. I can honestly say that I never had a bad experience with any priest. They became my spiritual fathers, mentors, and lifelong friends.
This is one of the major reasons why I chose to become a priest. I saw priests as happy individuals leading meaningful lives, and I wanted to live like them.
Indeed, the value I learned from my family about respecting and supporting priests in their ministry has brought great rewards for me, my family, and the Church: I, myself, have become a priest. The Gospel reading for this Sunday resonates well with this insight:
“Whoever receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever receives a righteous man because he is a righteous man will receive a righteous man’s reward. And whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because the little one is a disciple—amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.”
As I always emphasize in my recent homilies, please pray for us priests. There are not many of us left, and those who are still active and young need our guidance and support. Some priests choose not to retire; they continue saying Mass, hearing confessions, teaching, and counseling people.
Encourage your priests, love them, and appreciate them. As the Gospel says, by doing this you will receive a prophet’s reward. Who knows what that might be?
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The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff.
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Fr. Rodel “Odey” Balagtas is the pastor of Incarnation Church in Glendale, California
