If I Were A Priest In The Church!

Not in this world, may be not in the next too. A great profession or calling , with an amazing paraphernalia, privileges and concessions, enticing enough to lure many, far from the calling to gate crash through the agency of “human Holy Spirit”.

If I were a Priest…, wouldn’t be just a Priest after Sunday collections. Not one with a penchant for building of structure only, though good, but I wouldn’t.

If I were a Priest… I wouldn’t be one that craves for and truckles to men and women with deep pockets, hobnobbing with them and caring less their spiritual lifestyle.

If I were a Priest… I would be dispassionately relational, creating no boundaries, holding not the divisive handle of halo effect syndrome.

If I were a Priest…., I would be human without allowing my humanity to lead me to sin. I would be angry but wouldn’t be so angry to lose the divinity of my calling . I would feel emotion but wouldn’t allow my emotions to ridicule the honour and grace of my hood. I would of course be tempted, but wouldn’t allow my human nature to slip and fall headlong into it disgracefully.

If I were a Priest… I would love, but wouldn’t allow my love to be a scandal to the purity and divinity of my hood. I wouldn’t be muffled by the generosity of people to me, speaking truth to power and making the thrive of truth in my dealings with people one very non negotiable thing.

If I were a Priest… I would want to feel human, not angelic. I would want to feel strong and verile, capable of doing what men do, but not doing them because of the integrity of my hood and above all for the love of my love for God. I would want to feel it, its compelling power to yield and concede, but saying no just because of the decency of my calling.

If I were a Priest… I would be so much engrossed in the spiritual lifestyle of my Parishioners, feeding them from the cistern of both my spiritual deposit and that of those that have what I don’t have, for in complementarity the best is assured for the uplifting of their souls not the gigantic structures though good but perishable.

If I were a Priest …. the word Synodality would be my watch word. If I were a Priest…. the limited nature of my human nature would be my humbling spot, saving me from falling into the deep valley self aggrandizement, pride and self conceited the archiles heels of many priests in the Church.

I am not a priest…. I wouldn’t be one, not now and not in the next world. I am a proud man, called into a family life to shape destines, helping God in creation through procreation what better priesthood is this vocation of mine ? This vocation, if only I would be able to be an amazing priest to my wife, children etc, the priest in the Church would have less job to do, for the priest in the family would have been diligent with his calling. When a priest in the family becomes too distanced, unable to perform his duties and responsibilities, the priest in the Church gets burdened by the overwhelming garbages that come from the neglects of the priest in the family, many of them have been consumed by such garbages leading them into temptation and consuming them more often than not.

If I were a Priest… I would fight pride, arrogance, self conceited, materialistic tendencies, discriminating affection, flesh yielding like one would fight cancer in its stage four. Now that I am not a priest in the Church, same is applicable to me too as a priest in the family, so help me God!!

Dr. Jarlath Uche Opara Jarlathuche@gmail.com