Thank You to All Priests and Bishops!

There’s a bishop in Ukraine you don’t hear a lot about. Despite the constant threat of death from Russian forces, he refuses to leave his flock. When the windows were blown out of his apartment building by military fire, he stayed put even though it was winter.

Talk about having the smell of your sheep with you at all times! As you can imagine, his flock loves and supports him. He watches out for them as the wolves attack.

 

People love to complain about bishops and priests. The media spotlights clergymen beset by scandal. They give a pedestal to those who have left the priesthood. Even some faithful Catholics spend more time talking about how much they dislike such-and-such a priest or bishop than what’s good about them.

It’s Holy Thursday, a day when we commemorate the institution of the priesthood and the Eucharist. On that day, Christ celebrated the last supper with His apostles, the first bishops of the Church.

The priesthood is holy. Despite some bad apples, there are many exceptional priests and bishops among us. Yet, so often they are overshadowed by the bad ones.

Remember, without these men, we wouldn’t have access to the sacraments by which we participate and grow in the life of grace. They provide a prophetic witness to God’s eternal truth amidst the passing of time. They guide our souls to the eternal wedding banquet Christ has prepared for us.

To honor this holy day, the priesthood, and our Lord, let’s show our appreciation for the good priests and bishops in our lives.

Say “thank you” when you see them in person or by tagging them on social media.

Let’s show some love to our pastors, through whom Christ ministers to us.

Who’s with me?