When I was still a Deacon, I had the honor of deaconing at a funeral for a priest who died.  The homilist was a priest relative, of the deceased priest, and he broke the life of the priest down into three movements that are also found in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass: offertory, consecration, and sacrifice.  I found the homily to be very moving and extremely relevant to my own upcoming ordination to the priesthood that I wanted to share it, and even expand on it, here on my blog.  All three of these movements are related to both the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the life of the priest.  Moreover, these movements are related to both the ordained priesthood and the priesthood of the baptized.  While there is a difference between the two, this reflection is intended for everyone and not just those interested in ordained priesthood.

Offertory is the first action done once the Liturgy of the Eucharist has begun in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.  The people of God present at the liturgy bring up the gifts of bread and wine that will consecrated.  Within the whole action we see a multitude of meanings: the people are the ones providing for the Sacrifice, the people are offering themselves as part of the Sacrifice, the Priest (who is Christ) receives the gifts of the people, and the Body of Christ is offering himself for the sake of His people.  This is the first movement in any priests life because the priest continually offers their self for the community they serve.  An ordained priest offers himself for the Parish he has been called to serve and baptized priests are called to give of themselves to their families, friends, neighbors, and other communities of faith.  By offering ourselves to the service of others we are doing as Jesus did when he offered himself, not only on the Cross, but also at the washing of the disciples feet. 

Ordained priests are consecrated by the Holy Spirit, through the Bishop, to pray, offer the Sacraments, and to offer themselves for the people of God.  To be consecrated means to be set aside for a special purpose.  In baptism we are all consecrated, set aside by God, as his children.  When it comes to the ordained priesthood, the consecration by the Holy Spirit is what makes the priest different from the rest of the baptized.  Just as when the Priest consecrates the bread and wine at Mass and they become the Body and Blood of Jesus; so too, when the Bishop consecrates men to the priesthood, they are no longer the men they used to be, but they are now Priests of Jesus Christ.  These men are now called “Father” because they represent the Father, they are charged with praying for the whole Body of Christ, celebrating the Sacraments, and making themselves total offerings to the Blessed Trinity.  Their consecration puts a permanent seal on their souls (like in Baptism and Confirmation) that never goes away. “You are a priest forever, like Melchizedek of old.” (Psalm 110:4)

Finally, communion is when the Body of Christ is shared with the whole community of believers.  The Priest shares himself with all those who come to him.  Most importantly, the Priest is a member of a community.  Priests can’t act on their own, they need to be in communion with their Bishop and they need to be in community with their sheep.  As shepherds of souls, the priest needs sheep or he won’t be a shepherd.  Communion is a very important part of priesthood.  When I think of my community I think of: my parish, family, friends, and my brothers in the seminary and priesthood.  All of these communities are important and lend support. 

Well, this is the reflection I wanted to share and in some way expand on.  Since this was given in the context of a funeral homily it was very different; however, I think I can still do more expanding and prayerful pondering over these deep movements.