"It may well be the case that your parish priest preaches homilies that are - how do we say it gently? - uninspiring. Maybe you’ve come to him to ask a serious question about the faith concerning a teaching or mystery you’ve really struggled with, and he’s failed to offer satisfying answers. Perhaps he lacks charm and charisma, or falls short when it comes to offering the parish visionary leadership. He may well be a little impersonal, excessively shy, obnoxiously gregarious, slavishly bound to rubrics, overly political, or simply unexceptional. These may be the human realities of your priest…and you don't have to like them.
"Catholics often feel guilty if they’re unable to relate personally to their priest. Longing for their parish to incarnate the virtues of The Bells of St. Mary’s, people rightly have high expectations for their priests. Notwithstanding the faults of their beloved clergy, something lingers. For many faithful Catholics it’s hard to write off a priest. For better or worse, his office (his role) makes it difficult to treat him as if he were one more set of footprints stepping into, then out of, a life."
In a commentary earlier this year, Brother Patrick Mary Briscoe, O.P., reflected on the role of priests in our lives - including that of shepherds, physicians, and fathers.
To access Br. Patrick Mary's complete post, please visit:
Dominicana: You Don’t Have to Like Your Priest (7 MAR 14)
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