What’s that Smell?

Coming back to an earlier post about Pope Francis’ exhortation to pastors to “smell like the sheep” - 

A pastor smells like the sheep because he is out ‘in the midst’ of them. Involved. Gritty.  Not retreating constantly to fulfil his desires for inner peace.  Like a good parent, his flock comes first. They are not there to serve him. Although he does allow himself to be lifted up, encouraged, and fed by their love of God.  He doesn’t run to a separate kosher kitchen for meals.  Is it the smell of urine and incontinence?  I suppose it’s whatever malfunction and distress his people face.  Not to mention his own inconsistencies and failures.  It’s a messy existence, yet one ordered by truth.  Finally le bon pasteur smells like the sheep because he IS a sheep!  There is but One shepherd.  The pastor shares in the shepherd’s role but remains a sheep himself, otherwise his discipleship devolves into rule.  The olfactory analogy can only go so far.  It’s not meant to be a comforting picture but one that shakes up our usual notions. After all, sheep smell a good deal like shit, I imagine.    

Keep Focused (on Him)

SAT DOWN TO PRAY MY BREVIARY, THE SACRED OFFICE, THIS MORNING...
after an hour I looked up from my cell phone and rushed off to my next appointment.

Friends, are you sometimes discouraged by your scattered attempts and outright resistance to prayer? Do not be crushed!  Take heart...trust not in your own self but in Christ!  He sees you. He is pleased with your attempts. 

A sharper focus on the Diocesan Priesthood

What traits distinguish a diocesan priest?  Why would a Catholic man consider becoming a diocesan priest rather than a Franciscan (Halifax), Companion of the Cross (Ottawa), or Cistercian (Rogersville)?

My first observation is that diocesan priests are by far the most common type of priest in Atlantic Canada. As Catholics we encounter more of them than any other religious order.  Diocesan priests are called ‘secular’ priests and their charism is the care of souls. They exercise this care through parish ministry which sews together both the temporal and the spiritual spheres.  Whereas a religious contemplative may be dedicated exclusively to prayer and manual work, a diocesan priest is occupied with not only offering the sacraments but tending to the needs of the parish. If he is smart he is not the head of everything, he must delegate. However, at the end of the day, a parish priest ‘smells like the sheep’ (to quote Pope Francis) because he has his finger on the pulse. A good pastor is one of the greatest gifts the Lord can bestow on a parish (Saint Jean Marie Vianney of France).

But what about them and their spirituality is unique to diocesan priests - making them stand apart from the religious orders?  From my experience the diocesan priesthood throws the largest net over the most diverse group of men. By sheer number we are necessarily a ‘motley’ band, so many personalities and gifts differing. This can be challenging but also keeps us limber.  The immersion factor for diocesan priests is that rather than be dedicated to a set group and set routine, we are immersed into the parish community, casting an even broader net of human interaction. It gives us the opportunity to be pastoral and loving toward all, especially those on the periferies.  As Father McGowan writes rather succinctly and to-the-point at catholiccaucus.blogspot.ca/ - diocesan priesthood is about leading souls to heaven -not a bad calling!  I echo his lively sentiment -not a bad calling indeed!