When we speak about the Sacrament of Holy Orders, we are speaking about one of the greatest gifts Jesus has given to His Church. We are not simply speaking about a profession, a career, or a respectable position in society. A priest is not merely a man who conducts religious ceremonies. He is a man who has been called, consecrated and sent by Jesus to serve God's people. Through his ministry, Jesus continues to preach, forgive, sanctify, shepherd, console and offer Himself for the salvation of the world.
The story of priesthood begins with the story of God's call. Throughout the Bible, whenever God wanted to accomplish something important, He called a person. Abraham was called to leave his country and become a blessing to all nations: "I will bless you... and you shall be a blessing" (Genesis 12:2-3). Moses was called to lead God's people from slavery to freedom. Jeremiah was called to proclaim God's word. Isaiah was called to become a prophet. Elijah was called to bring Israel back to the true God. John the Baptist was called to prepare the way for Christ. The pattern is always the same: God calls ordinary human beings and gives them an extraordinary mission. The original talk rightly emphasizes this recurring Biblical pattern of divine calling.
One of the most dramatic examples is Saul of Tarsus. Saul was not looking for Christianity. In fact, he was persecuting Christians. He approved of the death of Stephen and went from house to house, dragging Christians to prison (Acts 8:1-3). He obtained authorization from the high priest to go to Damascus and arrest followers of Jesus. He probably thought he was doing God a favour. But God had another plan.
On the road to Damascus, everything changed. "Suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?'" (Acts 9:3-4). Saul asked, "Who are you, Lord?" Jesus answered, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting" (Acts 9:5). Notice something beautiful: Jesus did not say, "Why are you persecuting my Church?" He said, "Why do you persecute me?" Christ identifies Himself with His people.
Saul was blinded, humbled and led into Damascus. Then God called Ananias to go to him. Ananias was afraid because he knew Saul's reputation. Yet God told him, "Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel" (Acts 9:15). Ananias laid his hands on Saul, Saul regained his sight, received the Holy Spirit and was baptized (Acts 9:17-18). The persecutor became the apostle. The man who had once tried to destroy the Church became one of its greatest missionaries. St Paul would later say, "By the grace of God I am what I am" (1 Corinthians 15:10).
That is an important lesson about priestly vocations. God does not necessarily call the person whom we would choose. God sees what we cannot see. The person sitting quietly in the back of the church may one day become a priest. The altar server whom nobody notices may one day preach the Gospel to thousands. The young man who seems uncertain about his future may be the one whom God is preparing for a great mission.
God's call is also accompanied by God's grace. Jeremiah tried to resist: "I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy" (Jeremiah 1:6). God answered, "Do not say, 'I am only a boy'... Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you" (Jeremiah 1:7-8). God did not tell Jeremiah that he was naturally strong. God promised that He would be with him.
The same is true of every vocation. A young man may say, "I am not holy enough." Another may say, "I am not intelligent enough." Another may say, "I am too shy." Another may think, "I have other plans." But the question is not, "Am I capable of becoming a priest?" The deeper question is, "Is God calling me?" If God calls, He also gives the grace necessary to respond.
Isaiah gives us another beautiful picture of vocation. He sees the Lord in the temple and becomes conscious of his unworthiness: "Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips" (Isaiah 6:5). But God purifies him. Then Isaiah hears the question: "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" Isaiah responds, "Here am I; send me!" (Isaiah 6:8). Notice the order: first comes God's presence, then awareness of one's weakness, then purification, and finally mission. A vocation is not the story of a perfect man who volunteers for a job. It is the story of a weak man who allows God to make him an instrument.
The prophet Jonah provides another humorous but serious example. God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach repentance. Jonah did not like the assignment at all. Nineveh was an enemy city, and Jonah wanted God to punish them rather than save them. So Jonah did what many people have tried to do with God's call: he ran away. God said, "Go east," and Jonah bought a ticket going west! He boarded a ship for Tarshish. But God did not cancel Jonah's vocation because Jonah initially resisted it.
The storm came, Jonah was thrown into the sea, and God provided a great fish to save him. After three days Jonah prayed and finally went to Nineveh (Jonah 1-3). Sometimes God has to bring us through a few storms before we understand His plan! The lesson for young people is simple: if God is calling you, running away will not necessarily make you peaceful. Sometimes the deepest peace comes when we finally say, "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening."
That brings us to Samuel. Samuel was serving in the temple, but he did not recognize God's voice. Three times he heard his name and ran to Eli thinking that Eli was calling him. Finally Eli understood: "The Lord is calling the boy." Eli therefore instructed him, "If he calls you, you shall say, 'Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening'" (1 Samuel 3:1-10). This is one of the most important lessons for vocation ministry today. Young people may not recognize God's call unless there is someone like Eli to help them recognize it.
A vocation culture therefore requires parents, priests, teachers, catechists and parishioners who can say to a young person: "Perhaps God is calling you. Have you ever thought about becoming a priest?" Sometimes one simple question can change a life.
Consider the life of St John Mary Vianney. He was not a naturally gifted student. Born into a poor farming family in France, he worked in the fields and was still struggling academically as a young man. His journey to priesthood was difficult, and he experienced failures and doubts. Yet priests who looked beyond his limitations recognized something deeper in him. He was eventually ordained in 1815 and became the Curé of Ars. What appeared to be a weak and poorly educated young man became one of the Church's greatest parish priests. Pope Benedict XVI noted that his priestly journey involved many trials and difficulties before he reached ordination. His story tells us never to decide too quickly that somebody is "not priest material." God can accomplish great things through someone whom the world considers ordinary.
After becoming a priest, Vianney spent himself for the people. He preached, heard confessions, visited the sick and prayed for his parishioners. His parish was eventually transformed. Pope Benedict XVI described the Curé of Ars as a priest whose complete identification with his ministry flowed from communion with Christ. Pope Francis later reminded priests that many of them quietly carry the burdens of their communities "without fanfare" and at personal cost. This is the priesthood we sometimes fail to notice: the priest who gets up early, celebrates Mass, visits a hospital, listens to a grieving family, hears confessions late into the night, attends a funeral, teaches catechism, counsels a troubled young person and still returns to the altar the next morning.
God's call eventually reaches its fullness in Jesus Christ. The Old Testament priesthood was a preparation and sign pointing toward Christ. Noah built an altar and offered sacrifice (Genesis 8:20). Abraham offered sacrifice (Genesis 22:13). Melchizedek appears as "priest of God Most High" (Genesis 14:18). Under Moses, the priesthood became a defined ministry, especially through Aaron and his descendants (Exodus 28:1-3). But all these forms of priesthood point forward to Christ.
Jesus is the definitive High Priest. The Letter to the Hebrews says, "We have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God" (Hebrews 4:14). Unlike the priests of the Old Covenant, Christ does not repeatedly offer animals. He offers Himself. "He entered once for all into the Holy Place... with his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption" (Hebrews 9:12).
The priesthood is inseparable from the Eucharist. At the Last Supper, Jesus took bread, gave thanks, broke it and said, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me" (Luke 22:19). He took the cup and said, "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood" (Luke 22:20). St Paul confirms the Eucharistic tradition in 1 Corinthians 11:23-26.
Jesus did not merely say, "Remember me." He gave the apostles a sacramental action: "Do this in remembrance of me." The apostles were entrusted with continuing this Eucharistic memorial. After the Resurrection Jesus also said to them, "As the Father has sent me, so I send you" (John 20:21), and He breathed on them and gave them authority connected with the forgiveness of sins (John 20:22-23).
When a priest celebrates Mass, he does not replace Jesus. Rather, through the sacramental ministry of the Church, Jesus acts through His ordained minister. The priest says, "This is my Body," but it is Christ who is the source of the mystery. The priest says, "I absolve you from your sins," but it is Christ who forgives through the sacrament.
This is why the priest's hands are so precious. Those hands may look ordinary. They may be the hands of a tired man. They may be imperfect hands. But those hands can baptize a child, anoint the sick, absolve a sinner, bless a marriage and hold the Eucharistic Lord. What a privilege!
Think of St Damien of Molokai. He was a Belgian priest who volunteered to serve people with leprosy on the Hawaiian island of Molokai. He arrived in 1873 and, rather than treating the people as strangers from a distance, he remained among them. Eventually he contracted leprosy himself and died in 1889 after sixteen years of service. The Vatican describes him as a Catholic missionary whose charity led him to identify closely with those whom society had abandoned.
Imagine what those people saw when Fr Damien arrived. They did not merely see a man wearing a clerical collar. They saw somebody who was willing to enter their suffering. The priest became a sign that Christ had not forgotten them. This is the heart of priesthood: "The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45).
There are people who have encountered Jesus through a priest's simple presence. A dying person may remember not the priest's homily but the moment he held his hand and prayed. A young person may remember not the parish programme but the priest who believed in him when everybody else had given up. A mother grieving the death of her child may remember the priest who sat silently beside her because there were no adequate words. A prisoner may remember the priest who visited him when everyone else had abandoned him. A sinner may remember the priest who said in confession, "Do not be afraid. Begin again."
This is why St Paul describes ministry not as self-promotion but as service: "What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe" (1 Corinthians 3:5). He says again, "What we proclaim is not ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus' sake" (2 Corinthians 4:5). A priest is not called to make people admire him. He is called to help people encounter Christ.
St Philip Neri is another wonderful example. He dedicated himself particularly to confession, spiritual direction and the formation of young people. Pope Francis described his ministry as one marked by warmth, joy, gentleness and spiritual fatherhood. He understood that people could be led to Christ not only through serious preaching but also through genuine friendship, joy and personal accompaniment. His life reminds us that a priest does not have to be gloomy to be holy! Holiness and joy belong together.
St John Bosco likewise devoted himself to young people. In nineteenth-century Turin he encountered poor and abandoned boys who were vulnerable to exploitation and crime. He became their priest, father, teacher and friend. He created schools, workshops and oratories so that young people could discover their dignity and their vocation. His ministry shows us that priesthood is not merely standing at an altar; it is entering the real lives of people and helping them discover the purpose God has placed within them. The Vatican has described Don Bosco as an apostle of modern times whose work for young people grew out of a difficult and austere background.
The priest therefore has three fundamental dimensions of ministry: teaching, sanctifying and shepherding.
First, the priest teaches. Jesus commanded His apostles, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations... teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20). A priest proclaims the Gospel, preaches, teaches the faith, prepares people for the sacraments and helps people interpret their lives in the light of God's Word.
Second, the priest sanctifies. He celebrates the Eucharist and administers the sacraments entrusted to his ministry. Through Baptism, Confirmation in the case of bishops and designated ministers, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick and other sacramental ministry, the Church continues Christ's work of sanctification. In the Latin Church, priests ordinarily baptize, hear confessions, celebrate the Eucharist, anoint the sick and assist at marriages according to Church law. The bishop possesses the fullness of Holy Orders and shares the governance of the particular Church entrusted to him.
Third, the priest shepherds. Jesus told Peter, "Feed my lambs... Tend my sheep... Feed my sheep" (John 21:15-17). The priest is therefore not simply a sacramental functionary. He is a shepherd. He knows his people, accompanies them, corrects them when necessary, encourages them when discouraged and searches for those who have wandered away.
This is beautifully expressed in the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd: "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep" (John 10:11). A priest is successful not because his parish has the biggest buildings or the largest crowds, but because people are gradually coming closer to Jesus.
St John Vianney understood this deeply. His parishioners came to him because they sensed that he genuinely cared about their souls. His life became a living commentary on the words of Christ: "The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." His parish ministry included visiting families and the sick, educating children and organizing the spiritual life of the community. The Vatican has also noted how the parish of Ars was transformed through his ministry of the Word and sacraments.
The choosing of Matthias after Judas' death also demonstrates the Church's consciousness that apostolic ministry must continue. Peter gathered the disciples, they prayed and Matthias was chosen (Acts 1:15-26). This is important because priesthood is not simply an individual's private relationship with God. It is a vocation received within the Church and for the Church.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church therefore teaches that Holy Orders is the sacrament through which the mission entrusted by Christ to the apostles continues to be exercised in the Church until the end of time (CCC 1536).
The priest also makes a profound commitment. In the Latin Church, diocesan priests ordinarily embrace celibacy. Celibacy is not simply "not getting married." It is intended to express an undivided gift of oneself to Christ and His people. Jesus speaks of those who have made themselves eunuchs "for the sake of the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 19:12). St Paul also explains that the unmarried person can devote himself more completely to "the affairs of the Lord" (1 Corinthians 7:32-35).
The priest gives up many things that others take for granted. He may be transferred from one parish to another. He may live far from his family. He may celebrate Christmas or Easter while others celebrate at home. He may spend his birthday hearing confessions or visiting a hospital. He may receive criticism from people whom he is trying to serve. He may carry the problems of hundreds or thousands of people without being able to tell everyone about his own burdens.
This is why we should be careful when we speak about the weaknesses of priests. Priests are not angels. They are human beings. The apostles themselves were not perfect. Peter denied Jesus three times. Judas betrayed Him. Thomas doubted. James and John argued about who would be greatest. Yet Jesus chose them.
The Church has never taught that ordination makes a man incapable of sin. A priest remains a human being who needs conversion, prayer, confession, friendship, support and grace. The failures of priests must never be excused, especially when people are harmed. Sin must be confronted honestly, victims must be protected and justice must be respected. At the same time, we must not allow the failures of some to blind us to the sacrificial fidelity of the vast majority who quietly give themselves every day.
There is an old joke about a priest who was stopped by a policeman. The policeman smelled alcohol on the priest's breath and noticed an empty wine bottle in the car. "Have you been drinking?" he asked. The priest replied, "Just water." The policeman said, "Then why do I smell wine?" The priest looked at the bottle and exclaimed, "Good Lord! He's done it again!" It is only a joke, but it reminds us that priests remain human beings—and human beings sometimes need a little humility!
The joke also helps us avoid an unhealthy image of priesthood. We do not need priests who pretend to be superhuman. We need priests who are holy enough to point beyond themselves and humble enough to say, "I am also a sinner saved by God's mercy."
Peter is perhaps the greatest Biblical example. He failed terribly, but Jesus did not discard him. After the Resurrection Jesus asked him three times, "Do you love me?" and then entrusted him with the mission: "Feed my sheep" (John 21:15-17). The same Peter who had denied Jesus became the shepherd of the early Church. Grace does not mean that our past disappears; grace means that God can redeem our past and use us for His glory.
St Maximilian Kolbe gives another extraordinary example of priestly self-giving. A Franciscan priest, he was imprisoned by the Nazis at Auschwitz. When a prisoner was selected for death, Fr Kolbe voluntarily offered to take his place. He died in the starvation bunker, giving his life for another man. Pope John Paul II later described Kolbe's witness at Auschwitz as a victory through faith and love. Here we see the words of Jesus made visible: "No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends" (John 15:13).
A priest may not be asked to die in a concentration camp. But every faithful priest is asked to die in smaller ways: to his comfort, his independence, his preferences, his sleep, his money, his time and sometimes his reputation. Priesthood is not fundamentally about what a man receives; it is about what he is willing to give.
And yet the priest is not alone. The Church must care for her priests. We often ask priests to pray for us, counsel us, visit us, baptize our children, bless our homes, prepare us for marriage, bury our dead, teach our children and accompany us in crisis. But how often do we ask, "Father, how are you?" How often do we pray for him?
Jesus said, "The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest" (Matthew 9:37-38). Notice that Jesus did not first say, "Go and recruit priests." He said, "Pray." Vocations begin with prayer.
Perhaps there is a young man in your family whom God is calling. Perhaps there is a young person in your parish who has never been asked. Perhaps someone is already thinking about priesthood but is afraid to tell anybody because he fears his friends will laugh at him.
Imagine if a young man said, "I think God may be calling me to become a priest," and his parents replied, "Absolutely not. You must become a doctor, engineer, businessman or lawyer." What message would that family be giving? They would effectively be saying, "Your career is more important than your vocation."
Instead, parents should say, "If God is calling you, we will help you discover His will." They need not force a vocation. They should never pressure a child into priesthood. But neither should they discourage a genuine vocation.
We need a vocation culture in our homes. Parents can pray for vocations with their children. Families can speak respectfully about priests. Children can be encouraged to serve at Mass.
St Monica's life gives us another beautiful lesson. Her persistent prayer contributed to the conversion and vocation of her son Augustine, who became one of the Church's greatest theologians and bishops. Her tears became part of the story of a future shepherd of the Church. St Augustine himself would later look back and recognize the importance of his mother's faith. The lesson is powerful: sometimes a vocation begins with the prayers of a mother long before the young person recognizes it himself.
A vocation can also come through the influence of another priest. St Francis Xavier is a classic example. He initially had ambitions for worldly success. During his studies in Paris, he encountered Ignatius of Loyola, whose challenge—drawing on Christ's words, "What will it profit a person to gain the whole world and forfeit their life?" (Mark 8:36)—helped transform Xavier's priorities. Francis Xavier eventually became one of the Church's great missionaries. The vocation of one person can awaken the vocation of another.
There are countless such stories in ordinary parish life. A priest sits beside an alcoholic and says, "You can begin again." A priest visits a prisoner and says, "God has not abandoned you." A priest listens to a teenager whose parents have separated. A priest accompanies a couple struggling in marriage. A priest baptizes a child and tells the parents, "Your child belongs to Christ." A priest stays with a family through the night after a sudden death. In each of these moments, people can encounter something of the compassion of Jesus.
This is what happened through Fr Damien. This is what happened through St John Vianney. This is what happened through St Philip Neri. This is what happened through St John Bosco. This is what happened through St Maximilian Kolbe. Their lives were different, their personalities were different and their missions were different, but one thing united them: they allowed Christ to love people through them.
Jesus still looks at the crowds with compassion and says, "The harvest is plentiful." The question is whether we are listening to the next sentence: "Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest."
God has always called imperfect people.
He called Abraham.
He called Moses.
He called Jeremiah.
He called Isaiah.
He called Samuel.
He called Peter.
He called Paul.
He called ordinary fishermen.
And Jesus continues to call today.
The question is whether we are helping young people hear His voice.
Therefore, dear parents: pray for vocations.
Dear young people: do not be afraid if Jesus whispers, "Come, follow me."
When Jesus called Peter and Andrew, He said, "Follow me, and I will make you fish for people" (Matthew 4:19). When He called Matthew, He simply said, "Follow me" (Matthew 9:9). Jesus did not give Matthew a twenty-year career plan. He gave him an invitation.
The priesthood begins with that invitation: "Follow me."
It continues with a response: "Here I am, Lord."
We should therefore be grateful for every priest. We should pray for priests who are tired. We should encourage priests who are discouraged. We should support priests who are struggling. We should correct priests when necessary, but we should never forget that they are our brothers in Christ. And when a priest fails, we should pray for healing.
Let every parish become a place where priesthood is respected.
Let every family become a place where vocation is discussed.
The Church needs priests because the world needs Jesus.
There are still people who need to hear the Gospel.
There are still people who need forgiveness.
There are still the lonely who need someone to listen.
There are still the sick who need consolation.
"Ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest" (Matthew 9:37-38).
-Satish Selvarance