A.M.D.G.
S. Oswaldi, Regis et Mart.
Commemoratio: In Vigilia S. Laurentii Martyris
et S. Romano, Martyre

Carissimi, 

A day off today in honour of the OSJV’s patronal yesterday and an opportunity to gather and summarise the thoughts of the last few days postings…

Day 1

• The invitation by Christ to the Apostles through the bishop, to share in His “cup of suffering” is extended to the priest at his ordination;
• The “cup of suffering” is an invitation to share in Christ’s suffering in a unique way to the Apostles and those who succeed them in their ministry;
• It is regrettable that so many think of the priesthood as the sole or ultimate expression of all the various ministries, rather than a particular vocation, a particular ministry;

Day 2

• The first duty of the priest is to pray; to walk with God, to become holy;
• The ministerial priesthood of the New Covenant is like to but replaces the Old Covenant ministerial priesthood and Christ’s atoning Sacrifice on the Cross replaces the high priesthood;
• The fruit of Christ’s redemption is eternal life, we are promised eternal life through the Eucharist;
• God works through His creation like “Emmanuel” to effect salvation, the ministerial priesthood of the New Covenant is necessary to effect our salvation manifesting in our reality the high priesthood of Christ to confect the Eucharist;

Day 3

• St John Vianney’s teaching conveys the incarnational aspect of the ministerial priesthood;
• We need to understand our true humanity to know how the ministerial priesthood can cooperate in Christ’s high priesthood;
• We are “body, soul and spirit”… St John Vianney’s spiritual direction demonstrates this in pastoral application;
• Confusion is prevalent in the Church today concerning the difference between “body, soul and spirit” considering the last two to be interchangeable or one and the same thing;
• Vocations are compromised both priestly and otherwise due to this confusion of “soul” for “spirit”.

To be continued…

Sancti Oswaldi, ora pro nobis