The priest is a man of prayer

11 December 19950 Comments

The priest is not only a liturgical servant or pastoral worker; he is a man of prayer — a mediator between God and people — who must pray continually for both himself and the people, and do so seriously.

Key practical and spiritual points:

The priest should have a strong spiritual memory: remember names of those in need and place them on the altar or mention them in the secret prayers and the Divine Liturgy (the sick, the departed, travelers…).
Prayer must be from the depth of the heart — not a mere formal duty — especially prayers like the Midnight Office and the private prayers within the Liturgy.
The priest should pray fervently for seemingly intractable matters because “everything is possible with God.” Biblical examples include Abraham and Moses.
The priest should pray before every meeting and every sermon, during house and sick visits, and should not excuse himself from prayer because of being “busy.”
The priest must not forget family prayers; he should pray with and for his wife and children so they feel he prays for them.
Service prayers: pray for all branches of ministry (Sunday schools, youth meetings, subdeacons, library, club, social service, poor) — not only for material needs but for their spiritual life.
Hymns and liturgical melodies are important: the Coptic (abtī) melodies and liturgical tunes have spiritual depth that affect hearts; avoid mixing that causes loss of spiritual impact.
Watch the speed of prayers/readings: excessive speed from rote memorization reduces understanding and depth. Encourage “pray with understanding, with depth.”
Encourage learning the Psalmody (tasbih): if a priest cannot chant the whole tasbih at once, he should learn it progressively over the week.
When services are in translation (e.g., English), the melody should be adapted to the translation so the spiritual/musical effect is preserved rather than lost by awkward mixing.
Liturgical prayers must respect the spirituality of the rite (what is said, how it’s said, and at what pace), so the faithful can receive it deeply.
Practical conclusion: make prayer the priority of the priest’s ministry and cultivate sincere, serious, and deep prayer that impacts people.