The Priest’s Concern for Caring for Himself More Than for His Flock

His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains the verse from Ezekiel 34: “The shepherds fed themselves and did not feed the flock.” God condemns those shepherds who focus on their own comfort and gain instead of caring for His people.

The danger of self-centered shepherding

Some priests, he says, care more for their own needs — financial, social, or domestic — than for their flock. Others seek rest, authority, or personal advancement, forgetting that God Himself will care for those who serve faithfully.

Signs of selfish ministry

• Seeking wealth under the pretext of family security.

• Avoiding effort in visiting, teaching, or preaching.

• Desiring power and control within the church.

• Moving to richer parishes for personal benefit.

True shepherding is self-sacrifice

The real shepherd does not care for himself but gives himself for his flock, as Christ said: “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
Examples:

• Moses pleaded for his people, saying, “Blot me out of Your book if You will not forgive them.”

• St. Paul said, “I could wish myself accursed for my brethren.”

• David vowed not to rest until he found a dwelling place for the Lord among His people.

Ministry through prayer and sacrifice

The faithful priest carries his people in prayer, remembering them by name, praying earnestly for the sick and the lost. He even fasts for others, not for his own sake.

Humility and forgetting oneself

The Pope urges clergy to forget themselves and think of others, for “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.”

Practical wisdom

Everything a priest receives — car, computer, or money — must be used wisely for ministry, not for luxury. The priest’s life belongs to God, and his service must reflect that.

He concludes that the true shepherd is the one who prefers the comfort and salvation of others to his own, following the example of Christ, the Good Shepherd.

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