The Priest’s Concern for His Personal Life
The Priest’s Concern for His Personal Life [1]
It is required that the priest care for his personal life before caring for the ministry.
For Saint Paul the Apostle said to his disciple Timothy the bishop: “Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Tim. 4:16). Thus he advised him to care for himself and his salvation before caring for teaching and the salvation of those who hear him.
And it is not right that the priest, in his ministry, lose himself, for the Lord says: “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Matt. 16:26). Or as Saint Paul the Apostle said:
“I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” (1 Cor. 9:27).
To such a degree this great saint cared for the salvation of his own soul.
It is also required that the virtues the priest preaches, he must first practice in his private life before he teaches them, so that his words may be practical and from experience. And so that the saying does not apply to him: “Physician, heal yourself!” (Luke 4:23). And so that the Lord’s rebuke to the scribes and Pharisees does not apply to him, that they lay heavy burdens, hard to bear, on others, but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers (Matt. 23:4).
It is not right that the virtues the father-priest speaks about be for the people and not for himself!!
He should not be like a bookshelf that carries many books without reading any of them! Nor like road signs that direct people how to walk and where to go, while they themselves remain fixed in place! Nor like a bridge that transports people from one shore to another, while it remains unmoved…
It is required of the father-priest that he be a visual model for every virtue.
He must be the practical example of every fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22–23). People see him and learn from his life before learning from his sermons. He must be a sermon before he is a preacher…
Therefore it is not right that the priest forget himself in service, and his inner life dries up without him noticing—or even while he notices… Nor is it acceptable that under the excuse of service, his worship decreases. His activity may increase while his prayers decrease! His visits may increase while his meditations decrease! His services may multiply while his life dries up!
He must not convince himself that every action he performs is as though it were prayer! Or that his entire life is for God, in all his coming and going… while he is rebuked by the saying of that spiritual writer:
You spent your life serving the house of the Lord—so when will you serve the Lord of the house?!
Likewise, it is not right that he rely only on liturgical prayers… and neglect his personal prayers. Nor should he forget himself so that all his readings become for the sake of others, not for his own sake. His prayer also might become only for the sake of service and not a personal affection between him and God. Sadly, all his spiritual works may become directed toward people, while his personal salvation disappears!!
So what is the meaning that the priest is like a candle melting for others to give them light?!
It means he melts physically, not spiritually. That is, he sacrifices his health and comfort, not the soundness of his path and spirituality… He must not lose his spiritual life for the sake of others! For if he loses his spirituality, he also loses his ministry. And if he loses his spirit, the people will gain nothing from him, and he ends as a servant…
We say this because the priest may fall into mistakes because of the ministry.
He may lose his meekness when he commands with authority, forbids, rebukes, harshens, and becomes severe in discipline. And what benefit is there if he teaches people meekness while he is not meek?! Will they benefit then from his teaching? And sometimes the priest loses his humility amidst the signs of honor and reverence people show him, unless he counters this with true inner contrition of heart…
A priest must remember the spiritual rule:
Only he who is filled can overflow…
For this reason the apostle said: “Be filled with the Spirit” (Eph. 5:18). And it is not good for him to think that he was once filled in the past, and therefore was chosen as a priest, and that now his work is simply to overflow on others. No—the filling, for him, must be a continual work renewed every day… For the Scripture says: “Your youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (Ps. 103:5).
Filling is not only for the past. For Saint Peter the Apostle, after the Holy Spirit came upon him—with the other disciples—on the day of Pentecost, and after the miracle of healing the lame man at the Beautiful Gate with Saint John, when the chief priests and elders summoned them and asked them about this, the Scripture says: “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said…” (Acts 4:8).
Therefore the father-priest must dedicate for himself a time of solitude with God.
We do not mean a solitude in which he prepares for service, studying some sermons for example. But a solitude in which he enjoys sitting with God in prayer and meditation, in chanting, and in spiritual reading for his personal benefit, to grow deeper… far from the people physically, and if possible, mentally as well.
He must organize his schedule and escape for some time for his own life.
He must have a Garden of Gethsemane and a Mount of Olives.
He must hide himself there for some time, in order to receive, to renew his connection with God, and to sift himself with careful examination—perhaps the service has attached some mud to his wheat…
As a daily program: one of the most beautiful times a priest can be alone with God is early morning, when he says to the Lord: “O God, You are my God; early will I seek You; my soul thirsts for You…” (Ps. 63:1). Thus, before meeting anyone from the people, he first meets God—in love, in contrition of heart, and in seeking divine help to accompany him throughout the day.
Many saints fled from service, fearing that their life might be lost.
But if a person can combine both together—with special grace from God and the help of His Holy Spirit—it is very good. An example is Saint Paul the Apostle, who in his ministry labored more abundantly than all the apostles (1 Cor. 15:10). And in his spirituality he was caught up to the third heaven (2 Cor. 12:2–4).
[1] An article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, The Priest’s Concern for His Personal Life, Al-Keraza Magazine, 19/8/1994.For better translation support, please contact the center.
