The Priest’s Spiritual Work
The Priest’s Spiritual Work
It is required of the priest to offer spiritual teaching to people of varying spiritual stature and different levels. His duty is to satisfy everyone—both beginners and the mature.
The spiritual work of the priest includes teaching, confession, and guidance… In teaching, he must give the crowds what suits them. While speaking, he should observe the people’s response, so that he does not continue speaking while they are disengaged from him. He must not give them teachings above their level, for the Apostle said: “I fed you with milk, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it” (1 Cor 3:2).
And as he also said: “To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win the Jews… to those who are without law, as without law… that I might win those who are without law… I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some” (1 Cor 9:20).
The priest who works in the spiritual field must be knowledgeable in spiritual matters and in human souls.
He must know spiritual warfare, the attacks of the devils, and how to resist them all.
He must also know the spiritual virtues, the ways to practice them, how to grow in them, and the right-hand blows that may arise from some of them. He must have experience in the spiritual path.
He must be able to understand people—especially in confession and private sessions.
He must understand where the battle comes from, how it proceeds, how to treat it, and understand the psychology of the person before him.
He must also have knowledge of mental and psychological illnesses,
so that he can distinguish them if he finds signs of them—even mild ones—in confessors or in family problems.
He must be patient with those who confess.
Some advice requires time to implement, so he should not rush the confessor or become angry if he needs time to reach the required state.
He must distinguish such people from those who reject advice, reject the life of righteousness, are stubborn, or cling to their own opinions…
We will dedicate one or several topics, God willing, to the priest’s work in confession and his dealings with confessors.
Spiritual work also requires the priest to be an example—
the people should benefit from his life, not only from his knowledge.
And his spiritual work requires that he be a man of prayer…
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