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Being A Public Person
Recently I was invited to spend an evening with the priesthood candidates at Saint Francis
Seminary, talking about the priest as a public person. Although I obviously can't compress
an hour and a half of conversation into a few hundred words, this article does give me the
chance to think about the topic once more.
First, a priest is a public person in the sense that he is almost always recognizable by someone!
In a remote parish church in southern Mexico, I offered a sign of peace to a few tourists ... only
to have them greet me by name! They were members of the parish where I live and had been at my
Mass the prior weekend! Rule: Never go anywhere you don't want to be recognized as a priest
or seminarian.
Second, a priest is a public person in the sense that he is perceived as the spokesperson for
the Church. People understand whatever he may say or do as the action of the Church. They
can be deeply hurt for life by a casual flippant wisecrack or inspired forever by a simple genuine
gesture of compassion and kindness. Especially, moments of sorrow or grief are occasions for
lasting impact. Rule: Never say anything that would embarrass you if it were printed on the
front page of the paper.
Third, a priest is a public person in the sense that people expect him to practice what he
preaches, or at least to try anew each day. We all know our own weaknesses, and our constant
need to hear the Gospel we proclaim ... to preach to ourselves in that sense, but it's important
to be men who keep trying to be models for people of all ages. The Epistles to Timothy and
Titus contain some extraordinary bits of perennial wisdom in that regard. Rule: Don't ask anyone
else to do what you have no intention of doing!
The effort to make the inner reality and the outward expression two sides of the same coin is
what we call "integrity." Most folks, especially the young, can tell a phony who separates
the two spheres easily. That's where daily prayer becomes so very important in a person's
life, because a man's growth toward public stature and personal integrity takes a lifetime of
effort, one day at a time. People understand our humanity and forgive weakness and human error.
They want us to be men who stretch for the best of God's blessings and promises.
+ Richard J. Sklba
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