Holy Orders:
01-08

Order of Bishops

What exactly is a bishop in the Catholic Church?  A bishop is a man who through the Sacrament of Holy Orders becomes a modern day Apostle.  In the Catholic Church each bishop can trace his spiritual lineage (the bishop or bishops who ordain him to the episcopacy) all the way back to one of the original 11 Apostles, Mathias (who replaced Judas), or St. Paul who was made an apostle in a miraculous way.  Since I am a visual learner I like to think in the terms of images and the image that comes to my mind when speaking of apostolic succession is that of a bunch of extension cords.   If Christ is the source of power, the outlet in the wall, then there are 12 or 13(including St. Mathias) that come forth from Christ and reach out into history and time.  This is most evident in the line of St. Peter and the diocese of Rome.  We believe that the modern day successor of Peter is the pope.   Let us take a closer look at the role of bishops in the Church by examining what the Catechism of the Catholic Church refer to as the three offices, jobs, or responsibilities of the Bishop.  Bishops are supposed to teach, sanctify, and govern. 
 
Bishop as Teacher
888   Bishops, with priests as co-workers, have as their first task “to preach the Gospel of God to all men,” in keeping with the Lord’s command.⁴¹⁵ They are “heralds of faith, who draw new disciples to Christ; they are authentic teachers” of the apostolic faith “endowed with the authority of Christ.”⁴¹⁶ (2068)
 
As teachers of the faith it is important for bishops to teach only what the Church teaches.  We believe that God through Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition has revealed certain truths that are just as firm or as certain if not more so than the truth that 2+2=4.  The Bishop as teacher is responsible for making sure people see the full impact of the Mysteries of the Incarnation and the Resurrection. 
 
The teaching authority of the Church, all the bishops together in union with the pope in often referred to as the Magisterium of the Church.  Bishops do not tell us what they wish to be true but rather what is true.  The Magisterium is not out to limit our freedom but rather to give us true freedom by helping us find the right path in life in the same way that St. Paul guided the early Church through his preaching and letters. 
 
Bishop as Sanctifier
893   The bishop is “the steward of the grace of the supreme priesthood,”⁴²³ especially in the Eucharist which he offers personally or whose offering he assures through the priests, his co-workers. The Eucharist is the center of the life of the particular Church. The bishop and priests sanctify the Church by their prayer and work, by their ministry of the word and of the sacraments. They sanctify her by their example, “not as domineering over those in your charge but being examples to the flock.”⁴²⁴ Thus, “together with the flock entrusted to them, they may attain to eternal life.”⁴²⁵ (1561)
 
Bishops are supposed to act like the shepherds to the people under their care and thus they carry a crosier (shepherd’s staff) in the liturgy.  They lead flock closer to Christ by teaching them how to pray and to develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. 
 
Bishop as Governing  
886   “The individual bishops are the visible source and foundation of unity in their own particular Churches.”⁴⁰⁸ As such, they “exercise their pastoral office over the portion of the People of God assigned to them,”⁴⁰⁹ assisted by priests and deacons. But, as a member of the Episcopal college, each bishop shares in the concern for all the Churches.⁴¹⁰ The bishops exercise this care first “by ruling well their own Churches as portions of the universal Church,” and so contributing “to the welfare of the whole Mystical Body, which, from another point of view, is a corporate body of Churches.”⁴¹ They extend it especially to the poor,⁴¹² to those persecuted for the faith, as well as to missionaries who are working throughout the world. (1560, 833, 2448)
 
For a better understanding of this aspect of a bishop’s job description, I would like to turn to Christopher West’s book:
Good News About Sex and Marriage:  Answers to Your Honest Questions about Catholic Teaching for two quotes:
Quote 1:              Approaching the matter from a purely practical perspective, it only makes sense that Christ would establish a definitive authority on earth to make his will known.  Otherwise, interpreting Scripture and determining God’s will on issues with eternal consequences would amount to a guessing game.  A God given authority on earth is essential to maintain unity in faith. 
                 If Christ truly gave his authority to the Catholic Church, it’s not arrogant for her to exercise it.  If we’re honest, what’s arrogant is for us to think we know better than the Church what God’s will is in matter of faith and morals.
 
Quote 2:              In recent times, the term “hierarchy” has become a bad word.  Many seem to think it’s somehow synonymous with inequality.  But as we noted before, hierarchy simply means sacred order.
                To reject hierarchy, then, is not to reject inequality.  To reject hierarchy is to reject God’s ordering of the universe.  Not a good idea.  The opposite of hierarchy is not equality but anarchy—no order at all, chaos.
                Our world today is filled with Chaos, and it all stems from rejecting God-given authority.  To a large extent, what has been specifically rejected is God’s plan for sex and marriage.  It’s difficult to find even one social evil, one element of societal chaos, that is not in some way related to the breakdown of marriage and the misuse of sex.

1. Please pray for your parish priests and priests that you know on a regular basis. They are only able to do what they do by the grace of God and so pray for them that God will give them the grace that they need and that they will be open to receive the graces that God wishes to bestow upon them.

2. Remember that your parish priests are human beings who bring with them their own strengths and weaknesses. Do not expect perfection from them and realize that just because they are doing things in a way that you would not. This does not mean it is wrong but just different.

3. Do not compare priests with other priests. It just is not fair. While one priest may be a great outgoing extrovert another priest may be a great introvert. Just because they do not do things the same that does not mean one of them loves their parishioners more or less than the other one.

4. Remember that there are some things that are just beyond your parish priest’s control. The diocese or the bishop may have certain policies that he must follow as he leads the parish and sometimes his actions are restricted as he tries to protect the confidentiality of those who have come to him.

5. Take the time to volunteer and when you do volunteer do whatever it is to the best of your ability. Realize that if your works seems to go unnoticed that it could be because you are doing such a great job that the parish priest has complete trust in you and has moved on to address another problem in the parish.

6. Be kind to the lay leaders of the parish (whether they are the parish staff or other dedicated volunteers). The parish priest cannot be everywhere and therefore must rely on these people to lead in their areas.

7. Remember that everyone needs time away in order to be his best and so do not hold it against the priests if he takes some time off for vacation, retreat, or to simply pay golf.

8. Make sure to spend some time pointing out the things that you like about his ministry. We all love to hear positive comments and sadly it often takes 10 positive comments to counteract 1 negative comment.

9. Invite your parish priest to be a part of some family events like first communion parties, graduation parties, family dinner but also understand that he may have to say “no” because of his schedule or own personal comfort level. It is always nice to be invited even if one cannot attend the event.

10. Understand that deep in his heart the parish priest really does want what is best for the people of his parish. So anytime you might disagree with him realize that it is not personal.

The following is an article I wrote for The Priest Magazine
Priest As Innkeeper
By Fr. Thomas M. Pastorius

Even as a child, I was of reading the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37).   As I grew older, entered the seminary, and learned how to pray with the Sacred Scripture, this would be a passage that I would turn to often.  Being a person who was verbally abused by my father and bullied in school, it was easy for me to sympathize with the man who was beat up by the robbers on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho.  I also saw the actions of the Good Samaritan as being very heroic, caring for someone who would probably if he was not in need would not care about him.  Just as the story was a challenge for the listeners of Jesus to a high moral standard, I felt that same challenge deep in my heart and so often I would ask myself “what would the good Samaritan do?”    Toward the end of my college seminary years, I heard a talk on a retreat that challenged me to see Christ himself as the Good Samaritan and the man beaten up by robbers as fallen humanity. 
 
In all my studies, prayers and reflections on the story of the Good Samaritan, I never payed much attention to the character of the inn-keeper.   I recently read Fr. John Bartunek, LC, ThD commentary on the Good Samaritan from his book: The Better Part: A Christ-Centered Resource for Personal Prayer:

Christ is the Good Samaritan, the merciful Lord who heals and restores us with the balm of the sacraments, who pays for our salvation with the boundless riches of his grace, poured out generously on Calvary’s cross and entrusted to the innkeeper of the Church, who watches over our convalescence until he comes again.[1]

Fr. Bartunek’s insight of declaring the “innkeeper” to be a symbol of the Church touched my heart and made me ponder the ways in which I as a Catholic priest should see myself in this almost forgotten character of the Good Samaritan story.  I would like, therefore, to share with you my thoughts and spiritual insights into the idea of priest as innkeeper. 
 
The first thing that sticks out in my mind is the realization that if I am the innkeeper in the story, I cannot ,therefore, be the Good Samaritan.  In other words, I am not the savior Jesus Christ is.  My job is not to save the people that Christ brings to me, but rather through the grace that Jesus gives me is to help them heal from their wounds. 
 
The second fact that jumps out to me is that I do not get to decide who Jesus drops off at my doorstep for me to minister to.  The man in the story is beaten, stripped, and half dead.  He was in such bad shape that two other people passed by him instead of helping the man.  It is important for priest to minister to the people that come our way and that our in our congregation now.  We should avoid waiting for the perfect congregation or moment before we begin ministering and giving our all.
 
The third insight that comes to me is the realization that the Good Samaritan will be coming back and the innkeeper will have to make an account of his efforts to heal the wounded man and so as a priest, I will have to make an account of how I have ministered to the people that the Lord has left in my care. 
 
As I pray and ponder the idea of the innkeeper the more I realize that at some point the innkeeper probably had to make healing the man who was given to him by the Good Samaritan a priority that overcame his everyday work of being an innkeeper.  I am not sure what inns were like in the time of Christ, but I think it is safe to say that being an innkeeper was considered a pretty fulltime job.   In much the same way a parent must decide to put aside his or her work in order to take care of a sick child so the innkeeper had to not only make time in his busy schedule for the wounded man but he had to make the wounded man a priority by making his schedule around the wounded man’s needs but also by allowing the wounded man to interrupt his schedule.  With this in mind, it is important for priests to have a positive attitude when the need to make  hospital visits and other unplanned things interrupt our normal plan schedule.  Surprisingly the most healing thing we can do is to let people know that they are more important than our schedules.    
 
Jesus’ parable does not go into whether or not the wounded man was a good patient or not for the innkeeper but I would have to think not.  I am sure there were times where the wounded man wanted to be more independent and thus rebelled against the therapy he was being given and there were times that the man probably wanted to give up because of the emotional trauma of having been a victim and then ignored by the two men on the road.  He also probably had to reconcile with the fact that the person who helped him was a Samaritan.  I know in my own life there were times in which I wish God would move faster so that I could once again claim my independence.  I also know that the emotional wounds of being rejected by those who were supposed to care for me were more painful than the physical wounds that I have received in this life.  The priest, like the innkeeper, must take time to help with the grace of Christ heal the whole person and not just the person’s physical wounds.
 
Continuing with the reflection, at the end of the story we hear  Luke tell us that the  Good Samaritan: "On the next day he took out two^]denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.’” (Luke 35).   This line sticks out to me for two reasons.  The first is that all I have to give to the wounded man, I have received from Christ.  The innkeeper received the “two-denarii” before he has to care for the man.  I can never claim to not have the resources to love and care for my wounded brother because Christ has given me everything I need. 
 
Finally, connecting the idea of payment with that of Christ’s cross, I realized that my payment for all that I have done, am doing, and will be doing as a priest have already been given me by my savior.  I cannot spend more on the well care of the people whom Jesus entrusts to me as a priest because Jesus has paid all our debts through the wonderful graces He lets flow from His heart on the Cross.  There can be no greater payment than the gift of eternal life and salvation.
 
Knowing as St. Augustine said:  “The Church is a Hospital for Sinners not a hotel for saints,” we priests play an important role in our ministry as we help the Church perform her tasks as innkeeper in the light of the Good Samaritan story.   Let us therefore ask God for the grace to love each individual that He invites us to take care of, may we work in such a way that shows that we know one day our Lord will return and ask an account of our ministry, and finally let us realize that the wounded people in our midst are more important than our schedules and the business of the day. 

The Manifestation of the Seven Deadly Sins in the Priesthood
By Fr. Thomas M. Pastorius

About two years ago, I was made pastor of a small parish in South St. Louis City.  The actual parish Church is a beautiful Romanesque building “that looks like a church” with a large stained glass rose window in the back above the choir loft.  The window from the outside of the Church is quite stunning and has sort of become a symbol for the parish.
Shortly after I had arrived at the parish, it was discovered that the Rose Window was in major needs of repair for much of the wood framing that was holding it together had rotted away.   My maintenance man was able to put his hand into the Church through one of the gaps.  The cost of repairing the window and placing a new protective storm window over it was $18,000 and this was not in our budget.  I began to plan out with the parish council a series of fundraisers to help pay for the cost to repair the window. 
                The first Sunday in October, I preached at all the Masses and as a part of my homily, I invited the parishioners to take home a mini-M&M container as a sign of my gratitude.  Each M&M container was labeled as following - “Heaven is resting in the beauty of God’s presence!” – Fr. Barron.  Please help us restore the beauty of Epiphany Church by returning this M&M container w/ a donation towards the repair of our Rose Window.
                As I preached that weekend and handed out the M&M containers, I felt that this particular fundraiser would be successful if we collected around $4,000 and this would be a start toward our ultimate goal of $18,000.  Amazingly and through God’s grace, in a little over three weeks, the parish had collected the full $18,000.  I was impressed, humbled, and grateful for the generosity of the people of Epiphany. 
                Later, I was telling a brother priest about the amazing generosity of the people of Epiphany but instead of congratulating me, he went on to talk about how much money his parish brought in their capital campaign making my little $18,000 dollars seem small and insignificant.  I remember walking away thinking two things, why compare apples and oranges (there is a difference between an organized capital campaign and a fundraiser like handing out mini-M&M containers), and secondly, I was upset that my brother priest could not simply be happy with my success.  After all, I was the new pastor who had just overcome his first great challenge through the grace of God. 
                I was reminded that part of what makes the Seven Deadly Sins so deadly is that they distort our reality.  They can prevent us from living in the real world and I know that there are times that I can find myself allowing the seven deadly sins to distort my reality also.  The following is a reflection on how the seven deadly sins can distort the reality of the priesthood if we are not careful.
 
1.            Pride
Pride is the greatest of the seven deadly sins because it distorts our reality the most.  Pride, for example, places oneself as the center of the universe instead of God.  Instead of living in the truth that God created the world so that we may come to know, love, and serve Him, pride tricks us into living in the delusion that it is more important to get others to know, love and serve us.  In the priesthood, pride can take on the dangerous form that we call a “messiah complex.”  We can begin to feel that everything depends on us, that we have a monopoly on the truth, and that God should be grateful that we are doing His will. 
                Humility is the virtue that is the most opposite of pride.  While practicing the virtue of humility we remind ourselves that God is the center of the universe, and that we should be grateful that God invites us to be His co-workers.  Humility, ultimately, reminds us to seek God’s will above our own for He truly knows what we and the world needs.
 
2.            Envy
The second of the seven deadly sins is envy and envy is so deadly because it can prevent us from seeing others as brothers and sisters in Christ.  Instead of seeing others as brothers and sisters in Christ, we see others as competition for God’s love.  Envy is a hard sin to avoid because our world is so competitive today.  We find competition on the sports fields, in the classrooms, and definitely in the business world. 
In the priesthood, envy can manifests itself in being jealous over someone else’s successes, assignments or advancements.   Many times priests express envy through passive aggressive ways by downplaying a priest’s new assignment – “who did you bribe to get such a great assignment” or “you are so lucky the bishop likes you.” 
                I find gratitude with a good strong dose of humility counteracts the illusions of envy.  For example, I have found praying the Litany of Humility by Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val helpful especially the last invocation: “that others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should…”  This challenges me not to turn holiness into a competition and to simply rejoice that God’s love is not conditional.  Gratitude reminds me of the many blessings that God has given me.  God’s love is always unconditional and does not decrease but rather grows when shared. 
 
3.            Wrath
Some people use the word “anger” when talking about the next of the seven deadly sins, but I find it more helpful to use the word “wrath” (which I define as out of control anger).  I have found it helpful to think of all feelings as neutral and, thus, I believe it is more appropriate to use the word “wrath”. 
                When we are committing the sin of wrath; we literally become blind by rage and we think the best way of handling things is to force people to do things our way instead of living out the 8 Beatitudes and the rest of the Sermon on the Mount. 
                When blinded by our desire for revenge we forget Jesus’ teaching of forgiveness and turning the other cheek and all we want to do is harm the person that harmed us.  Wrath manifests itself mostly, I believe, in the priesthood when we overreact to our parishioners.  I think it is important to remember that most psychologists point out that most relationship problems happen not because of ill-will or maliciousness, but rather through neglect or thoughtlessness.  The person simply did not know any better.  
                The virtue that counteracts wrath is forgiveness.  When I give the other person the benefit of the doubt, I release a lot of negative energy and when I forgive, I can rejoice with the saints and angels in heaven. 
 
4.            Sloth
The next of the seven deadly sins is sloth.  Fr. Henri Nouwen in his book Reaching Out: Three Movements in the Spiritual Life, wrote about the greatest problem in the world today is the illusion of immortality.  He wrote about how you can go to anyone and ask them if they thought they were going to live forever  and they would all tell you “no” but most of us live lives as if we are unaware that we not promised to tomorrow.  Sloth manifests itself in the priesthood first as lack of prayer in our daily lives.  
                The virtue of zeal can counteract the vice of sloth.  By working with a sense of careful urgency, I can counteract souls.  The best way for me to develop zeal in my life is to remind myself that my priesthood is about saving individuals and leading them to heaven more than it is about defending dogmas.  When I think about how God has used me to bring others to Him, I want to be at my best so that He can use me again.
 
5.            Greed
Greed is the next of the seven deadly sins and I find that it manifests itself mostly in the temptation to create a comfortable lifestyle by depending on material things instead of God.  Benedict XVI said “The world promises you comfort, but you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness.”
                The virtue that goes against greed is charity.  When I keep myself grounded in the truth that there are others in the world less fortunate than I, I discover that I cannot help but want to give of myself to help make their lives better. 
 
6.            Gluttony
Growing up, I used to think of gluttony as simply over eating.  I now see gluttony as turning to food, drink, drugs, etc., instead of facing the real issues of life.  I know that part of the reason that I am overweight is because when I was younger I would turn to food to satisfy my emotional needs that were caused by having a verbally abusive father.  I have seen brother priests turn to alcohol and drugs to cover up emotional pain instead of facing it with a counselor or spiritual director.
The virtue that overcomes gluttony is temperance or moderation but I also feel that to really get a handle of gluttony one must have courage to face one’s issues and one must develop a trust in God’s love as he faces things about himself and his past that he does not like. 
 
7.            Lust.
Lust in many ways is the least of the seven deadly sins because it distorts reality the least.  Perhaps because it is the smallest of distortions it can be the one we commit the most or have the greatest consequences.  In order to combat lust and to develop the virtue of charity in my life, I try to remember two things.  The first is that John Paul II defined the opposite of love as not hate but rather objectification.  If true love is really wanting what is best for the other person even if it requires a sacrifice on my part then the opposite of that is using another person for my own pleasure and desire even if it hurts them.  The second thing I remember is that chastity is more about saying “yes” to the bright future God has given me then about saying “no” to momentary pleasure.  I love my priesthood too much to risk it. 
I pray that my reflections on the seven deadly sins and how they may manifest themselves in the priesthood, will keep you living in the reality of God’s love.

The Institute for Priestly Formation has articulated five essential identities of Jesus and thus five essential benchmark identities of the diocesan priest.  It is my hope that these descriptions and my personal reflections will help young men discern whether or not God is calling them to the priesthood.
 
Beloved Son
 
Scripture: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:11)
 
Personal Reflection:   One of the great things about my time in the seminary was that I truly learned how to pray.  I wish I could say it was a certain class that I took but it wasn’t.  It was actually a lot of trial and error with a lot of guidance from trusted priest mentors and talks with my peers.   In the midst of learning how to pray, I began to understand how much God loves me and that His love is totally unconditional.  Instead of being swayed by popular opinion, I am a now rooted in the knowledge that I am a beloved son of God through my baptism.    
 
My relationship with God has improved greatly.  God went from some impersonal being to a loving Father.  I feel like I can tell God all that is going on in my life and I know that He is not only listening but caring also.  There are times in my life when I feel like everything is going great and there are times in which things are not so good but through it all my Heavenly Father is with me. 
 
Questions to Ponder: 
1.            Do you want a deeper relationship with God?
2.            Do you desire to pray better and more?
3.            Do you wish to be rooted in God’s unconditional love or seek popularity?
4.            Do you desire to be a better son of God?
5.            Are you willing to make prayer a priority?
 
Chaste Spouse
 
:  “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.” (Matthew 9:15)
 
Personal Reflection:  Many people wonder how any man can live a chaste life.  I find strength to live a chaste life from John Paul II’s Theology of the Body where he states that the “opposite of love is not hate but rather objectification.”  If love is wanting what is best for the other person even if it requires a sacrifice on my part then the opposite of that is using another person to get what I want even if it hurts them.  This is what is meant by objectification.  I have a deep desire in my life to be that heroic man who chooses not to hurt anyone.  I also believe that two adults cannot have sexual intercourse outside of marriage (even if they are consenting) without hurting one another.   
 
I am not a bachelor either.  I see myself committed to the Church in a similar way a husband and wife are bound together in the Sacrament of Marriage.  This means that I have a purpose in my life and that purpose is to lay down my life in service of the Church and her members as a spouse organizes and orients everything of his or her life for the good of their family.
 
Questions to Ponder?
1.            Do you desire to respect others? 
2.            Are you willing to be heroic and to make sacrifices for others?
3.            Do you respect the sacrament of marriage and holy orders?
4.            Do you interact well with others?  Would you like to learn more skills in this area?
5.            Are you a person of integrity?
 
Spiritual Father

Scripture:   “Have I been with you for so long a time and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (John 14:9)

Personal Reflection: As a “father” I have an opportunity to love people in a special way.  As a priest, I enter into people’s lives at very special moments (births/deaths/weddings) and in very mundane moments.  I am always there to act as a father encouraging them to do better, comforting them when things are not going well for them, and to always let them know that God loves them unconditionally. 
 
Questions to Ponder?
1.            Do you like people?
2.            Do you want to make other people’s lives better?
3.            Are you willing to be present to people in both joyous and difficult times?
4.            Are you willing to talk about God and the Church’s teachings?
5.            Can you see yourself being happy spending your life in service of others?
 
Spiritual Physician
 
Scripture Passage: “When it was evening, after sunset, they brought to him all who were ill or possessed by demons. The whole town was gathered at the door. He cured many who were sick with various diseases, and he drove out many demons, not permitting them to speak because they knew him.” (Mark 1:32-34)
 
Personal Reflection:  As a priest, I do not live a life far from other people’s suffering.  In fact, like a doctor or medic, I get involved to help bring healing.  It is an amazing gift to be able to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the Anointing of the Sick but it is also a gift to be able to help people through pastoral counseling and simply praying with them. 
 
Questions to Ponder:
1.            Do you wish to help bring people closer to God?
2.            Can you listen well?
3.            Are you willing to talk about God and pray with others?
4.            Can you keep a secret (i.e. Sacrament of Reconciliation)?
5.            Have you had an experience in which someone helped you find healing or forgiveness and now you wish to pay it forward?
 
Good Shepherd
 
Scripture Passage:  “I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)
 
Personal Reflection: When I think about being a good shepherd, I think of my role as a leader in a community.  It is my job to help remind members of the Church that God’s way is the best, that they are gifted and have talents to share with the greater community and that love God and neighbor is the most important thing always. 
 
Questions to Ponder:
1.            Am I willing to stand up for the truth?
2.            Am I willing to work with others?
3.            Am I willing to ask for help?
4.            Am I a self-starter?
5.            Do I want to build up the kingdom of God?
 
Final Reflection:
I know that I do not fulfill any of these images of the priesthood completely.  God though does often choose the weak so that his glory could be made more manifest.  Take time to read the stories of Moses, Gideon, and the Apostles for more about this.  The seminary is a great place to discern one’s vocation.  The Church is no more interested in you becoming a priest if it is not your calling then you would be.  The Church like God desires you to be happy no matter what vocation God is calling you to.   Take some time now to talk to your vocation director or attend a “Come and See” weekend.