Traditionally Catholics have had great respect and even awe for all who have committed themselves to the Religious life. There are three reasons for this: these men and women have been called by God to do an extraordinary work - the work of Divine love - and God empowers and enlightens them with His Holy Spirit to accomplish it; they have chosen a way of life that is known to nurture a much more intense and intimate relationship with God and the spiritual realities they deal with on a daily basis affect everyone and everything, for time and for eternity.
Catholics also greatly love those who have taken on the Religious. Haven't they, for the love of Jesus, given themselves, body and soul, to Him for His good purposes? They have chosen to set aside the things of the world (those priorities that people think are most precious - independence, the right to marry and have children, choosing a secular profession, etc) so as to allow God to use them to guide, comfort and encourage the people of God - you and me.
Francis always had the greatest love and respect for the Religious - especially for priests who also were teachers of God's Word. This was true despite there being wide spread spiritual and moral corruption in the Church hierarchy at the time. Francis knew there were priests who failed God by living in sin and put their selfish interests above the interests of the children of God. However, despite his personal experiences with these types of shady Religious characters, Francis continued, throughout his life, to have the greatest love and respect for the clergy.
How Francis felt about the clergy was made clear in how he interacted with them: Francis never did anything without checking with the clergy first and getting their permission, guidance and blessing. Over and over again we hear him affirming his confidence in the Church and those who led it, submitting to the will of Pope, Bishop and priest in everything he did and said.
Francis' confidence was based on the fact that he trusted God's providence in both guiding ( means of blessing and punishing) those God put over him in authority. The authority and power they had, of course, came from God, came from God's own Word - which Francis believed in with all of his heart. He knew God would not only guide those with religious authority over him in the right way but protect him from any Religious who wished to do him and his brothers harm.
Francis said: "And all the theologians and persons who administer the most holy words of God, we must honor and respect as people who minister spirit and life to us."
Francis makes it clear that those who follow him 'must honor and respect' the teachers of God's Word, which were, in general the priests. The main reason Francis had for such great respect was that the Word of God not only made priests holy but gave them the power to bring Almighty God down from heaven, appear in the form of a piece of bread and allow men to become one with God, in body and soul, during Communion - such a great and profound miracle! He once said that if a saint from heaven should appear before him at the same time as a lowly priest, he would excuse himself to the saint and kiss first the hands of the priest because only the hands of the priest literally handled Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in the Holy Eucharist and that made the priest much more worthy of reverence.
Francis taught that the only thing more important than the Word of God was knowing and loving God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). He believed the Word of God is an extension of God Himself since His Word is an expression of His own mind and heart. St. John said "In the beginning was the Word; the Word was with God and the Word was God . . . (through it) He gave power to men to become children of God . . . The word became flesh, He lived among us . . ." Jesus was the Word - that power that brings people to God - that was God.
What makes God's Word so special when compared to men's word, other than the fact that it comes from God Himself? When God spoke, used Words, at the beginning of time . . . everything came into existence! Also, whatever God says . . . happens as He wills! In fact, the only thing that is not necessarily subject to His will (because it is His will that it not be!) is the 'free will' He gave to human beings. Thus God's word actually makes things happen - change the universe and have power to change lives.
St. Paul says something very interesting, "The Word of God is something alive and active." Most of us have Bibles and they don't seem very 'lively'- they don't do anything except sit on our shelf! But, of course, the Word of God is more than just ink on paper! St. Paul makes it clear that the 'Word of God' is more than just words written in a book, no matter how holy the book is, but is something, apart from a book of ink and paper, that is actually living and doing things in the world!
Words exists so that we can communicate with each other and yet, even though Jesus and His listeners spoke the same language, His listeners often had a hard time understanding Him. Jesus said to the pharisees "Why do you not understand what I say? Because you cannot understand My words." He also often said to the people, "You have ears but cannot hear." To hear God's words , which are spiritual , we must have 'spiritual' ears. St. Paul said "The natural person has no room for the gifts of God's Spirit; to him they are foolishness; he cannot recognize them, because their value can be assessed only in the Spirit." A person who listens with his natural ears but doesn't also have spiritual ears will never understand, with His heart, what Jesus (and His messengers) are saying.
Francis was quoting Jesus when he said teachers of the Word " . . . minister spirit and life to us". Jesus said, "It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh has nothing to offer. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life." What is this 'flesh that has nothing to offer'' ? It is that which is 'of this world', that which is related to the body, is material and therefore temporal. He also said "A man's life doesn't consist of the THINGS he possesses." Jesus was saying that our carnal (physical) existence 'has nothing to offer' - leads to nothing, since our body (flesh) ends up turning to dust like everything else in this world and because worldly THINGS can't meet our deepest (spiritual) desires anyway, we should not pour our lives into trying to get them. Jesus said, "I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly!" Listening and believing in Jesus' words, which are spirit, give you what is most important: life - abundant and eternal.
Francis treasured the Gospel - the Word of God - because, as St. Paul said, "It is the power of God that saves everyone who trusts in God's goodness and mercy". St. Paul explains that it saves because "It reveals the saving justice of God - a justice based on faith and addressed to faith." God reveals through it that, though we are sinners deserving of death and hell, He can and will make us righteous (make us worthy of life and heaven) if we believe. This gift of salvation is offered only to those who have 'faith' - confidence in Him and His mercy.
St. Paul pointed out that Abraham, 'the father of our faith' was saved because He had this faith. He said Abraham "counting on the promise of God, did not doubt or disbelieve, but drew strength from faith and gave glory to God, fully convinced that whatever God promised He has the power to perform."
Abraham and all believers rely on God's plan for salvation. It was necessary that a perfect person (one without sin and therefore one who did not have to die for his own sin) be sacrificed to save those who were spiritually dead (separated from God by sin - rebellion against God). Christ, by dying for our sins, delivered humanity from dying since he died in our place.
Those given new life, 'born again' as children of God, could now clearly understand God's Words since they were now 'alive in the spirit' and had spiritual ears to hear. St. Paul explained that "Those who are living by their natural inclinations have their minds on the things human nature desires; those who live in the Spirit have their minds on spiritual things. And human nature has nothing to look forward to but death, while the Spirit looks forward to life and peace." The 'natural' man focuses on natural things while the spiritually reborn man focuses on spiritual things.
But how can simple words - both God's in His promises and our own in our response to His offer -have such a powerful and eternal effect on us? The prophet Isaiah said (and St. Paul interpreted) "'the word is very near to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart', that is, the word of faith, the faith which we preach, that if you declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and if you believe with your heart that God raised him from the dead, then you will be saved . . . His generosity is offered to all who appeal to Him, for all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved." Unbelievers find it strange that Christians rely solely on the promises of God to 'earn' salvation. St. Paul explained that "The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are on the way to ruin, but for those of us who are on the road to salvation it is the power of God" to save.
PRAYER: Help us Lord, in this 'year of the priest' to truly appreciate and show loving respect for all Your priests who faithfully serve at Your altar, offering us the 'Word made flesh' - Christ Jesus, our salvation. We are so grateful for them. We also thank You for Your Word, found in the Bible, and pray that it come alive in our hearts and lives and in the hearts and lives of our priests, powerfully transforming us all into Your own dear children. Help us to take the Bible off the shelf and to open our hearts to You in it so that You can recreate us in Your image - the glorious image of Christ - and so that we can know and do all those things that please You. You are so kind, so generous, to give us Yourself in Your Word, and we pray for grace to truly hear and see You in it. Thank You Lord for this invaluable gift and all of the others gifts You give us each day. You are most wonderful and good! Alleluia!
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