Papa Benedict XVI on June 15, 2008:
"...in order to ensure 'your faith is always strong and vigorous, it is important, as you well know, to nourish it with assiduous prayer. Be, then, models of prayer, become masters of prayer. The moment of prayer is the most important moment in a priest's life, the moment in which divine grace acts most effectively, making his ministry fruitful. Prayer is the first service to be offered to the community.'"
That final line strikes me as quite important for us American priests. While we share in the priestly, prophetic, and kingly ministry and character of Christ, the kingly is only appropriately utilized if the priestly role is first understood. In other words, bingo fundraisers and attention to legal briefs are important and necessary but are all done in vain if the priest is not first a man of prayer.
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