FR OLIVER BRENNAN - THE PASTORAL ROLE OF THE PRIEST

THE PASTORAL ROLE OF THE PRIEST

The Church has existed for almost 2000 years. Over this period of time it has become a highly structured, complex organisation. It has its Office-holders (Pope, Bishops, Priests, Deacons), its Worship (Mass, Sacraments, Rituals, Blessings), Holy things (Oil, Water, Ashes, Palms), Holy times (Sundays, Feast-days, Fast days, Advent, Lent), Holy places (Basilicas, Cathedrals, Churches, Shrines), Teachings (Creeds, Dogmas, Doctrines, Catechisms), Discipline (Commandments, Rules, Regulations, Rubrics), Bureaucratic Element at every level (Vatican, National, Diocesan, Parish). The Church is such a complex organisation today that we can easily forget what really matters and what is at the heart of it all. Despite all the complicated structures and organisations the Church is in one sense something very simple. Basically it is about people - the People of God scattered throughout the world - women and men whose lives are different because of their knowledge and experience of Jesus Christ, who associated with others who have the same experience and relationship, and who avail of all the means which help them to be His disciples 2000 years after His life, death and resurrection.

Pastoral ministry has its origin and purpose in Jesus Christ. There are many proposals regarding Jesus' self-understanding of His ministry but there is complete agreement that the "Reign of God" is the central symbol. Jesus came to establish the reign of God on this earth; in other words, his mission was to create a new world order where love, justice and peace would reign. He came that people might have life and have it to the full (St John).

Jesus broke bread with his apostles and others in table-fellowship and then went out to the highways and byways, cities, towns, and villages where He ministered to the needs of all people, especially those who were most excluded in the society of that time. The whole of Jesus' life and ministry was drawn together and summed up at the Last Supper, where He re-interpreted the meaning of the Passover Meal and gave this symbolic ritual a radically new significance. He took bread, blessed it, broke it, and shared it among His closest followers saying: this is My body, which has been broken for you. In the same way, he took a cup of wine, blessed it and shared it saying: this is My blood, which is being poured out for you. Jesus lived a life of total self-giving love, which was encapsulated at the Last Supper.

The pastoral ministry of the ordained priest is rooted in the life and ministry of Jesus and is consequently rooted in the Eucharist. The priest breaks the Bread of Life for the People of God at each celebration of the Eucharist and then goes out to the "highways and byways" to minister to their needs - spiritual and human. Pastoral care is really living out each day the meaning of the Eucharist, the self-giving love of Jesus, which we celebrate in each Eucharist.

The pastoral role of the priest has many and varied dimensions and there is no area of human life that it does not touch. In our contemporary culture people experience a great need to be listened to, and heard. I spend many hours each week in one-to-one encounters, hearing people's stories of brokenness and just being there for them with an empathetic presence. This type of pastoral work is very rewarding, as people nearly always walk away feeling different and with a load lifted off their shoulders.
The pastoral care of the sick is particularly dear to every priest. This entails visiting the homes of those who are housebound and also the various hospitals in the catchment area of the parish. The priest sits by the bedside speaking, listening and praying for and with the person who is ill. The Book of Ecclesiastes tells us that there is "a time to speak and a time to be silent" (3:7). When the priest visits a nursing home for the elderly his ministry very often is one of silent presence, as many of the patients can no longer speak; they have reached the time to be silent.

One of the greatest moments of pain for any human being occurs at the time of the death of a loved one. This is a particularly sensitive pastoral moment. Except in the case of sudden death, the priest is present with the family, praying with them and comforting them as their loved one passes from this life to the next. During the days following the death he is present to the family whether at home or at the funeral parlour and also spends time with the bereaved preparing the funeral liturgy. During the days and weeks following the burial the priest tries to be comforting presence by visiting, and spending time with, the bereaved.

There is another time of grief which increasing numbers of men and women experience in our time, that is, when a marriage ends either through separation or divorce. This requires deeply sensitive pastoral care and empathy on the part of the priest. Many who enter second relationships want to continue to be part of the church and to practice their faith and it is the priest in his pastoral role that assures them of Christ's compassionate love and understanding. However, troubled marriages do not always end in separation. Very often the priest exercises his pastoral role with a couple that are experiencing difficulty in their marriage. Indeed, it is one of the great moments of joy in pastoral ministry when these difficulties are revolved and pain is healed.

So, it is not all sadness! There are many occasions in the pastoral life of the priest when he shares in the deep joy that people experience. He spends many hours with young couples in preparation for the celebration of the Sacrament of Marriage, discussing the meaning of Christian marriage and choosing appropriate readings, prayers and blessings that are most meaningful for the couple involved.

Preparation for the sacrament of baptism is another very joyful pastoral experience. The priest, either on his own, or through delegating to a parish baptism team, prepares the new parents for the celebration of the sacrament. Like a wedding, the meal which follows is always a great experience of community and is also reminiscent of the Eucharist as all "break bread" together.

The priest continues to offer pastoral care to each family but this becomes more Focused as children approach First Confession, Fist Holy Communion and later the Sacrament of Confirmation. These are all very important occasions in the lives of each family. The priest visits each home, organises Parent Meetings in which he helps the parents understand the religious significance of the particular Sacrament and hosts a light reception in the Parish Centre following the celebration of the Sacrament.

There are three primary agents of religious formation: the home, the school and the parish. A very important aspect of the priest's pastoral role entails visitation of each class in the parish primary school. His role here is not to be a teacher, but a pastor. He supports the teachers in their work of religious education, makes himself available for prayer services and class Masses and works to create a strong link between the school, the home and the parish.

Adolescents and young adults are a very important group in the Church and require appropriate pastoral care. It is said that the cry of contemporary youth can be summed up in the question: Will you be there for me? Pastoral care of young people primarily involves a supportive presence. The priest journeys with them as they tread the sometimes rocky path throughout adolescence and into adulthood. We listen to the voices of young people and answer in word and action: "We will be there for you."

Finally, the priest tries to identify and release the gifts of all the members of his parish so that there may be "participation and co-responsibility at all levels" (Extraordinary Synod 1985). In his pastoral role, the priest is called to make people whole, especially those who are most broken and to share in "The joy and the hope, the grief and the anguish of all people." (Gaudium et Spes).