When my mother was still alive, every time I went home, she would ask me, “Have you eaten?” I kept on telling her that in the priesthood they always feed the priests, from birth to death, and in joy and pain. In fact, people seem to enjoy the company of priests.

The truth is, the priest has so many roles. Yet, in all of these, one of the key roles is to bring hope to the people.  Just as Jesus did every time he would meet people.

Three ways priests give hope to people:

• Prayer. People always ask priests for prayers. The Mass is the highest form of prayer.
• Presence. The mere presence of a priest in a wake brings hope and comfort to the family. The messages are that you are never alone in the goodbyes of life and yes, we join you in prayer for eternal life.
• Persecution. The priest represents the voiceless. Certainly, when we fight for what is right, true, and good, we are going against powerful people in society who have the capacity to make it difficult for their enemies.

In this Mass, we pray for priests and we journey with the priests. We also remember the quote of St. Alphonsus Liguori:

“The end for which God has instituted the priesthood has been to appoint on earth public persons to watch over the honor of his divine majesty, and to procure the salvation of souls.”