Priest: A Guide to Holiness
[Priests] you who direct souls along the spiritual way … direct them with greater perfection … in the spirit of holy simplicity and most profound humility. (OOCC, X, p. 53; STA, 230)
The priest is a guide to holiness. A priest, besides working towards achieving holiness in his life, must help the people entrusted to his care to move towards achieving holiness in their lives. St. Vincent, exercising his priestly ministry, spent a great deal of his time guiding people in their spiritual journey. For many years of his life, he served as the confessor and spiritual director of a number of institutions, convents and monasteries in the city of Rome. Among his various ministries, caring for the spiritual life of the many persons who came to him for guidance was his primary concern. He advised his followers to take up the task of caring for people’s spiritual lives. He calls them to do this task with greater perfection, implying that as they guide others, they must not lag behind. While guiding others, they must continue to achieve greater perfection. With regard to the manner of guiding people in their spiritual lives, St. Vincent asked them to do this very important task in the spirit of holy simplicity and most profound humility. As spiritual guides, they are not to lord over those persons they are guiding, but they must deal with these persons with genuine sympathy and concern. They must be able to understand the struggles of the people in their spiritual journey and be patient with them. The attitude that should direct them as spiritual guides is simplicity and humility and they must do this great task as unworthy servants.
Do I recognize the role of the priest as a guide to holiness? Do I give importance to this ministry in my life as a priest? Do I strive for my personal perfection as I guide others to God? Am I able to understand the struggles of those whom I serve? Do I accomplish this task with the spirit of simplicity and humility?
Take heed to yourself and to your teaching; hold to that, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. (I Tim. 4: 16)