Dedications

St John Mary Vianney is the patron Saint of priests. I consider of who I am, what I am, the good in me (if there is any or whatever left) and where I am primarily due to my upbringing by Salesian Priest and Brothers in my Boarding School days. 

For me God is something I am still seeking or exploring. But I have experienced God in the priests and brothers in the Boarding. How do I thank them? Many have left the earthly abode. The few I am lucky to be in touch with, it's only words and words all I have to express gratitude.

With the evolution of the Church and even dilution with splinter Churches, the role of a priest is now under challenge and even threat. Vocations to priesthood are decreasing. To make it worse are scams, frauds, sexual involvement of few in the clergy, making the vocations viewed in a bad and shady light

So today don't just wish priests a Happy Feast, be a partner in their journey. Youth today disappear from Church after confirmation only to be back when getting married or dead and needs to be buried. Priests are not marriage ritual performers and extension to an undertaker. 

Not many would even welcome the idea if their children want to join the vocation, besides the point not there are many. So is there a solution in today's dark world for the priests to be a light? Definitely if laity was allowed our part in partnering, engaging and decision making in the Church there could be road ahead. 

Priests need to realise they are representatives of Christ and their lives are a reflection of what Christ did. For Laity it is should be a reflection that Church is not a refueling station to fuel one self spiritually with a Sunday Mass or visit when planning to get married or wash the sins of our children in baptism or ensure they are administered with Holy Communion and confirmation or have near ones visit to inform priests when we are dead and need to blessed with final rites.

We need to engage, partner and be a part of  the Church. Raise our voice of dissent and not just bow to diktats from a white man (or men) in Rome. We are the Church and decisions need to be taken democratically with the involvement of the laity. The priests need to display courage and speak on wrongs within the Church and not just hear my wrongs in confession. There was  an article proposing that even Bishops and Cardinals need to be decided by the laity, which should be implemented 

 https://catholicherald.co.uk/popes-cardinal-advisers-seek-to-involve-laity-in-choosing-bishops/

So I take this opportunity to wish all the good leaders of priests, the silent workers in the missions or silent workers for the underprivileged, a Happy Feast of St John Mary Vianney. Thank you for nourishing me spiritually.

For the priests living in sin repent or it won't be long before the laity will whip you out of Churches, like how Christ whipped the traders out of the temple.