The Mission of the Priest: EDUCERE

The priest presents himself as an instrument of divine love with the purpose of digging out (e-ducere), bringing forth and shading light upon the reality of those who walk with him in faith, either at the conscious or unconscious level, along with the person's own history, wounds, gifts and weaknesses in order to enable that person to grow to the best of his or her possibilities.

It is in this sense that God operates: by His own work of creation He brings out of the void his creatures by conferring order and purpose to their life. God "educates" his people, rescuing them from the slavery of Egypt, attracting them by tenderness and goodness but also by setting them straight like a Father applies discipline to his own son in order to guide them towards the promised land.

EDUCERE means to collaborate with God's creative and constructive action. This action springs from a strong and tender love and its application often takes the scenery route. It requires infinite patience and benevolence like the patience of the farmer who knows how to wait and to respect the times of nature. It also requires the energy of someone used to hard labor, an energy stronger than the inertia of someone who fails to discover and embrace his or her own identity.

EDUCERE means to discover oneself and to learn to accept my neighbor. It is to pass from sincerity to truthfulness. It is to move from a subjective appreciation of ones feelings to the objective discovery of my own inner reality. It is going beyond an inventory of my feelings in order to discover with courage the true roots behind them.

Finally, EDUCERE means to learn how to pray "in spirit and truth" (Jn 4,24): prayer is the place where my own truth resonates before God's own truth, where the faithful can listen and tell God the whole truth.