Four Questions

Four Questions for Every Priest

At his ordination, every priest us asked four questions. These questiona can be taken as a 'Job Description' for the priesthood. The task of the student, and the purpose of his training, is to enable him to answer, honestly and truthfully, 'Yes' to all four questions.

1. Are you resolved with the help of the Holy Spirit, to discharge the office of priesthood in the Presbyteral Order as a conscientious fellow worker with the Bishops in caring for the Lord's Flock?

Like the good shepherd who knows his flock, the priest must know the people entrusted to him. He must be familiar with their varied needs and circumstances.	During his training the student will be learning about the society in which he is going to minister and his pastoral placements will put him in contact with people of all ages and situations. He will visit the sick and housebound, the physically and mentally handicapped, those who are in general and psychiatric hospitals, children in schools and youth groups, and the people of God in their homes.	The student will also have the daily challenge of living in community with people of very different backgrounds and attitudes. This aspect of seminary life is of vital importance in preparing him for his future ministry.
		The Laity have the right to receive in abundance from the pastors the spiritual goods of the Church, especially the assistance of the word of God and the sacraments Lumen Gentium 37, Vatican II
In the most blessed Eucharist is contained the whole of the spiriyual good of the Church, namely Christ himself our Pasch and the living bread which gives life to men and women through his flesh Life of priests (Presbyterium Ordinis) 5, Vatican II

2. Are you resolved to celebrate the mysteries of Christ faithfully and religiously as the Church has handed them down to us for the Glory of God and the sanctification of Christ's people?

At Mass we receive the bread of life; in the sacrament of Penance our sins are forgiven; at the decisive and deepest moments of our lives; birth, entry into adult life, marriage, sickness, Christ the Lord speaks to and enriches His people through the sacraments we celebrate with the priest.	The student seeks to discover what the Lord says and does in these moments. He does this by studying the sacraments and the various liturgical celebrations of the Church.	Every priest relies on the faith and talents of the parish community. If he is wise he will not only know the joy of dispensing God's grace, but also of receiving it abundantly through his parishioners as well. The partnership between priests and people is built upon prayer, colaboration, mutual respect, and love Pope John Paul II (Manchester, 31st May 1982)
No christian community is built up which does not grow from and hinge on the celebration of the most holy Eucharist Life of Priests (presbyterium Ordinis) 6, Vatican II

3. Are you resolved to exercise the ministry of the word worthily, preaching the Gospel and explaining the Catholic Faith?

Not only when he preaches at mass, but in many other ways, the priest exercises his role as Prophet and Teacher: Working closely with lay catechists the priest prepares young people for the reception of the sacraments. He is actively involved in the process of receiving people into full communion with the Catholic Church (RCIA). In adult education and in many other ways the priest instructs people in the faith. Neither should he forget that the daily witness of his life affects others and is a most important way in which the priest fulfills his task as prophet. To prepare for his role as witness to the word of God, the student will undergo a serious and sustained study of the scriptures. He will learn how God's word is developed and understood in the teaching of the Church, and he will become familiar with the principles and techniques of teaching and preaching.

Since nobody can be saved who has not first believed, it is the task of priests as co-workers of the bishops to preach the Gospel of God to all. Life of Priests (presbyterium Ordinis) 4, Vatican II

Share with all mankind the word of God you have received with joy. Meditate on the law of God, believe what you read, teach what you believe, and put into practice what you teach. Bishop's address at an ordination

4. Are you resolved to consecrate yoor life to God for the salvation of his people, and to unite yourself more closely every day to Christ the High Priest, who offered himself for us to the Father as a perfect sacrifice?

The student will endeavour to do this through a life of prayer, private and community, through which he will grow to know Christ better and be ever more aware of the presence and guidance of the Spirit in his life. Through self-discipline, spiritual direction and regular repentance the student will grow in self-knowledge and come to discover his own strengths and weaknesses. He will come to understand the positive value of a life of celibacy.

By preserving celibacy for the sake of the kingdom of heaven priests are consecrated in a new and excelent way to Christ. They more readily cling to him with undivided heart and dedicate themselves more freely in him to the Service of God and of men and women Life of Priests (presbyterium Ordinis) 16, Vatican II The Eucharistic sacrifice is the centre and root of the whole life of the priest, so that pristly soul strives to make its own what is enacted on the altar of sacrifice. Life of Priests (presbyterium Ordinis) 14, Vatican II