A Guide for Priests: Spiritual Recommendations

By Cardinal Jorge Medina Estévez
Retired prefect of the
Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments

A good priest is one who intertwines the attitudes proper to any man of good will, whether Christian or not. In him one finds Gospel and Christian virtues, and the behavior of one who is a priest of God and pastor of the Church. The following is a list of what a good priest should and should not do. While not exhaustive, it might be helpful for a priest of Christ and a faithful servant of the Church who is trying to examine his life and his duties before God.

1. Principles

A priest should love God above all things and he should love men and all creatures as God loves them and in the measure in which he loves them (see Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27). He looks at men and women as Christ looks at them, with love, humility, respect and zeal for the salvation of their souls. He should treat them as he would want to be treated (see Tobit 4:16; Matthew 7:12).

He always has his final goal in sight, which is eternal life, and remembers that the truth of things is measured according to whether or not they bring him closer to heaven. He loves the Church as she really is, the holy spouse of Christ, but made up of limited and sinful men (see Lumen Gentium, 8). He always remembers that this temporal life is a waiting room for eternal life, and that everything we do or desire is without meaning if not seen in light of our pilgrimage toward the Kingdom of heaven.

He does not seek honor, glory, or his personal interests and advantages, but instead -- and above all else -- the glory of the Lord (see 1 Peter 4:11).

He remembers that the entire Christian life is a path of purification and that, with the grace of God, he must constantly rectify and purify his intentions and motivations.

He tries to be generous, remembering that there is greater joy in giving than in receiving (see Acts 20:35).

2. Spirituality and Ministry

Every day a priest prays the Liturgy of the Hours attentively, devoutly and reverently, remaining faithful to the respective times as much as possible. He does not omit a part if he could not do it at its corresponding time, except for truly grave reasons.

He elevates his thoughts to the Lord frequently throughout the day, offering him his work and purifying his intentions, avoiding the danger of falling into purely human motivations, including his own egotism.

He organizes his day in such a way that he can dedicate a reasonable amount of time to mental prayer, without which one begins to gradually lose his supernatural spirit, and his perspective on man and events ceases to be from the point of view of faith.

He prays the rosary every day, asking the Virgin Mary to grant him the grace of always fulfilling the will of God.

When preparing for a liturgical celebration, he tries to maintain an atmosphere of recollection and silence, which will help him preserve a sense of the sacred.

During the celebrations, he avoids making comments and is sure to ignore distractions or anything that can trivialize the sacred actions.

In the liturgical celebrations, he respects and fulfills the norms of the Church, remembering that worship is a public act and that it should not be celebrated in an arbitrary way.

He celebrates the holy Sacrifice of the Mass every day, unless he is impeded by some grave problem, such as serious illness.

Before celebrating Mass, he prepares himself with prayer and finishes giving thanks for having been able to celebrate for the good of the Church.

From time to time he approaches another brother in the priesthood to confess his sins and receive the grace of absolution. One hopes that it is the same priest each time, so that he gets better advice and is helped more.

He reads and meditates on sacred Scripture assiduously, because it is the Word of life, nourishment for the soul and a matchless source for preaching the Kingdom of God.

He reviews and consults the Catechism of the Catholic Church so that his preaching ministry is completely in line with Catholic doctrine.

Every day he makes one or more visits to the Blessed Sacrament.

Every year he participates in spiritual exercises, and from time to time, tries to dedicate longer periods of time to prayer.

A priest never delays in administering the sacrament of the anointing of the sick when the ill are in need, and always offers it to those who have not asked for it but should receive it.

He is always available to offer the sacrament of penance, or reconciliation, to the faithful, remembering that Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is seeking the lost sheep and that in heaven there is great rejoicing over every converted sinner.

He carefully prepares his homilies, aware that the faithful have the right to hear the Word of God, explained objectively, following the Tradition and the magisterium of the Church.

He doesn´t turn his homilies into an exposition of personal opinions.

3. Personal Dealings with Others

A priest must remember that his life and ministry are at the service of God and the Church; following the example of Jesus, he is not here to be served, but rather, to serve (see Matthew 20:28). He does not criticize his superiors by highlighting their defects and pointing out their weaknesses without necessity, unless it is for a constructive and positive purpose. He does not allow himself to fall into envy because of the responsibilities that other priests may have received, and which he may have enjoyed; on the contrary, he believes that divine providence writes straight on crooked lines. He rejoices in the success of other priests and tries to share in their own experience (see Romans 12:15).

A priest cultivates a fraternal relationship with his brother priests, helping them in their pastoral tasks and allowing himself to be helped. He treats the faithful with kindness, as someone who is at their service. He tries to make sure each person feels respected, always taking great interest in their problems. He never delights in another´s misfortune, and when he sees that someone has acted wrongly, he prays that God may give him the grace of repentance. If necessary, he practices fraternal correction with meekness and humility.

In his pastoral service, the priest makes an effort to treat everyone equally, making sure not to favor some more than others simply because of sympathy, friendship, or anything besides the merits and needs of the person.

A priest is always truthful, avoiding any type of lie, falsity, two-facedness, intrigue, ambiguity or deceitfulness, respecting the evangelical norm of "let your yes mean yes and your no, no," and remembering that only the truth really frees us (see John 8:32). He is careful not to become a source of scandal for others due to his behavior. One could become discouraged and misguided in their Christian lives because of our bad example.

Given that the laity are members of the Church and should be given different responsibilities, the priest should offer them opportunities for doctrinal and spiritual formation. When dealing with a person, he does not allow interruptions which might perturb the attention and respect that are owed to the one who is speaking.

He makes sure to express himself correctly, avoiding vulgar themes or words, and remembering that there are things which should not even be mentioned among Christians (see Ephesians 5:3).

He tries not to complain about contradictions or discomforts, remembering that what we have received is much greater than what we have given. It is beautiful to be able to repeat: "Content, Lord, content!" He rejoices in the Lord, remembering that everything works out for the best for those who love God (see Philippians 4:4; Romans 8:28).

A priest refers to internal affairs of the Church with prudence and discretion, above all when dealing with persons who do not share our faith and who do not have much formation. He takes part in useful or necessary meetings, but avoids those which might be a waste of time. He joyfully accepts pastoral duties without worrying about whether he will receive a smaller or greater compensation, or if he will receive one at all.

A priest avoids excess in food and drink, out of moderation, and in order to conserve the gift of health which allows us to serve the Lord and the faithful. If a doctor has prescribed a specific diet, he follows it carefully, since it is a moral duty considering the insufficient number of priests to attend to the faithful people of God.

He avoids friendships which may create an obstacle in keeping his heart completely consecrated to God. He treats both the rich and the poor with the same pastoral charity; both the kind and the mean, both those who share his opinions and those who may differ.

In political matters he directs his preferences according to the consistency or inconsistency of the diverse opinions with respect to the Church´s doctrine.

A priest is not complacent before inappropriate acts or behavior because he may like the person, or because it may be a family member.

He never puts his personal desires before the duties of his sacred priestly ministry. In his behavior he avoids anything which may be a cause of admiration or of disgust for those who misinterpret them, although the actions in themselves might be good and legitimate.

When a priest receives a new responsibility, he does not assume that he has to begin from zero, but rather asks about the experiences and success of his predecessor. When he leaves a certain duty behind, he is not judgmental of the successor. He even creates physical distance, if necessary, in order not to fall into this danger. In tasks which imply greater responsibility, or when he might have serious doubts, he seeks the advice of prudent and spiritual people, especially among those groups which have been specifically established by the Church. He listens to their advice with humility, and thanks them sincerely.

A priest dresses so that he can be recognized, since clerical garb has pastoral value and helps him stay far away from the dangers of infidelity.

4. Work

A priest does his work conscientiously, trying to please God, and does not focus on how much he will please men (see Ephesians 6:6ff; Colossians 3:22ff). If he has office work to do, he arrives punctually and finishes at the established hour, unless charity demands that he extend his pastoral care. He organizes his to-do list in a hierarchal order, and does not take on responsibilities which he will not be able to finish. A priest does not put something off that can be resolved immediately and does not run through useless channels that can be bypassed without bothering anyone.

A priest organizes his life and programs his work in such a way that he can rest sufficiently each day, in order to take care of his health and prevent mood swings caused by fatigue (see Mark 6:31). When he takes well-earned vacations, he maintains a priestly state of life which serves as an example and deserves the respect of the faithful.

When he receives a written request, he responds affirmatively or negatively as soon as possible, so that the sender is not irritated or left wondering.

5. Administration

A priest makes the effort to maintain his office well ordered, clean and pleasant. Whenever he has to move he tries to leave behind everything necessary for his successor.

If he administers money that belongs to the Church, he never confuses his own property with that which belongs to the administrative institute, carefully keeping accounts for both. When he leaves such a position behind, he provides his successor with the proper accounts, inventories and information, so that he can begin his new task with greater ease.

He should prepare a will of all his goods, without forgetting to give back to the Church and the poor those which might have been obtained with his priestly allowance.

If he has employees that help with his work, he should establish a written contract with them, in conformity with the law, assuring them a just pay. He should assure them the benefits established by the law, since this is not only an obligation of charity, but also of justice.

If there are artistic objects of value in the institution under his care, he takes care of them and takes the necessary precautions so that they are not stolen, and remembers that, as administrator, he does not have the right to transfer objects of value.

If he needs a vehicle, he avoids getting one that is ostentatious, remaining content with a modest one, sufficient for his pastoral service.

With respect to the buildings under his care, each year he makes the necessary repairs and maintenance work, in order to prevent their deterioration.

If the priest is a pastor of a church, he sends an administration report to his superiors annually, and provides one for the faithful, creating an environment of clarity and confidence. He makes an effort to be detached from the goods of this earth and to not consider his pastoral responsibilities as means to become rich, or to climb the corporate ladder, looking for positions which may appear more advantageous from a worldly perspective.

He does not give recommendations without considering the moral character and capabilities of the person that he is recommending.

He reflects seriously before endorsing or promising to pay the debts of others, and does not involve the ecclesial institution which he administers without the proper authorization. He takes great care in not favoring relatives or friends with goods of the Church. He carefully keeps a record of stipends received for Masses. And he ensures that another priest will be able to finish, in case he himself passes away without having celebrated all of them.

In this way he will make his earthly pilgrimage in peace, and will enter, as a good and faithful servant, into the joy of the Lord, when He calls him to his eternal rest.

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Versions of this article was first published in the Spanish and Italian editions of Sacerdos Magazine.