Priest, a true disciple of Jesus

My understanding of the priesthood today is that it is more demanding than ever before with all the violence, drug abuse, family violence, divorce, couples living together and not married and lack of Mass participation. Priests in general are head of the Catholic Church in their assigned community.

A priest is a true disciple of Jesus Christ; they participate in Mass, give out the Holy Orders of the Catholic Church, Baptism, Penance, Eucharist, Confirmation, Matrimony, Holy Orders, Anointing of the sick and attempt to save the souls of the people that reach out to them. Priests today are marriage and drug counselors they come out and participate in community events whether it be Catholic or non-Catholic events, assist families with money problems, listen to and anoint the dying. Priests do much more than just give out a homily preaching the word of the Lord during Mass. Priests today are working long after retirement due to the lack of priests in the United States.

Giving up your whole life to Christ means to leave your mother, father, brother, sister, extended family and follow Jesus Christ. You must not put anything before Christ be it material or spiritual. Following Jesus or giving your whole life is like carrying the cross. You must not put anything before you that would stand in the way of Jesus Christ.

I believe this is the reason priests do not marry and I believe should not marry. It means to do what God wants you to do and not what you think is best for you. It means to give up worldly things and desires that most people desire for their own satisfaction. It means that one day you could give up your own life for Jesus Christ. It means to be Christ like and do what Christ would do.

I admire Father Shaji Varghese the most because he was our parish priest when I first became an altar boy at Our Lady Of Guadalupe Church. I feel the Holy Spirit when I am around Father Varghese. In 2009, Father Varghese was brutally attacked and stabbed multiple times by a parishioner and almost lost his life. Father Varghese was hospitalized for several weeks but he recovered and when came back to our parish he showed compassion to his attacker forgave his attacker and showed no ill towards him.

This is what Christ did and I believe Father Varghese was doing the same. Father Varghese encourages the children to do their best in whatever it is they want to accomplish. I myself have spoken to Father Varghese about the priesthood I have had a thought or vision about that for some years now. Father Varghese was very informative in explaining everything that I needed to know. He promised to follow Christ and do what Christ wanted him to do and not what he thought was best for him.

I admire and look up to Father Varghese for everything he has done and has brought to our parish in concluding I feel in my heart that Father Varghese is Christ like and that’s why I admire Father Varghese the most.