Answers to God's Mysteries
By Cicily Sunny
(Continued)

Priests

Answering the questions of a boy named Marjiam at Gethsemane, Jesus says about the importance of respecting and listening to priests even if they have their own faults. He says, "It is always God who speaks through the lips of His servants, in the hours of their ministry. And as such he is to be listened to in silence and with respect….When they perform actions pertaining to their ministry, they are no longer Annas, a man, or Sodoc, a man, and so forth. They are 'the priest'. Always separate poor humanity from ministry." (V. 3, Ch. 364, P. 525). 

After seeing how much Thomas disbelieved his resurrection, Jesus advises his apostles, "Oh! poor Thomases, who believe only what you understand and what you feel in yourselves! But bless God and try to ascend because I will give you a hand! Ascend in faith and in love. I wanted the mortification of the apostles, so that they may become capable of being the "fathers of souls". I beg you and speak in particular to you, my priests. Accept the humiliation of being placed after a layman, in order to become "fathers of souls". This work is for everybody. But this Gospel is dedicated to you in particular, as in it the Master takes his priests by the hand and leads them through the rows of the pupils, so that they, the priests, may become teachers capable of guiding the pupils, and in it the Doctor takes you among the sick people - every man has his spiritual disease - and He shows you the symptoms and the treatment." (V. 5, h. 624, P. 752). 

While appearing to Thomas and other apostles, Jesus speaks about priesthood, "But how many men would there be, who would be with their Shepherd, if after the baptismal bath they did not have who can forgive them in my name? That is why I create priests to save those who had been saved by my blood. My blood saves. But men continue to fall into death….It is necessary for them to be continuously washed in it, seventy and seventy times seven, by those who have the authority to do so, so that they may not be a prey to death. You and your successors will do that. That is why I absolve you of all your sins because you need to see and sin blinds one and because it deprives the spirit of the Light which is God." (V. 5, Ch. 625, P. 757).

While preaching about priesthood before his ascension, Jesus says, "For this reason, transmit the priesthood in my name to the best disciples so that the earth may not be left without priests. And ensure that the sacred character is granted after a severe examination, not verbal, but of the deeds of him who asks to be a priest, or of him whom you judge suitable to be one." (V. 5, Ch. 631, P. 847).

The meaning of 'Poor in Spirit'

"Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor; the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them." (St. Mathew 5:3). I doubt how many people understand the meaning of that sentence. After the vision on the conversion of Zacchaeus, Jesus explains the meaning of that phrase, "The man poor in spirit is no longer enslaved by riches. Even if he does not go so far as to repudiate them materially, depriving himself of them and of every comfort by joining a monastic order, he knows how to use them sparingly for himself, which is a double sacrifice, or order to be prodigal of gifts to the poor of the world…. Those are poor in spirit who, losing their possessions, whether large or small, know how to keep their peace and hope, without cursing or hating anyone, either God or men….It means humility of thought which does not swell with pride and does not proclaim itself super-thought, but makes use of the gift of god acknowledging its origin for good….It means generosity in affections, whereby one can deprive oneself also of them in order to follow God, also of life, the most real wealth and the most loved instinctively by the animal creature. All my martyrs were generous in that way because their spirits had become poor, in order to become 'rich' in the only eternal riches: God. It means justice in loving our personal things. It is our duty to love them because they are testimony of providence in our favor. I have already spoken about that in previous dictations. But we must not love them more than we love God or His Will; you must not love them to the extent of cursing god, if man snatches them from you. And finally, I would repeat it, freedom from the slavery of money. Those are the different forms of that spiritual poverty that I said will possess heaven out of justice." (V. 4, Ch. 415, P. 19).

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