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18 March 2016

Priesthood as means; not as privilege

Reading (or at this stage, editing) the autobiography of Fr Lens, something that struck me very much was this: Fr Lens never made much of his ordination!  In fact in his writing of 25 chapters, he speaks much of his childhood and days in the concentration camps, but there is no chapter dedicated to his ordination.  There is years as a practical trainee, a student of theology and then ministry.  Ordination is merely a small mention.  Nothing is made much of it.

Some may say that perhaps the fact that none of his people were here and hence there was not much of an excitement.  However, knowing Fr Lens, I believe it is because of the fact that he did not really give great (undue) importance to the ceremony of ordination or for that matter, to Priesthood as a privilege.  For him it was a means of service - one involving great sacrifice and commitment, but a service nonetheless.  Certainly not a privilege!  I am almost sure, he never ever used his "priesthood" as a leverage for himself! If at he did, it was for the mission and that too he would have done it grudgingly or as a matter of fact rather than a special privilege.  

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