"Accipite et manducate. Accipite et bibite". Take and eat. Take and drink. Christ's self-giving, which has its origin in the Trinitarian life of the God who is Love, reaches its culmination in the sacrifice of the Cross, sacramentally anticipated in the Last Supper.
The cross was an act of self-giving. And every time we celebrate the Eucharist we are reminded of this self-giving. "Take this all of you and eat it. This is my body which will be given up for you. Take this all of you, and drink from it. This is the cup of my blood, the blood of the new and everlasting covenant. It will be shed for you and for all so that sins may be forgiven."
In the liturgy of the Mass of the Lord's supper this act of self-giving is highlighted with the re-enactment of the washing of the feet of the disciples. He was their teacher and master, yet he washed their feet. Both in life and in death Jesus proved himself true his words: "The Son of Man came to serve and not to be served and to give his life as a ransom for the many."
The priest is an "alter Christus" (another Christ). His celibacy/chastity (celibacy for the diocesan priest and chastity for the religious priest) makes him more available for self-giving to the people of God--just like Jesus Christ. Obedience--to the bishop for the diocesan priest and to the superior for the religious priest--also makes him more available for self-giving to the people of God. For me the icon that best expresses this self-giving is the Good Shepherd.
Self-giving is expressed in the service that the priest renders to the people of God. As priest the service that he renders is found eminently in the ministry of the Word & Sacrament.
MINISTRY OF THE WORD
At his ordination, the priest is entrusted with the gospel book because it is his duty to preach God's Word. He has to read the Gospel with dignity and with clarity (people need to understand what he is reading). Usually there is no problem here. The problem lies when he preaches the homily. A common complain of the people of God is that his preaching is shallow. It doesn't nourish the soul.
A first step to address this problem is preparation, both proximate and remote. He needs time to reflect on the Word and organize his thoughts. This is the proximate preparation. But then there is a remote preparation that assures depth. Reading and reflecting on God's Word must be a part of his priestly life. A soul that is immersed in the Word of God can not be shallow.
Sometimes a priest comes prepared but people can't relate to his preaching. I heard a young lay person speak about this problem and he has proposed a solution. The solution is not something that all priests can do. But it's worth giving it a try. He proposes a sharing of the Sunday Gospel by the priest with a group of lay people. The priest may first give the exegesis and then his reflection. The lay people in his group can give the layman's perspective of the Gospel as it applies to his life. The priest then can use this input from the lay people in the group for his Sunday preaching. It is this input which should enable the people relate with what the priest is saying.
MINISTRY OF THE SACRAMENT
The Sacraments are not just mere rituals. The sacraments are community celebrations. Priest and people should not just go through the motions of the Mass, for example. They should be carried out with dignity. They should appeal to eyes, ears, mind and heart. Priest and people should be moved by the beauty of celebration of the sacraments. I would like to focus on the celebration of the Eucharist.
The church should be clean. The vestments should be beautiful to behold. The decorations should be in good taste.
The movement of priests and altar servers should be dignified. The altar servers should know how to serve.
The sound system should be good. The people should hear what the priest and readers are reading and saying. Adjustments should be made before the Mass and not during the Mass.
No everyone can read--or rather proclaim--the Word of God. Voice quality and diction should be considered. And they need to practice before the Mass. You would be surprised to discover that you do not the pronunciation of certain words.
And finally, the music. Let the songs be varied and appropriate to the liturgical season. Let them be "sing-able". While it is legitimate for the choir to sing solo, it would be wrong for them to sing in place of the people. Their role is to lead the people to sing. And by the way the accompaniment can either make or break the singing. They should know their stuff. Their should practice, practice, and practice.
Whose responsibility is it to make all these things happen? The priest.
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