Once I asked a fallen away Catholic friend of mine what he remembered about the parish priest from his youth. He said, “He was a gentle, nice guy. Kind of vanilla. Kept to himself.” It struck me that he, perhaps like many, perceive Catholic priests as the following: lonely, harmless, and selfsufficient. As a challenge both to this perception (accurate or not) and to us priests who perhaps feel a pull in that uninspiring direction, stands the mighty image of what we see in the Gospel this Sunday. Jesus sent out his apostles, “twobytwo, with power over demons, and without money belts.” Two by two: they enjoyed deep fellowship and brotherhood. Power over demons: they were anything but harmless. These men wielded enormous power against evil. Without money belts: they were not self sufficient. They needed others to help them. Not lonely, but in community. Not harmless but armed with massive spiritual energy. Not self sufficient, but poor and in need of help. This is a challenge to me, and perhaps to all of us, living in a rich, secularized, and individualized culture. Do I embrace my priestly ministry in deep fellowship with other priests? Do I speak and act boldly to drive out evil where it is found? Do I live poorly and simply, trusting in the help of those around me even for basic needs? The fruitfulness of priestly ministry largely depends on these three traits. Let’s pray for all priests and, by extension, all of us Christians to live more like Jesus’ communal, poor, and powerful apostles. Father John Muir
