Celebrating Priesthood – fr Ismael Gonzalez OP

As part of our Godzdogz celebration of the Year for Priests, we asked some of the Dominican priests living and working in our Province what inspired them in the exercise of their priesthood. Below is a response from fr Ismael Gonzalez OP, a friar of the Province of Spain, who is currently studying in Oxford. fr Ismael was ordained in Eastertide 2009 in Salamanca.

“A few months before my ordination to the priesthood, I discovered one of the most beautiful texts that inspired me concerning how I should live my life as a priest: “Deje que la gente le coma”; be consumed by the people, let the people be fed through you. These words belong to Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and their deep meaning is really important to my vocation.

Let us consider the mystery: I am not Christ, yet I say over the bread, “This is my body”. It is the priest who says “my body”, he says “my blood”. But it is the Lord who gives us his Body and his Blood. So, people recognize Christ in the priest, for through his ministry, it is the Body and Blood of Christ that the people adore, it is the sacrifice of Christ that is offered, it is Jesus Christ whom I and the people receive.

At the consecration, it is not only Christ who shares his life with the people, the priest also must share his own life with humanity, not only when he celebrates Mass but in all times and in all ways. So, I give my whole life, like bread that people take in their hands, and they can, so to speak, break and give and share that with everybody. Consequently, I have to be willing to share myself: to share all my life, my time, my work, my hands, my eyes, my smile … even my nothingness. What I mean is, it is not necessary for the priest to know everything. Humility is important. Sometimes when I find it difficult to help somebody or to find the right words for them, I must remember that my own limitations can also help people, because the priest too is a human being searching for God.”