Cardinal Bernadine and the priesthood

One of Baltimore's Auxiliary Bishops (his name is escaping me!) presided over our Day of Recollection to open the new Spring Semester. In one of his talks he quoted Cardinal Bernadine from a talk he gave to the seminarians at Mundelein. I'd like to share that here:

The priesthood is a passionate commitment, a fiery-eyed vision, and an insatiable thirst for holiness and practical justice. The priest is called to be a challenger, enabler, life-giver, poet of life, music maker, dreamer of dreams. He must be a man of deep personal faith, conformed to Christ, a man who loves the Scriptures, draws sustenance from the sacramental life of the Church, and truly knows the community with and for whom he offers sacrifice. A priest is a man with a clear sense of his own self, one who strives to develop all his natural talents to the limit for the good of the Church. He is a man of unreasonable hopes and expectations, who takes seriously, for himself and others, the injunction to be perfect as the heavenly Father is.

That's what I wanted for myself. That's what I want for you.

- Chicago Studies, Fall/Winter, 2006