Random B16 quotes on the Priesthood.

I've finally been able to catch up on some reading. I printed out the Q&A session the Holy Father had with Priests of the world at the celebrations marking the end of the Year for Priests (I know, that was LAST JUNE! I just got to it 2 weeks ago. I'm not proud, I'm just sayin'). So here are the quotes for my brothers out there:

"The temptation is great to take the matter into our own hands, to transform the priesthood -- into a normal profession, into a job that has its hours, and for the rest of the time one belongs to oneself, thus rendering it, as any other vocation, accessible and easy."

"I would say that we know the three fundamental priorities: they are the three columns of our being priests. First, the Eucharist, the sacraments: to render the Eucharist possible and present, above all to offer Sunday Mass, insofar as possible, for all, and to celebrate it in a way that it really becomes the visible act of love of the Lord for us. Then, the proclamation of the Word in all the dimensions: from personal dialogue to the homily. The third point is 'caritas,' the love of Christ: to be present for the suffering, for the little ones, for children, for persons in difficulty, for the marginalized; to really render present the love of the Good Shepherd.

And then, a very important priority also is the personal relationship with Christ. ... personal conversation with Christ is a fundamental pastoral priority, it is the condition of our work for others! And prayer is not something marginal: it is in fact the 'profession' of the priest to pray."

"Each of us should do everything possible to live our priesthood in such a way that it is convincing."