Priesthood is a gift meant to be given for others, pope says

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- A priestly vocation is not merely a path toward salvation for the one who is called but should be a continuous self-gift that aligns each priest's life with God's plans for them, Pope Francis said.

Speaking to his countrymen in a meeting with students and staff from the Argentine Priestly College in Rome Jan. 16, the pope began by noting how he would miss joining the college community for dinner and eating Argentine barbecue.

Pope Francis spoke to the group about St. José Gabriel del Rosario Brochero, a 19th-century Argentine priest he canonized in 2016 and about whom his friends said, "He should not have existed if not as a priest."

The saint, known as the "Cura Brochero," was renowned for his pastoral work, especially among the poor and marginalized in rural areas of Argentina.

"We must firmly assume this priestly identity, and realize that our vocation is not an appendix, a means to other ends, even pious ones, such as salvation; absolutely not," Pope Francis said. Rather, a vocation "is the project of God in our life, what God sees in us, what moves his gaze of love."

In other words, the pope said, one's vocation is the love that God has for each person, "and in this lies our true essence."

Pope Francis, meeting with the priests in the library of the Apostolic Palace, wore a sling to hold his right arm in place. The Vatican press office said the pope fell in his residence earlier in the day and that his right arm, though not broken, was put in a sling as a "precautionary measure."

Reflecting on St. Brochero's determination to "embrace the ecclesiastical career," the pope said the saint intended it as a commitment to ceaselessly serving others, "spending himself and wearing himself out for the sake of the Gospel."

The pope urged them to live out their vocation by "caring for the interior life, keeping the flame burning with great humility," since it is when one is stationary and immersed in pride that they become "vulnerable."

Pope Francis also stressed the value of "priestly fraternity," which he said begins with one's bishop. He said priests should commit themselves to being like soldiers "fighting alongside him, side by side, to the last cartridge."

And with their brother priests, the pope urged the group to "share everything one has," to ask for correction when they are mistaken and to frankly correct others when they err, inspiring a life of deep piety and frequent confession.

Discussing the central role of the Eucharist in the priestly vocation, Pope Francis recalled how St. Brochero would sleep outdoors in cornfields waiting for farmhands to open the ranches where he ministered so that he could celebrate Mass.

The pope praised the saint's "sacrificial respect for the mystery, that far from an insistence, had more impact than a thousand words of overly sentimental eloquence."