BY Daniel Harkins | April 2 | 
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Holy Father speaks of the tiredness of priests during Chrism Mass
In his homily, Pope Francis said he often thinks ‘about this weariness which all of you experience’
Pope Francis said he thinks often of the tiredness of priests as he preached the homily during the Chrism Mass in St Peter’s Basilica this morning.
“The tiredness of priests!” the Pope said. “Do you know how often I think about this weariness which all of you experience? I think about it and I pray about it, often, especially when I am tired myself. I pray for you as you labour amid the people of God entrusted to your care, many of you in lonely and dangerous places. Our weariness, dear priests, is like incense which silently rises up to heaven (cf Ps 141:2; Rev 8:3-4). Our weariness goes straight to the heart of the Father.
“Know that the Blessed Virgin Mary is well aware of this tiredness and she brings it straight to the Lord. As our Mother, she knows when her children are weary, and this is her greatest concern.
“It can also happen that, whenever we feel weighed down by pastoral work, we can be tempted to rest however we please, as if rest were not itself a gift of God. We must not fall into this temptation. Our weariness is precious in the eyes of Jesus who embraces us and lifts us up.”
The Pope asked priests never to ‘forget that a key to fruitful priestly ministry lies in how we rest and in how we look at the way the Lord deals with our weariness.’
“How difficult it is to learn how to rest!” he said. “This says much about our trust and our ability to realise that that we too are sheep. A few questions can help us in this regard.
“Do I know how to rest by accepting the love, gratitude and affection which I receive from God’s faithful people? Or, once my pastoral work is done, do I seek more refined relaxations, not those of the poor but those provided by a consumerist society? Is the Holy Spirit truly ‘rest in times of weariness’ for me, or is he just someone who keeps me busy? Do I know how to seek help from a wise priest? Do I know how to take a break from myself, from the demands I make on myself, from my self-seeking and from my self-absorption?”
The Pope concluded saying ‘and finally—lest you be wearied by this homily itself!—there is also “weariness of ourselves.”’
“This may be the most dangerous weariness of all,” he said. “That is because the other two kinds come from being exposed, from going out of ourselves to anoint and to do battle (for our job is to care for others). But this third kind of weariness is more ‘self-referential:’ it is dissatisfaction with oneself, but not the dissatisfaction of someone who directly confronts himself and serenely acknowledges his sinfulness and his need for God’s mercy; such people ask for help and then move forward.
“Our discipleship itself is cleansed by Jesus, so that we can rightly feel joyful,’ ‘fulfilled,’ ‘free of fear and guilt,’ and impelled to go out ‘even to the ends of the earth, to every periphery.’ In this way we can bring the good news to the most abandoned, knowing that ‘he is with us always, even to the end of the world.’ Let us learn how to be weary, but weary in the best of ways!”
—Read the full homily at http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2015/04/02/pope_francis_chrism_mass_homily/1133933
Pic: PA Photos: Pope Francis blows inside an amphora containing holy oil as he presides over Chrism Mass in St Peter’s Basilica, at the Vatican today
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