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October 4, 2021Editor’s note: This article is a continuation of Bishop Kagan’s commentary (which began in the Aug. 2021 issue) on his recent pastoral letter regarding knowledge of the Catholic faith.
As with my two previous articles in the August and September issues of this diocesan newspaper commenting on my pastoral letter, so too with this month’s article, I presume that you have read or are reading this pastoral letter on your own. No brief commentary can be a substitute for reading the actual document; a commentary can only offer some further insight to what you have read.
I would like to comment further on what I wrote about the distinct but related vocations to the priesthood and the consecrated life, lived in the Church and for the Church and the world. The sacred Scriptures are filled with references to those set apart to serve God and His people as priests, prophets and teachers. It is in the very person of Jesus that we find revealed the full nature and purpose of the priesthood and the perfect model of the consecrated life lived in poverty, chastity and obedience for the glory of God, the sanctification of the world and the salvation of souls.
In the pastoral letter, I stress the need for the bishop and his priests and deacons to understand the nature of their call to the priesthood of Jesus Christ and to cultivate this vocation by serious and faithful daily prayer, meditation and study, and by a dedicated pursuit of their pastoral ministry by imitating Jesus and His sacrificial love for the Father and all others. This applies without exception to religious men and women, and they do this by committing themselves daily to the Christ-like living of His evangelical counsels of poverty, chastity and obedience in community. In both cases, the priesthood and the consecrated life do not exist outside of or without the Church itself for such is the Lord’s will. They have their nature and purpose for the glory of God and the salvation of souls because of Jesus Christ.
The priesthood and the consecrated life of the Catholic Church are such only because they are an imitation of Christ.
Question: What are the seven deadly sins?
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Answer to last month’s question: The twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit are charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, generosity, gentleness, faithfulness, modesty, self-control and chastity.
To read the pastoral letter online go to the diocesan website at bismarckdiocese.com/letters and scroll to the bottom of the page.