Today I was able to visit our diocesan Catholic bookstore and came upon this icon dedicated to the year of the priest. There are a few things that struck me when I saw it. First and foremost was the image of the pelican that is on the vestments of Christ. The pelican is an early Christian symbol of Christ that relies on the fact that pelican mothers feed their young with their own flesh. There is a well hidden stained glass window in our cathedral that first introduced me to this early Christian symbol. It is very fitting for priests who take Christ as their model for service. The other part of this icon that initially struck me were the smaller icons of Melchizedek and St. John Vianney. They are two great models for anyone who seeks to live a priesthood faithful to Christ. Melchizedek was the priest of Salem who offered thanksgiving with Abraham. He, like Christ, was the king of peace and offered bread and wine in thanksgiving for God’s blessing. St. John Vianney is the prototypical parish priest who focused on prayer and reconciliation for his ministtry. Please keep all priests in you prayers during this year dedicated to Christ the eternal high priest.
