Stručni rad
Priest - Witness of Hope
Anton Tamarut
; Katolički bogoslovni fakultet, Sveučilište u Zagrebu
Sažetak
At the beginning the author reminds us that Church has always had to answer the signs of time, and in that context he points out that in this time, marked by the lack of hope, it is necessary for the priest to identify and live the gospel of hope and in that way become its faithful herald and witness.
The author regards the priest’s witnessing of hope primarily in the context of the ecclesiology of togetherness. Namely, in this work it is pointed out that just that togetherness is the living space for hope. In the author’s opinion it is an important link between the ministerial priesthood and Christian hope. The priest has been ordained to serve the community. Consequently, he is by his call and mission the man of togetherness, the person who in the unity with Christ builds close and friendly relations among people; he is in the service of Jesus’ unique wish expressed in the priestly prayer of Christ: “May they all be one. Father, may they be one in us, as you are in me and I am in you.” (Jn 17,21). Christian hope is also essentially determined by the dimension of togetherness. It is the hope of relationships. It originates, grows up and develops only in relationships, in relation to God and in relations to other people. The quality of hope is in the cause-effect connection with the quality of man’s relations with God and with neighbours. As the life of priest, so hope too, being the relation between love and fidelity, has its origin in the mystery of God’s triune love, lives in it and of it, finds in it its meaning and its final eschatological aim. Both, priesthood and Christian hope, find their source and eschatological horizon in Jesus Christ.
In the end, pointing out just that eschatological dimension of ecclesiastical togetherness, the author concludes that for a priest to hope means primarily never to give up, in gracious togetherness with Christ to build, in the Church and in the world, with the faithful and with all the people of good will, togetherness of love, happiness and peace, to feed all the forms and structures of pastoral life and work with that openness, warmth and sincerity of relations that exists in togetherness with triune God.
Ključne riječi
priest; hope; Church; Holy Trinity; Jesus Christ; ecclesiology of togetherness; eschatological togetherness; new man; new heaven and new earth
Hrčak ID:
35742
URI
Datum izdavanja:
23.3.2009.
Posjeta: 2.074 *