What does a priest do all day?
What a priest does with his day is so varied and complex that only a sampling can be given here. Prayer, work, exercise and leisure are all necessary for a healthy life. We try to make sure we have a balance of all these — but we don’t always succeed. In the area of work (ministry), many of us have one main occupation, such as teaching, parish ministry, social work, or hospital work, all of which have somewhat regular hours and predictable demands. The unpredictable demands are also interesting and challenging. They center on meeting the needs of people: the sick, old, angry, hurt, hungry, imprisoned, excited, happy. We share with them our understanding, encouragement, and support. We rejoice, cry, feel with them. Such events are both painful and rewarding, fatiguing and empowering.
What a priest does with his day is so varied and complex that only a sampling can be given here. Prayer, work, and leisure are all necessary for a healthy life. We try to make sure we have a balance of all these — but we don’t always succeed. In the area of work (ministry), many of us have one main occupation, such as teaching, parish ministry, social work, or hospital work, all of which have somewhat regular hours and somewhat predictable demands. The unpredictables are also interesting and challenging. They center around meeting the needs of people: the sick, dying, old, angry, hurt, hungry, imprisoned, excited, happy. We share with them our understanding, encouragement, and support. We rejoice, cry, feel with them. Such events are both painful and rewarding, fatiguing and moving.
