I had once engaged Rev. Fr. X. M in a conversation on why most Nigerian priests (religious leaders) rarely give people lifts, and he said it was because the priests often carry the Holy Eucharist in their cars, and that is why the priests do not give lifts. Beautiful defense, is it? 

But what can one say about the beautiful ladies I often see in Pastors’/Priest’s cars? Or are these girls more Christic than Christ himself? When did girls become Christlike, that they are mostly the only gender worthy of given lifts by these Priests?

So, whenever these priests, whose lips have been purpled by the Holy Wine and whose hearts have been reddened by Christ’s blood, say to me, ‘The Lord Be With You’, I fondly reply, ‘And You, Where Are You?’

I was once a seminarian and underwent a 6-year priesthood formation under the Catholic Diocese of Orlu. And I understand that priesthood is a call to serve humanity unconditionally, just as Christ did. 

During my seminary days, I had some discussions with my friends and fellow seminarians, who seemed to have an unstoppable ardor to become priests, and our conversation went from one topic to another. 

Finally, it landed on the types of cars each of us would like to have upon our ordination. My comrades each listed cars ranging from Bentley, Toyota Solara, Nissan Murano, Acura ZDX, and other portable, speeding, and luxurious cars. 

When it fell on me to name mine, I said I would like to have Toyota Sienna XLE. Surprised by my choice, they all broke into laughter as disastrous and deafening as Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs. 

When they recovered from the fit, some jokingly inquired if I was planning on starting a commercial transport company, others made fun of my choice and while pointing out that my choice car was for families alone; except you are planning to have a family, they concluded. 

Yes, I am planning to have a family, a family of Christ, my parishioners and members, who I will readily offer some lifts at all times; and Toyota Sienna is a perfect car for that. And tomorrow, if these sets of students are ordained priests, whenever they say The Lord Be with You, I will fondly reply, And You, Where Are You?

“The Lord Be With You” – And You, Where Are You?

A priest happened to be going the same way, and when he saw the man, he passed on the other side (LK 10:31-32)

Salem!

Peace has always been the way people of the Christian faith greeted one another. The very first mention of Salem in the bible can be traced back to Melchizedek, who was a priest and king of Salem (Gen. 14:18). 

Despite some Bible versions stating that Salem and Jerusalem were one and the same, Biblical scholars could see that the land ruled by Melchizedek was peaceful (perhaps because he was a priest of God), thus the reason for naming it Salem. 

In the new testament of the Bible, upon his resurrection, Jesus came and stood among them and said, Peace be with you (Jn. 20:19). Interestingly, this was said three times. It is common knowledge that any declaration made, as of the old (and in these times), three times, the person says the truth. 

This was evident in the denial of Jesus by Peter. After Peter declared three times that he knew not Jesus, he was troubled no more. Significantly, these three ‘peaceful greetings’ destroyed and made whole the damage caused by Peter’s denial. Thus, Christ expected that we would start on a fresh page, afresh – and then act like him; what Archbishop Obinna of Owerri Archdiocese, Imo State, calls ‘being Christic’ (pronounced Kryistik). 

And so, the early disciples imitated Christ (and were called Christians) in all things. So, to greet one another, they would say Salem—that is, imparting Christ’s peace, who Himself was called Prince of Peace (Is. 9:6).

In the Contemporary Time

Passed down to our contemporary society, Catholic Priests and protestant pastors use this format of greeting their parishioners/members. It is worthy to note that this greeting has been reserved for the ordained only. That seems to be our first mistake!

A graver mistake and neglect is that of the people who have this greeting reserved for them—the priests and the pastors. As P. C Umeh, in one of his poems, Ambassadors of Poverty, ridicules the bad leaders as ‘having their heads abroad and their anuses at home,’ I ridicule these priests who say, the Lord be with you when they are far away the people.

Christian Religious Leaders

How can the Lord be with us when you drive exotic cars, passenger-less, along the streets, see your parishioners standing under the sun and waiting for a taxi—then, like the biblical priest and the Levite, you look the other way? Hypocrisy!

Priests/Pastors be wary! Do you not know that you have been set apart to offer sacrifices to God, from the rising of the sun to its setting (Malachi 1:11)? Why then do you not keep yourselves clean, pure, and blameless? 

If you upset God with your immoral lives, He may say, ‘I am not pleased with you, and I will accept no sacrifice from your hands’ (Malachi 1:10). That you may keep your lips upright, so that when you bless the people, the Lord is really with them- and so are you.

How can you accept foodstuffs and other material things from your parishioners, yet when you see any of them hungry, at worse near your kitchens, you run to grab your guns (Matt. 5:42). Do you not know that you have been sanctified by the truth (John 17:18) and that you have been made holy?

So, before you bless others, be sure that you are holy and near to the people (Matt. 7:3). Your call is a call to service, not a mere recital of words of benediction.

As priests, you should be near the people always; let the spiritual welfare of the people always be your concern- just as you sympathize with our weaknesses (Heb. 4:15). 

You have been selected to be near us, with us and for us (Heb. 5:1). That is why we ask our most heavenly Father, the Almighty, to give to you the ‘dignity of the priesthood! May you pastors not make fun of these prayers you have received.

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruits (Jn. 15:16). Jesus has chosen you priests/pastors and has commissioned you to serve among us (Matt. 10; 6; 16). Do you then refuse to answer or obey our lord whom you did, in your hay days, confess to love? 

Be with us! Emmanuel – God is with us; and if you must act like God and of God, at least we should be comforted that you priests are with us.

So, before you kiss your parishioners in your churches, or touch their penises and vaginas; climb on their backs or spray insecticides in their faces – all in the name of deliverance, ask yourself DO I DO AS THE LORD WANTS? 

Take a little of that insecticide and spray it on your faces – how does it feel? Before you ask them to bring unto the lord in the proportion that he has given them, ask yourself, IF I USE THIS TO BUY PRIVATE JET OR EXPENSIVE GUCCI COLLECTIONS, DO I PLEASE THE LORD?

These things are acts you do that make God turn his face away from you, making you run the race alone. They are also acts which make your parishioners run away from you and put you far away from them; so that when you say THE LORD BE WITH YOU, they would reply, AND YOU, WHERE ARE YOU?