Tested in Every Way Essay -- Christopher Ruddy

Tested in Every Way: the Catholic Priesthood in Today’s Church, written by Christopher Ruddy, is a report and at the same time a reflection on the Seventh Annual Cardinal Bernardin Conference which was held in the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, TX in 2003 . Ruddy reports the voices of academic and pastoral expertise sharing about the challenges and the identity of being a priest. Besides of giving a report, the book opens up and finishes with the Ruddy’s insightful reflections. Ruddy opens up with an â€Å"examination of the cultural and ecclesiological contexts of the priesthood in today’s church (13)†. In the first chapter of the book Ruddy mentions three challenges the church and priest are facing today: popular skepticism, erosion of biblical and theological literacy, and the impossibility of a genuine diverse but unified moral and religious community. He states that the rise of skepticism contributes to a hermeneutics of suspicion. That type of hermeneutics lead to a construction of narratives of progress and redemption, but sometimes those narratives are held to twist the reality (19) creating divisions among other groups (20). To face the mentioned challenges, Ruddy says: â€Å"the priest are called to model catholicity in the face of pluralism, defend objective truth against skepticism, and to speak about the obstacles to hope†. Finally, Ruddy mentions that there have been many contextual and demographical changes in society tha t have shaped the identity of the priest, but as John Paul II puts it, â€Å" the priest receives his identity and his ministry from the communion he shares with Christ, his bishop, brother priests, his fellows baptized, and the entire human community (48). In the chapters two, three and four... ... see a priest witnessing what he preaches, and a priest that takes into account the gifts, talents and knowledge of all the member of the community. Bevan’s image of the conductor of an orchestra is what people want to see. In other word a priest as a person that leads the community to work in harmony and through that community work lead people to Christ. Tested in Every Way is a book that needs to be read by priests, seminarians and those who are in training for future ministry. The book opens our mind to a broader perspective of what the priest is today and what is expected of him in the future. I see the book as an invitation to reflect on my own image of the priesthood and at the same time to work toward a vision that embraces me in a community which is sustained by the relationship with God and all the members of the faithful community.