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A proper human formation leads to an openness to the possibility of sanctity. That possibility is realized through intimacy with God in the Trinity.
As the Holy Father teaches, Christ is the key to entry into that divine communion of love. “Those who take on the likeness of Christ the Priest by sacred ordination should form the habit of drawing close to him as friend in every detail of His life”(45). Without daily prayer, a priest cannot meet the responsibilities of his vocation. This is true for Christians in every vocation - but how much more so for the priest, who must serve as a kind of scout, guide and agent of hope for those who choose to tread the spiritual path cut by Christ, the pioneer and perfector of our faith (Heb 12:2).
The obligations of the priestly state include daily recitation of the Liturgy of the Hours, with and for the whole Church. Priests should, above all, seek to offer the Eucharist daily, since it is “[from] this unique sacrifice their whole priestly ministry draws its strength”(CCC, 1566). A regular recourse to the Sacrament of Reconciliation is also a requisite to any advancement in the spiritual life.
Seminarians should never think of these anchors of the priestly life as burdens from which one might need a break or respite. They are not just things that a priest does, but integral to who the priest is. The priest cannot be just a man who prays; he must be a man of prayer, a man transformed by constant prayer. The life of prayer must also include daily reading of and reflection on the Sacred Scriptures, the Word of God. Without a deep familiarity with the “plan of the mystery”revealed in Christ (Eph 3:9), a priest cannot disclose that mystery to others.
Of course, celebration of the Eucharist, recitation of the Liturgy of the Hours and the reading of Sacred Scripture form the solid foundation for meditative prayer. This, too, needs to be a daily part of the life of a priest. Many use the rosary as a springboard for deeper meditation. This staple of Catholic piety deserves a primary place in the daily regimen of priests.
A few words should also be said about what used to be called “mortification.”Fasting and other forms of selfdiscipline are essentially a form of practice in self-giving. If we are constantly allowing ourselves the many luxuries which the modern world places before us, we will not be ready to sacrifice ourselves for the sake of those we ought to love: God and neighbor . Little, quiet gifts of self to God in the form of small sacrifices go a very long way toward reorienting us away from an addictive concern with the consumption of things toward a loving availability to God and neighbor.
Prayer and fasting, along with constant dedication to the service of God's people, teach priests to draw close to Christ as a friend in every detail of their lives.