Even in challenging times, I am grateful for the call

The Clarion Herald celebrates “The Gift of Priesthood” with this reflection from Bishop Shelton Fabre, bishop of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux.

By BISHOP SHELTON FABRE
Guest columnist

There are opportune times for priests to reflect upon the grace of the calling that is ours to serve the Lord and the Church as priests of Jesus Christ.

Perhaps one such event is after a tragic or challenging event, such as Hurricane Ida, which made a direct hit upon the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux.

Challenges such as this can cause us to reflect anew upon our call as priests and bishops. Even as I now deal with the challenges of responding to the needs of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux after Hurricane Ida, I am nonetheless able to say that in my 32 years as a priest and my 14 years as a bishop I have been fulfilled in ministry and deeply grateful for the call of the Lord given to me.

Both in the times of peace and the times of challenge, it has been a real grace to serve as a priest and bishop. Serving the Lord as a priest is a life like no other, and I am blessed for the many ways that the Lord has been and is faithful to and present to me in my ministry. 

I am also grateful for the many ways that the Lord has blessed me through the bishops and priests with whom I serve and have served. I express particular gratitude for the members of the lay faithful, who have prayed for me and with me, supported me, enhanced my life with their friendship, and been for me such a source of grace because of their enduring faith and journey with the Lord.

I do hope that we as priests take the time to reflect on the grace of this vocation that is ours, and approach the Lord with gladness and thanksgiving for calling us to serve his holy people in this way.  It is not always easy, but it is always a blessing to be a priest of Jesus Christ.

Bishop Shelton J. Fabre was installed as Bishop of Houma-Thibodaux in 2013. He was ordained as a priest in 1989 for the Diocese of Baton Rouge and was ordained as an auxiliary bishop of New Orleans in 2007.