By Father Benedict Groeschel, C.F.R.

The Priest of the Year

Book explores what it is that makes a priest a man of mystery

We have begun the Year of the Priest, and it has been very interesting to see how many books on the priesthood are being offered by various publishers at the moment. Of course one can only be delighted to see this. The books range from theological studies to sociological ones, and I am pleased to say that many of them are aimed at giving some real encouragement to Catholic priests at this time.

I am sure I don't have to tell anyone that we priests have been through a particularly tough several years, a time of criticism and scandal. After such a trying period, some of these books are especially welcome.

Recently, Msgr. Dermot Brennan, a good friend of mine who is a retired pastor of the Archdiocese of New York, wrote such a book, Your Parish Priest: a Man of Mystery (published by St. Paul's/Alba House, 2187 Victory Blvd., Staten Island, NY 10314, 1-800-343-2522) 220 pp., $14.95. I read this book not long ago and enjoyed it very much.

I would suggest that if you're looking to read one of the new books about the priesthood, that this would be a good selection. Your Parish Priest: a Man ofMystery is appropriate reading material not only for any priest, but also for a seminarian or a potential seminarian.

Obviously, it can also be enjoyed by friends of the priesthood, and I even suspect that those non-Catholics who wonder what a priest is like, might find much to think about here.

Among the many things that Msgr. Brennan deals with well in the book is the perennial question: ''What does a priest do from Sunday night until Saturday morning?''

This is a question that many of us have been asked so many times that we'd like to scream, and I must say that I am very grateful to Msgr. Brennan for answering it so fully and beautifully. He carefully explains the long list of duties that clergymen in general are called upon to perform, the ones Catholic priests share with other members of the clergy, no matter what their denomination, tasks concerning counseling, consoling, instructing, and generally being there for people.

He then speaks eloquently of the sacramental life of the Church -- the things that sharply distinguish the priest from the clergy of other Christian bodies -- the things that are the most essential part of the priest's identity.

Your Parish Priest: a Man ofMystery is, of course, in part, a memoir. This has become a very popular form of writing over the past few years, and it is basically a form of autobiography.

If you are a priest reading this book, you will surely find elements of your own life reflected in Msgr. Brennan's. Every priest will see in this book something of his own memoir, even though he may never have thought of writing one.

Finally, Msgr. Brennan goes through the different spiritual matters that every priest must be attentive to if he wants to continue to grow toward God. That this part of the book is brief doesn't surprise me. Its brevity is indicative of the fact that many priests are hesitant to speak of their own spiritual lives.

One can understand why this may be the case, although I have been convinced for many years that most priests lead very authentic spiritual lives so long as they have not surrendered to distractions or to a certain kind of self-hate and rejection.

We must not forget that even a priest struggling with serious personal problems may have a very real spiritual life. It is important for all of us during this Year of the Priest to quietly recognize our relationship with the unseen (but often deeply felt) presence of Jesus Christ in our lives and to remember that Christ constantly speaks to us powerfully through and in the words of the Gospel.

This, after all, is what makes a priest -- in Msgr. Brennan's words -- a man of mystery. TP