The Hidden Weight of the Collar

 

By Rev.  Alex Vargas

 

“I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.” – Jeremiah 3:15

 

“We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair… always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.” – 2 Corinthians 4:8,10

 

Dear Parish Family,

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This month, on Sunday, September 28th, we will celebrate Priesthood Sunday, a special opportunity for the Church to pause, reflect, and pray for the priests who serve her. I invite you to join us for a special Mass at 12:30 PM, followed by a reception outside the church. I hope this can be more than an event, it can be a moment of encounter with Christ and with one another.

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As your pastor, I want to speak to you personally, not just about the role of a priest, but about the soul of a priest. What it means to carry this calling in a world that often no longer understands or values it.

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The priesthood is a sacred calling.
But it is also a life of paradox.

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We are called to be spiritual fathers, to baptize newborns with tears of joy in our eyes, to witness the vows of a young couple promising lifelong love, to stand beside the dying as they breathe their final breath. We hold the extremes of human life in our hands: the laughter of children, the tears of widows, the hopes and heartbreaks of families. We hear the private confessions of sins that weigh heavily on hearts, and we carry those burdens silently to the cross, week after week.

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But in today’s world, the priest is not only a shepherd and father, he is also expected to be a CEO, a counselor, a manager, a fundraiser, the Teacher, the videographer and an administrator. We oversee buildings, budgets, employees, contracts, designers, musicians, maintenance, and repairs, the daily responsibilities of an institution that must function efficiently, even as our hearts long only to draw souls closer to Christ.

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This life is beautiful.
It is sacred.
But it is also hard.
And it is very human.

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Many priests give everything, heart, body, mind, and soul, to their parish families. And yet, too often, when age or illness comes, we find ourselves quietly stepping aside… and sometimes feeling forgotten. There is a quiet grief in that transition. A sense of being left behind after pouring out a lifetime in service to others.

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And still, we continue.
We carry the collar not because it is easy, but because He is worthy.

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“Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart… For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” – Matthew 11:29–30

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So this Priesthood Sunday, I ask only this: pray.

• Pray for the young man discerning God’s call with a trembling heart.

• Pray for the tired priest who serves with love but carries unseen sorrow.

• Pray for the retired priest who wonders if he is still needed.

• And please, pray for your pastor, for me, that I may never grow weary of saying “yes” to Jesus.

 

And let me share something close to my heart:
Many of you have seen me place my hands on the tabernacle after Mass or during quiet moments. That’s not just a ritual. That is my sacred moment with Jesus. It’s when I press my hands against His Heart, and I beg Him: “Lord, make me worthy. Lord, protect my parishioners. Lord, guard my brother priests.”

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It’s in that silence, before the One who called me, that I remember why I wear this collar, not for honor, not for recognition, but out of love.

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I desire nothing more than your prayers, for God to make me worthy of the call He has placed upon my life.

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With love in Christ the High Priest,

Rev.  Alex Vargas
Pastor Of Saint Thomas More