Priesthood and Prison Ministry by Father Emmanuel Mantzouris
Ephesians 5:29-30 – “For no man ever hates his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body.”
This familiar verse is a portion of the pastoral epistle of Saint Paul to the Christian community of Ephesus. Read at the Holy Sacrament of Marriage, at first glance, it may seem hardly applicable to prison ministry. However, in preparation to write this article on the Priesthood and Prison Ministry, this portion of the epistles came to mind.
It is in obedience to the Lord that we, as clergy and lay volunteers, go to the prisons. By God's grace, we advocate and try to meet the needs of our brothers and sisters in prison. However, it is clear from the Scriptures and especially the parable of the sheep and the goats, that Christ is on both sides of the razor wire - visitors and inmates alike!
As we go to the inmates in prison, we represent the Church – members of the body of Christ.We are called to minister to those who are incarcerated – nourishing and cherishing them – as if in prison with them. To the inmate, we represent an extension of the body of Christ, an answer to a prayer, to help erase the shame of sin, so that they do not feel like an abandoned sheep that has gone astray.
3Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering (Hebrews 13:3)
In the parable of the sheep and the goats the Lord clearly depicts Himself in the person of the inmate.“I was in prison, and you came to me.”In another place, He says, “I was in prison and you did not come to me.”If therefore Christ is depicted in both the inmate and in the one who visits the inmate, then we see Jesus ministering unto Himself – because “no man ever hates his own flesh but nourishes and cherishes it.”It is therefore a strong and clear image of Christ nourishing and cherishing His own flesh, the church, His body, when we visit the needs of those in prison.
Focusing on the person of the clergy, who are the ones who fervently supplicate the Lord on behalf of the flock, making sacrifices for our own sins and for the sins of the people.We visit those in prison with humility.After all, in the person of the inmate, we are going to visit the Lord.In return, we have the reassurance that we are doing the Lord’s work, and that we are the clay vessels through whom the Lord nourishes and cherishes His own flesh – the church.
For a moment, I want to draw attention to the short phrase – clay vessel. “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels (clay)to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us”
(II Corinthians 4:7).
In his pastoral epistles to his spiritual son Timothy and to the Christian communities entrusted to his care, Saint Paul makes reference to the grace of God given to us in earthen vessels (clay).This is very significant.We were created from the earth, and surely Saint Paul’s intention, in part, is to make subtle reference to the creation narrative. However, one of the very beautiful characteristics of clay is that it absorbs whatever is put into it.Inspired by God the Holy Spirit, Saint Paul wisely refers to us as clay vessels to show that the power of God transcends who we are, but also to show that whatever grace is poured out through us, we in turn also are benefitted.We are not inert vessels of grace, but clay vessels – benefitting ourselves as we pass on His grace to others.As we work with the inmates and ex-felons, we too are benefitted by the healing and reassuring grace of God that flows from the Lord to us, and through us to the inmates.Ultimately, as we offer ourselves to the needs of those in prison, and advocate for inmates by way of obedience to the Lord’s will, we too are benefited.
Clergy and lay volunteers – we wholeheartedly thank you for your perseverance and the unmercenary work of the Lord you are doing for our brothers and sisters in the prisons.You leave your families and other tasks aside in order to visit the Lord in prison.As you read on your own and as you hear the sacred Scriptures being read in the Church, you too are being nourished and washed with the word, confident that you are doing the will of God.On the Sunday of Meat Fare, you take the holy words to heart, being washed with the word as if with water, and know deep within you that the Lord is pleased with your commitment to do His will, and His right hand awaits you.
We, the members of the Orthodox Christian Prison Ministry, are making indomitable efforts to reaffirm prison ministry as a viable ministry in the Orthodox Christian seminaries throughout the United States – to reaffirm prison ministry as a specialized ministry and an integral core part of parish ministry.We know from experience that many of our people are suffering in silence.We have visited some of the seminaries already and have been welcomed warmly in our efforts to offer resources and reaffirmation.It is our hope that prison ministry will become a part of the normal and core curriculum of every Orthodox Christian seminary, and we are committed to doing our best to nurture prison ministry as an important facet of the image of the royal priesthood.
In his pastoral epistles
