Man of God: The Catholic Priest and the Cornerstones of His Life

Bishop Athanasius Schneider

In this timely work dedicated to invigorating the heart of every priest, Bishop Athanasius Schneider draws upon the wisdom of Scripture, the Fathers and Doctors of the Church, and other great spiritual writers to bear witness to the gift of the priesthood. Man of God: The Catholic Priest and the Cornerstones of His Life provides rich reflections on the great loves of the priest: God, the Catholic faith, the priesthood of Christ, the salvation of souls, humility, chastity, the Cross, the Holy Mass, the tabernacle, the confessional, the holy angels, and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Prayerful consideration of Man of God will undoubtedly foster a deeper love for the spiritual treasures of the priesthood and rekindle in all priests the embers of desire that first drew them toward their holy vocation.

ATHANASIUS SCHNEIDER was born in Kyrgyzstan in 1961 to a German family and baptized with the name Antonius. In 1973 the family emigrated to Germany. He joined the Order of Canons Regular of the Holy Cross in Austria in 1982 and received the religious name Athanasius; he was ordained a priest in Brazil on March 25, 1990. Having earned a doctorate in Patrology at the Augustinianum in Rome, he has taught since 1999 at the seminary in Karaganda, Kazakhstan. In 2006 he was ordained bishop in the Basilica of St Peter in Rome and appointed titular bishop of Celerina and auxiliary bishop of Karaganda. From 2011 to the present he has been auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Mary Most Holy in Astana and chairman of the Liturgical Commission of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Kazakhstan. Bishop Schneider is the author of two books on the Holy Eucharist: Dominus Est: It Is the Lord! and Corpus Christi: Holy Communion and the Renewal of the Church, as well as the book interview Christus Vincit: Christ’s Triumph Over the Darkness of the Age and Credo: A Compendium of the Catholic Faith.

“Bishop Athanasius Schneider has given Catholic priests, and all those who love the priesthood, a wonderfully rich compilation of spiritual reflections on the priesthood. Drawing upon a wide range of writings by saints and spiritual authors, Schneider sets forth the loves that should mark the life of the priest of God. Suitable for a private retreat or spiritual reading, this book instructs, inspires, and encourages all readers to love the priesthood of Jesus Christ.”

—Fr. Gerald E. Murray, Pastor, Church of the Holy Family, New York, NY, and Member of EWTN’s “The Papal Posse”

“Esteemed worldwide for his courage in proclaiming truth, zeal for souls, and uncompromising fidelity to Catholic doctrine, Most Rev. Athanasius Schneider is a true shepherd echoing the unchanging teachings of Jesus Christ. Now, in his latest book, His Excellency continues his episcopal ministry of leading souls to heaven by inspiring and instructing us on the true nature and mission of the Catholic priesthood. Man of God: The Catholic Priest and the Cornerstones of His Life is the best book on the priesthood since Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen penned The Priest Is Not His Own in 1963. This book is destined to become a classic!”

—Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC, Vicar Provincial of the Marian Fathers and Author of Consecration to St. Joseph

“In Man of God: The Catholic Priest and the Cornerstones of His Life, Bishop Athanasius Schneider has given a great spiritual gift to the priests of the Church. In an age of widespread doctrinal confusion on one hand and raw, rampant secularism on the other, Bishop Schneider points the priests of Jesus Christ back to the supernatural realities of faith. He reminds us of the eminent dignity of the priesthood. He echoes in our day the perennial call of the priests of Jesus Christ to love God—and the things of God—above all else. Using a rich portion of the Church’s spiritual treasury, the Bishop gives a point-by-point tutorial of twelve essential dispositions and sacred actions of the priestly way of life. In his teachings, Bishop Schneider shows himself to be a gentle, loving father who cares for the Church and earnestly desires all her priests to be holy.”

—Fr. Jeffrey Kirby, Author of Glory Unto Glory: A Primer on Ascetical Theology

“In Man of God: The Catholic Priest and the Cornerstones of His Life, Bishop Athanasius Schneider brings together a series of rich, classical texts on the priesthood drawn from the Catholic Church’s bi-millennial tradition in order to help priests fall in love again with their own sacerdotal vocation. In the present age, priests face immense challenges. To labor effectively amid those challenges, priests themselves must first be spiritually renewed. The many texts on priestly life and ministry cited in this volume will provide priests with abundant spiritual nourishment to sustain them along the often arduous road that lies ahead. These same texts will also serve to instill an even greater love for the priesthood in the lives of the Catholic faithful.”

—Father Joseph Carola, S.J. Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome