No, this is for the Fathers that probably don't get many chances to go fishing or get pancakes in bed or have grand cookouts for Father's Day. This is for priests.
This is for the priest at my grade school who always made time to play basketball with the guys during recess.
This is for the African priest at my parents' parish who, while he wore turtle necks and sweaters in the summer, was so on fire with the Holy Spirit that he got all those white folk to shout out things like "Praise the Lord!"
This is for the little priest at my first college who walked around in his socks was, in his quiet way, so persistent about seeking vocations from our freshman class.
This is for the little Scottish priest who taught me that smoking is not a mortal sin.
This is for all the priests of the Pittsburgh Oratory whose prayers, guidance, debates, example, and fellowship helped to save my husband's soul and set us both on the path towards truth.
This is for the priest who was only assigned to our current parish for nine months, but in that time showed my children more love than they've seen from many of their extended family members. And who still remembers our family every Christmas.
This is for the blind priest at our parish who knew when the tabernacle was opened before his corrective surgery and dropped immediately to his knees. His holiness and profound teachings have done wonders for our family's spiritual growth.
This is for the Chaplin at the hospital who so lovingly offers the sacraments, not only to the patients, but also with special fervor to the employees. It's not everywhere that the Mass is offered at 11:30 PM routinely on Saturday nights.
This is for the priest who introduced our family to another family in our parish who homeschools. Our friendship with them led to my dear husband's new career as a firefighter.
This is for the priest at the parish where we sing who is now struggling with his vocation.
This is for the pastor who was only at our parish for about three years, whose aloofness taught us something of the transcendence of God.
This is for the Filipino priest at our parish who had never seen snow and wondered how he would ever cross the twenty feet from the rectory to the church.
This is for our associate pastor who has devoted his pastoral career to spreading the teachings of John Paul II; who has restored reverence and softened hearts; who has constantly given of himself for the good of his flock; who has taught countless boys how to be real men.
In this world where the most holy priesthood is bashed from left and right, inside and out, your efforts have not gone unnoticed. Thank you for bringing heaven to us.
Tu es sacerdos in aeternum secundum ordinem Melchizedek.
Stuff
Comments 2
I've been catching up on the First Things issues that I got in 2003 and noted this one (this week after Father's day, oddly enough): "Ordaining Women: Two Views" (http://www.firstthings.com/article.php3?id_article=472 ; Copyright (c) 2003 First Things (April 2003). ).
(sorry my pop-ups aren't working for the links/quotes)
"In other words, a Roman Catholic priest is not simply a father figure; he is a father. To state what has ceased to be obvious in a society governed in large measure by the principle of androgyny, fathers and mothers are not interchangeable. Women are not men and, therefore, cannot be priests any more than they can be fathers in the physical sense. If women can step into the role of priest, then it is no longer one of fatherhood."
(I suggest reading both views: one from a current (in 2003) Lutheran woman Vicar, one from a former woman pastor who is now Roman Catholic ("As a former Lutheran pastor who is now (in 2003) Roman Catholic…").)
(Note: the former pastor draws heavily from JPII's theology of the body.)
gbm3
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