DON'T LET THIS BE THE NEW NORM!

Yes, it is a terrible, tragic thing that we cannot all get to the sacraments.  But there are some things to learn from this.

For example, it just plain isn’t all that unusual.  Think of the brouhaha over the Amazon recently and all that drove some of the issues that came up over the lack of priests.  (I am not advocating for change, just pointing this out.)  It is also the reason the Diocese of Cleveland

sends priests to El Salvador, there just was not enough priests to minister to all the Catholics there!

My family came from the Alps in Slovenia.  Because they lived in the mountains and before there were modern roads and plentiful automobiles and such, they only had Mass twice a year in their church built in the 1700s because that was the only time a priest could make it.

It wasn’t until 1908 that the United States was no longer considered mission territory by Rome.  Before that we heavily relied on clergy from other countries to fill our pulpits!  

Today we getting a taste of what life could be like in the United States again if we do not promote vocations.  Please pray for vocations to the priestly and religious life.  If you are at all feeling pulled by God into such a life, consider speaking with a priest or with the vocation director of you diocese.

Be a solution!

DEBATING A BEST SOLUTION

I was unprepared as a newly ordained for the number of people who said, “You know, I should have never been married.  I’m not really cut out for it but it seemed like the thing I was supposed to do.”  When someone says this, we don’t talk about discerning whether God is calling them elsewhere or not, we talk about a spirituality that will help them keep up with their promises and commitments.  The time for discernment (vocational anyway) has passed.  It would never be that God is calling you out of your marriage and family (although there are rare exceptions.)

So it is with heavy heart that I hear about (formerly Father) Jonathon Morris, once famous priest and commentator on FOX news.  I like the guy.  I want to wish him well and heavens know we don’t need unhappy priests in the priesthood.  However, in his interview on FOX he said that God is the one calling him away from his vocation, promises and commitments.  It is with this that I have difficulty.

There are a lot of things that could be going on in his life.  Maybe it is that he became a priest thinking that it really wasn’t for him just like a person might think that maybe he wasn’t really cut out for marriage but wanted to live up to other’s hopes.  And he certainly had some rough things with which to contend in his priesthood and it was probably a good idea to let him go if his heart was set on it (a lot of damage could have occurred otherwise.)  But that this was the best solution I have caution especially in an era when people, in general, are having grave difficulties being committed to a cup of coffee with a friend in a week let alone marriage, holy orders or other of life’s grave commitments.

He has my prayers and I wish him and others in his shoes well, but it is with sadness and I am not on the bandwagon of, “Good for him for following his heart!”  To be clear: there may be things going on in his life to which we are not privy and maybe this is the best move for all involved.  But as an example of of how to handle life’s commitments when they are not as we had hoped (or we are not happy, or we find something better, or our interests have changed, or, or or) this is a solution to be looked upon somberly and with great caution.

IF GOD WOULD ONLY PLAINLY TELL ME WHAT HE WANTS ME TO DO WITH MY LIFE.

“What does God want me to do with my life?”

Often I come across people, usually young adults, who feel stuck in concerning their life’s path.  “If only God would tell me His plan for me,” is what they want to know.

You may not want that.

Suppose you did know.  Then you could never do anything else or you would be acting against God’s plan.  What a terrible pressure to carry on with what you are doing even if you are bad at it or extremely unhappy.

Still, for some people there is a definite life path.  Through discernment and openness to all of the clues around them, and with the assistance of some sort of spiritual advisor, it is pretty clear.  “Ah!  This is to what I am called!”  That sort of happened to me.  That’s a longer story maybe I’ll share some other time. 

But for some people, it isn’t clear in that way.  This is because what God might need from you is not for you to take “this job” or “this vocation,” it may be that His life plan for you is to live whatever you choose to do in a special way.  It isn’t WHAT you do (within reason) but HOW you do it.  For some people then, they may be asking the wrong question.

There was once a young lady who came to see me with what I thought was good news.  She was accepted into a religious order about which she was very excited.  But when she came to my office, she was in inconsolable tears.  After a little while she was able to explain that a young man with whom she was hanging out, upon discovering that she may actually be going into the convent, proposed to her.  This was good news.  It wasn’t as though she needed to choose between life in prison and the death penalty.  These were to good vocations.  They are both pathways to holiness.  They are both ministries to the world lived correctly.  God was not sitting on a cloud saying, “Pick the right one that I want for you or I get to punish you!”  More likely He was looking lovingly upon His daughter and saying, “I have given you two wonderful presents from which to choose, but you may only have one.  Pick one and live it with relish, power and grace and help Me transform the world.”

If you are stuck in a “what is God’s plan for me” mode, be open to signs, be open to what people of faith people may be saying to you, be open to spiritual direction and be patient - but not TOO patient.  Don’t let the process be that time takes away all choices and you get what is left.  In the mean time, also be open to the idea of not WHAT but HOW and start living it with gusto!  Live life as though you ARE the son or daughter of the Heavenly Father that you are, that you are among the kings and queens in the heavenly court, that you are a disciple, that you are the person of prayer, sacrament and grace, that you are fully what God is calling you to be.

JACK OF ALL TRADES - MASTER OF FEW

“I’m starting to get a taste of what’s involved with being a pastor.”

This was a line from a newly ordained priest for the Diocese of Cleveland.  He had visited St. Sebastian on Monday night to talk to our confirmation candidates, their parents, and sponsors about being on fire for God.  Afterward in the rectory he made that comment about being a pastor.  He was “Home Alone,” his pastor being on his annual retreat.  “I’m not running the parish,” he was quick to clarify, “but I’m discovering there is a lot more to it than I originally imagined.”

Besides being an “expert” (as much as anybody is) on matters of faith, God, and people’s souls, there are budgets and roofs and counseling.  Art, education, tax laws, city ordinances, Increasing federal laws, and being able to play the politician (you can’t say yes to everything but try to keep people involved and happy) and more are all nuances of a pastor.

 
“I had to say, ‘No,’ to someone today,” he said.  “Gosh was that difficult.  It was something that the person really wanted and I knew the pastor (who was away) didn’t.  I had to find a way to say no without getting this very enthusiastic person upset.”  It is a very difficult thing.

That was an interesting lesson to learn for such a recently ordained priest.  

Then the next morning tragedy struck his parish.  One of the school children had died.  Pulled away from Mass, he had to run out to scene to pray and comfort.  But Mass could not be left unfinished and so he had to returned to finish Mass after witnessing this as duty called him to do.  But things would not end there.  This is something with which they will be dealing for a long time.  

Fortunately the pastor was able to hurry home and assist with his wizened and time tested years dealing with all kinds of things and together, along with a wonderful, faith filled community, they began the process of coping and healing.

This weekend is Priesthood Sunday.  Imagine how different things would have been if there was not a priest on hand at the parish that morning - if there were not someone living at the parish that could handle emergencies around the clock - if there were not someone free of familial obligations so as to be able to be that representative of Christ (however imperfectly we do so) whenever and for as long as needed.  Please pray for vocations.  Suggest to a young man that you think he might make a good priest.  Be a part of the solution of making sure our Catholic community is well tended in the future.

MAY I HAVE THE ENVELOPE REVEALING GOD'S PLAN PLEASE.

So a lady calls me who had been trying to get into a religious order out of state.  “I was accepted!” she exclaimed and wanted to come in to see me the next day to talk about it.  To tell the truth, I was excited also.

The next day she comes in and starts balling tears.  Waterfalls.  Like someone accidentally punctured a water tank.  I was mildly confused.  “I thought we were happy and excited about this,” I said.  As it turns out, the gentlemen with whom she was spending time decided that he was serious about loving her and wanted to spend a lot more guaranteed time with her.  So out of the blue he proposed and now she was conflicted.  

“What does God want me to do?  Does He want me to be married or does He want me to be in a religious order?”

“Well, first let’s look on the bright side,” I responded, “It is not as though you are looking at the difference between death row and a life sentence.  This is a choice between two goods!”  (That didn’t help.)

Unlike St. Francis, most people don’t have a dream or hear a voice from God saying, ‘HERE IS EXACTLY WHAT I WANT YOU TO DO.”  Be glad.  If that happened, you would HAVE to fulfill it or be in serious sin since you would know the will of God and then ignore it!  Most of us are granted MUCH more leeway.

So most of us go through a period of discernment.  Or we should instead of just plowing through life doing the next thing that pops up.  If you want a plan of discernment, there are all kinds of books, tubes and retreats on the matter.  Many times it comes down to making a decision.  Your discernment may leave you with two goods and nights of roiling over “What does God want me to do?”  Here’s the answer (and you may not like it if you are in the roiling process right now.)  Sometimes God wants you to choose and then be faithful to that choice.  Marriage and religious life are two goods.  They were placed before the woman mentioned above like two puppies.  She had to choose one and only one, and then make the decision to give that one puppy all her care.

Sometimes that alone is God’s will.

IS YOUR EVIL PLAN ON SCHEDULE?

My evil plan is right on schedule.

 

While I was in the seminary, the priest shortage was in full swing.  It did not bother me because it was all part of plan that would serve me well and as we all know, this is all about me.

 

Here is the plan:  The shortage would continue causing a “buyer’s market” meaning that I will get THE assignment that I had always dreamed about.  THEN, there would be a huge influx seminarians so that there would be a surplus of priests to take care of me in my old age.

 

Well, I cannot think of a better assignment for me than the one that I have right now.  And, in general, vocations numbers are rising.  So now it is time to kick things into high gear.  I’m not getting any younger and I have to train my handlers now while I have the energy.

 

One of the reasons that things have been so hectic that I could not post recently is that I was busy implementing the next part of my evil plan yesterday.  A group of young men approached the parish and asked if they could take a trip to the seminary to see what this priesthood thing was all about.  So we loaded up a few cars and headed out to the seminary.

 

We spent the day talking to seminarians, taking tours, praying, eating (lots of eating) and meeting with the vocations director.  Fr. McCandless and the seminarians were very gracious hosts and I enjoyed myself until we came across our ordination pictures on the wall.  “That’s YOU?  So that’s what you look like with hair.”

 

One of the biggest surprises of the day was from our young ladies who want to have a similar trip.  I had no idea.  So plans are in the making.  Thanks heavens they overcame my lack of awareness.

 

God always works with us.  He doesn’t force anything upon us.  He tends not to work in spite of us.  Like a good Father, he assists His children in their endeavors – does not tell them to sit the couch while He does everything the right way – and gives us some ownership.  So do you want more vocations?  Don’t sit on your hands and simply wish that there will always be someone to say Mass, hear your confession, or anoint your loved one.  Don’t simply pray that there might a priest around when you want one.  Don’t just simply talk positively about the priesthood.  Tap a young man on the shoulder that you think might make a good priest and TELL HIM.  One of the TOP reasons men who thought about the priesthood as a young person never looked into it is because nobody every suggested it to them – said that the community thought that they might just be good enough – that they want him.

HOW THE NUMBERS ADD UP

Remarkable things are discoverable at your parish if you do a little research.  On this 85^th anniversary of the founding of St. Sebastian Parish we had three priests return to the parish to celebrate their 50^th anniversaries.  They were all ordained on the same day along with another classmate who has since passed away.  There is a relatively well known picture of them just before their ordination day standing around a clock with the founding pastor of the parish, each pointing to a time on the clock indicating what time their First Mass of Thanksgiving would on that Sunday.  50 years later to the day they returned to have Mass.  But this time all at the same hour.

 

Here are some interesting things we dug up to help celebrate the day:

 

150:  The number of years these three priests have ministered as ordained clergy to the people of this diocese.  That is a century and a half!

 

51:  Another priest ordained from this parish a year before joined them.

 

201: The total number of years of them together.  This is almost as many years as there has been a United States of America.

 

As a side note, there was a visiting missionary that weekend also who was celebrating 52 years and I could through in my very modest 16 as of tomorrow bringing the total number of years in the sanctuary to 269!

 

27:  The total number of men ordained to the priesthood from this parish since its inception in 1928.

 

1,214:  This number represents the total number of years priests ordained from this parish have served SO FAR.  That’s a millennium and a lot of spare change! 

 

2:  The number of seminarians currently in the seminary from this parish.

 

5:  The number of pastors that this parish has had over the past 85 years.

 

38:  This is the number of parochial vicars that have served this parish over the years.  38 men were supported by their parents, relatives, and friends, were prayed for and encouraged by their parishes, to go to seminary and become priests with the understanding that they most likely would minister to someone else.  The idea is that those other communities, where they sent their sons, would also encourage vocations so that sons of other parishes might come to their parish and minister to them, making sure that Christ was present and given to them as Eucharist, to bring pardon to sinners, to preach the Gospel, to counsel those who need it, to teach, and to administer.  Remember that and pray for vocations, encourage young men in your parish, and foster a culture of vocations.

NUN FOR THE FUTURE?

Continuing yesterday’s post . . .

 

What about the women?  What is happening to the religious orders around us?  Though worldwide numbers are growing just as worldwide vocations to the priesthood are soaring, in the west the numbers are pretty abysmal.  The median age for the orders that served as the backbone of dioceses is skyrocketing.  The Los Angeles Times reported in 1994 that only 3% of nuns were under the age of 40.  But what is more astonishing about this number is that the vast majority of the nuns under 40 are in a limited number of orders.

 

In the same article was this, “Sister Eleace King, a research associate at the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University in Washington, concurred.  "It tells me that the majority of religious congregations of women in this country will not survive. Most are dying," King said.”

 

A 2012 story in the NCR reported however, “One of the most striking findings regarding new entrants," say the writers," is that almost equal numbers of women have been attracted to institutes in both conferences of women religious in the U.S. in recent years. As of 2009, L.C.W.R. institutes reported 73 candidates/postulants, 117 novices and 317 sisters in temporary vows/commitment. C.M.S.W.R. institutes reported 73 candidates/postulants, 158 novices and 304 sisters in temporary vows/commitment." 

 

But this is a little misleading.  As Fr. John Larson wrote, “It seems that a recent article in America has used some statistics that appear to show that LCWR and CMSWR communities had about equal numbers of postulants, novices, and temporary professed according to the 2009 CARA survey, and thus things were somewhat equal in terms of vocations. However, the LCWR represents over 3 times as many communities as the CMSWR. This is definitely not a fair use of stats. The article wants to be “devoid of distortions.” I am not convinced.

 

“Another thing that the article points out is: “The vast majority of both L.C.W.R. and C.M.S.W.R. institutes do not have large numbers of new entrants.” This is true, but of the few that do have large numbers, it should be noted that they are all CMSWR communities. It may be “unfair” to put the media spotlight on them, but having lots of vocations attracts attention, does it not?”

 

So the issues are varied, confusing, and controversial.

 

Recently, there was an altar call at a local young adult retreat.  There are always at least a few young men who will step forward and declare that they are considering the priesthood.  It is particularly to see this down at the youth retreats at Steubenville.  But more exciting is seeing how many young women step forward to say that they are considering religious life.  At the local retreat mentioned above, TWENTY TWO young women stepped forward.

 

Twenty two.  At this one retreat.

 

It is a nasty little secret however that most of these that follow through leave our diocese.  Women from Cleveland have joined the Sisters of Life, Nashville Dominicans, TORs, and a host of other orders that seem to be supplying that for which these young women are looking.  Cleveland has women’s religious vocations.  The nuns in our area have such great institutions, amazing histories, outstanding achievements, monstrous support, huge hearts, great potential, and I wish we were feeding them.  We need them.  We love them. 

 

That being said all this comes together to make it more difficult for a woman to discern a religious vocation.  If you know of a woman in this position, offer her all the prayer and support you can muster.  It is going to be a long and arduous journey.

VOCATIONS IN YOUR DIOCESE

Last week I wrote about the seminarian situation in the Diocese of Cleveland.  Somebody wrote in and asked about the rest of the United States.  What’s going on and what should we do?  It led me to do some research and the findings are interesting.  In some ways very encouraging and in other ways we really need to get to work.

 

First some quick background:  In the Catholic system of priest training there are generally three levels of seminaries.  Almost extinct in the United States is the high school seminary.  Cleveland’s high school seminary closed a number of decades ago.  Next is what equates to the college level seminary.  In Cleveland that is Borromeo Seminary.  It used to be its own college but has since associated itself with John Carroll University which is now the institution that awards the diploma though formation and many of the seminarian classes are held at the seminary.  Then there is the graduate level seminary.  St. Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology is the institution that fulfills this role here in Cleveland.

 

The number of graduate level Catholic seminarians (this is the important number since it is from this group that men are ordained) in the United States was 3,694 in 2013, a 16% increase since 1995.  That does not mean 3,000+ will be ordained next year.  This is the number of men in a 4 to 5 year program and will be ordained, God willing, over the next few years.  That sounds like a huge number but divide it by 50 states, divide that number by the number of dioceses in your state, and then divide that by the number of parishes in your diocese.  Last year 511 men were ordained.  The peak was in 1964 with 994.

 

Here is what a typical newly ordained Catholic priests looks like in the United States according to an article in the Catholic World News:

 

81% has two Catholic parents

20% have 5 or more siblings. 

10% have 4 siblings

22% have 3 siblings

4% have been home schooled

63% went to university before entering the seminary

62% worked full time before entering the seminary

67% served as altar servers

67% are white

15% Hispanic

10% Asian

5% African American

68% regularly pray the rosary

62% participated in Eucharistic adoration before entering the seminary

67% were encouraged by their parish priest

40% of the men were the oldest of the family.

 

Just by comparison, while both of my parents were Catholic, my dad was non-practicing (to say the least) until his death bed.  “Religion is for weak people,” he said, “but at least you will be leader among weak people.”  (Ha!) I have two sisters, was an altar server, graduated from the University of Akron and worked for a couple of years before entering the seminary.  I am of Slovenian descent and prayed the rosary on a semi-regular bases then and occasionally made my way to St. Augustine in Barberton for Adoration.  My home pastor, after whom I took my confirmation name, encouraged me, and I am the baby of the family.

 

So there is the trend but as you can see it is merely a trend.  Don’t carry this list around with you to find the perfect person to encourage to be a priest.  Find a single male (huge age range here) and suggest it to him.  (The worst he can do is laugh.)  We have nothing to lose and everything to gain. 

 

1.      Identify him.

2.      Encourage him.

3.      Pray for him.

4.      Repeat

ARE YOU PART OF THE CULTURE OF VOCATIONS?

Sorry there was not a post yesterday.  Even though it was my day away there was a day of solid meetings to which I needed to attend from early morning until late at night.  At least they were mostly  pleasant.  One was with the person pictured here.  Woohoo!  Good to see you again who was the inspiration for Adam’s Ale!

 

On Monday I was at another meeting called the Presbyteral District meeting.  Dioceses are subdivided into smaller units of parishes.  (Kind of sounds like Moses and the advice he got from his father-in-law; divide them up into groups of thousands, hundreds, and tens . . . )  So we have the world, nations, dioceses, groupings within a diocese, parishes, and it can go on from there.

 

A diocese may be divided up either into districts or deaneries.  This diocese is divided up into districts.  St. Sebastian Parish is the Summit South district.  It was to this presbyteral (read: priests) district meeting to which I went.  At these meetings there are reports from the presbyteral council (the council of priests that meet monthly with the bishop) and we may craft a requested (or not so requested) response or send other topics to the council for discussion. 

 

Diocesan news is also discussed as well as announcements of things going on at parishes within the district that others might find intriguing.  Finally, there is often a presentation usually from one of the offices “downtown.”  This week, the presentation was from Fr. Michael McCandless who is the vocation director for the Diocese of Cleveland.

 

By all accounts, the seminary of the Diocese of Cleveland is one of the healthiest numbers wise in the nation.  We are nowhere near replacement rate, but we are doing quite well.  We are one of the only non-regional seminaries left.  That is, though there are seminaries with many more students, those students tend to come from many dioceses.  If you are a diocesan or religious studying at our seminaries in Cleveland, you or your order serves in the Cleveland area.  That makes our numbers all the more remarkable. 

 

Here are some things you need to know to help promote vocations and help a “culture of vocations” grow around you.

 

ü  The average age that a man begins thinking seriously about the priesthood is about 16 or 17.

ü  The average age of the ordinandi in our diocese is 29.

ü  48% were discouraged by parents, family, and/or friends.

ü  100% talked to a priest about their vocation.

 

If a young man was seriously thinking about the seminary and nobody spoke to them about it such as, “Hey, did you ever think of the priesthood - I think you would be great,” there is only a 15% chance that they will take any action about looking into the priesthood.

 

If the same young man had 2 people speak to him, there is a 30% chance that they will take an action.  If 3 people, there is a 45% chance.  If 4, 60%, and if 5, 75%. 

 

That is how vital you are.

 

Also, let young men know that going to the seminary (or even just looking into it) does not mean they chain you to the chapel and make you become a priest.  The seminary is a place of discernment.  It is a place to explore, not that you might find certainty in your decision, but clarity.

 

And, moms and dads, the education and formation that your son receives as an undergraduate is superior, marketable, and, in the long run, much less expensive.  So don’t fear that he is locked away at the seminary becoming stunted should he decide to leave the seminary.  In fact, he will take many classes at and receive his degree from John Caroll University.  Not bad at all.

 

Now get out there and tell someone you think is a candidate that you think them worthy to think about the priesthood!

HAMBURGER VOCATION

This weekend is vocation awareness weekend.  “Vocation” means more than a priestly or religious life.  There are many vocations within the Church.  Marriage is also a vocation.  Religious life is a vocation.  The chosen single life is a vocation.  A vocation helps us live out our service to God.  One first chooses how they are called to serve and then figures out which vocation best fits their calling. 

If you have yet to figure out your vocation, actively look into it, pursue it, and live it with a vengeance!  Choose rather than settle for what is left to you.  If you are already in a vocation, start today to rededicate yourself to your vocation.  Let it never grow cool.  Be a person on fire, fully alive, living your life and your vocation to the fullest.  Be a light to others; a fire burning brightly and remarkably in a world that so desperately needs it.

Someone asked about a communion wafer on a hamburger.  (See yesterday's comments.)  One of the great things about being a Catholic is knowing the difference between an indelicacy and an indecency.  This one, however runs very close to the indecency.  Long time readers of Adam's Ale may be a bit surprised that I don't come down more directly and harshly on this matter.  Whereas I would never go to this restaurant, there may be more here than meets the eye and may point toward a deeper problem that this highlights.

 

It should be pointed out that even though they do use a communion wafer it does not mean a direct assault on the Catholic Church.  Other denomination also use communion wafers.  Let us make the grand assumption for the moment that they are good, practicing, non-Catholic Christians.  It may simply be that they do not have the same idea of what the wafer signifies as it does Catholics.  After all, if it is simply a symbol for example, so is bread.  Does that mean that we cannot use bread on our hamburger because it is a symbol of Christ Who says, "I am the Bread of Life"?  Of course not.

 

This is yet another reason we do not randomly say, "Do you believe in Christ?  Then come to the altar and receive the Eucharist."  Someone may indeed believe in Christ, may believe that the host is somehow connected to Christ, but then see no reason why it (unconsecrated) c

ouldn't be put on top of a hamburger.

 

With this in mind, I would not step foot in the establishment but would be moved to write a very kind note explaining why and wait to see if any kind of action takes place.  Who knows? Maybe the best kind of evangelization might take place because of this faux pas.  Nothing will happen if we let it slide under the table, not movement toward the unity to which Christ calls us if either we eat the hamburger with no comment or willy nilly share the Eucharist.

A LOOK IN THE MIRROR

Years ago there was a letter to the editor that blamed “the Catholic Church” for the lack of vocations to the priesthood. “’They’ should do more” and because they didn’t they feared that their parish would be without a priest or even possibly close. I completely agreed with the author but most likely not for the same reasons that he intended his comments.

 

Those in the know are aware that “they” is a guy in an office in downtown Cleveland running his car into the ground trying to promote vocations in an eight county area. “He” however, does not make up the entirety of the Catholic Church or even the vocation department. We are the Catholic Church and each one of us has an obligation to promote vocations.

 

Sometimes people will come to the rectory to register supposing that this makes them Catholic. This is what happens in the majority of Churches out there. But one does not join the Catholic Church in the same way that one joins a local gym. One becomes the Catholic Church.

 

“The Church should” is something said often in some circles, as if the “Church” was an institution outside of themselves. If the Church not doing enough to promote vocations, then we need to ask ourselves what I am doing to promote vocations. Do we not have enough Bible Study classes, when have I offered to host one – even in my own house? Not everything needs to be done on parish property or in connection to the Mass.  (Some of the best work is not.)  Does the Church need to be more active in evangelization, ask what I have done to promote the faith.

 

A lady came by the other day and said that she had a concern about the parish and she also came with a solution.  “We need this and I am willing to do this if you would like.”

 

I am not here simply to receive services.

 

I am part of the Church.

 

I am part of the solution.

FOR ALL ETERNITY

I went to see the movie Lincoln with Fr. Pf.  My initial reaction afterwards was how glad I was that I was a priest and doing something that had a positive influence in people’s lives.

 

Prior to the priesthood I worked in the theater.  I believed in the theater.  I still do.  It is a great instrument for changing people’s lives.  After a show (even a trivial one) people were changed.  At the least they were entertained (hopefully) but at the best, they were challenged in their thinking.  But no matter how good a show may be, it would last a couple of hours and then it would be over.

 

What Lincoln did in winning the freedom for all persons regardless of nationality has a tremendous effect on us even to this day.  It will have an effect for as long as there is a United States.  Perhaps it might be remembered and have repercussions for as long as there is history recorded.  But there will not always be history and even this great achievement will pass.

 

There are a few things that humans do that last for all of eternity.  Procreation, creating with God a new human being is one of these.  We are all destined for eternal life – some with God and some not.  Either way, with the birth of each person, eternity is altered.

 

A priest’s vocation changes eternity.  We dabble in eternal things.  Baptism is an ontological change of the person that lasts for all of eternity.  It makes one a son or daughter of the heavenly Father.  When water is poured over the forehead of a tiny head and the Trinitarian formula is invoked, a whole destiny has been altered in a way that will not be fully realized or understood until such a soul leaves this life.

 

What an awesome thing it is to have a role in such an arena.  What an tremendous and terrible responsibility.  How desperately needed.

 

Please pray for vocations.

MONDAY DIARY: ALMOST EXCRUCIATINGLY TRUE STORIES: PRESEMINARIANS

SO . . . This past weekend, in order to help celebrate Priesthood Sunday, Fr. P and I held a dinner at the rectory for seminarians and any young (to youngish) men of the parish who are considering priesthood.  It could range from those ready to sign up tomorrow to those who give it the remotest possibility such as if the French Foriegn Legion should regect them.  We would have considered it a success if two or three guys showed up, but eleven signed up (though one had to cancel due to other responsibilities.)  Wow.

 

It started off a bit rough however.  These ten guys with no real former connections (they were from all kinds of age groups) kind of sat around and stared at their glasses of pop as if they had all been sent down to the principals office and were too embarrassed to recognize each other.

 

The first half of the night looked a bit like this:

And sounded like this:

And felt like this:

But we were fortunate also to have four seminarians there.  Over dinner (a fabulous dinner prepared by a volunteer from the parish who heard about the dinner and wanted to be a part of it AND who just had knee surgery on Friday but STILL made dinner) the priests and seminarians told their vocations stories.  They all had similar themes - our hearts were restless and found peace when we started pursuing God.  (Very Augustinian no?)  But, the big guns were saved for last.  Fr. O's story is a whale of a tale and succeeded in making everybody loosen up:

NOTE: Despite the depiction above, there was no beer or smoking at the event though it is true that the land war in Asia was not a success.

 

At this point everybody loosened up a bit and things became a little more fun.  One of things used to entice guys to come was a climb up the bell tower and I quote, "IF the weather was good."  It was not.  It was not remotely even mild.  It was the beginning of the Frankenstorm.  Sebastian didn't even want to go for his walk.  So I offered an alternative:

The point of the afternoon was not to lure these guys into becoming priests.  God will have to do that if it is His plan.  The point was for the guys to see that there are other men in the parish who are also considering this life - they are not alone.  And they at least asked the question seriously once.  Please keep them in your prayers.

And it was also nice getting to know these men a little better also.  For instance, I found out that Paul (below) is afraid of heights, the full extent of which we did not fully realize until we were seven stories up in the tower with low railing overlooking Akron in a rainstorm.  Nice timing to come clean guy.

Also, thanks to Anthony, a seminarian who came to St. Sebastian this weekend to promote vocations.  He and our two seminarians, Jeremy and James, and the seminarian assigned to the parish for the year, Brian, made the day great.  Keep these guys and they guys of your own parish in your prayers that you may have priests available to you when you need them.