Tuesday, January 15, 2013

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.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks for being a great priest!

Anonymous said...

I think you ascribe way too much power to the priesthood itself. It's really God's power working through the priesthood, isn't it? Just wanted to clarify.

Nan said...

Anon, although it's truly God's power working through the priesthood, where would be be without men who stepped up to the challenge of their vocation? Where would we be if priests didn't schedule confession regularly and encourage people to go? In my parish bulletin recently, Father wrote of a visitor to our parish, whose father had encouraged him to visit and say hello to the priest, who had baptized him, when he was in town. The young man was the first person Father had baptized after being ordained a priest.