Weekly THIS AND THAT for June 6, 2010: What Would I Tell an Individual Considering the Priesthood Today?

This and That:
What Would I Tell an Individual Considering the Priesthood Today?


The vast parking lot of St. Mary’s Seminary in Roland Park was empty as I drove up for my monthly Clergy Support Group meeting. The seminarians had come in September and had now gone home to their respective dioceses for the summer and with them went our own Deacon Chris Ballard. I began thinking what does an old geezer celebrating his 40th ordination anniversary tell a young man like Chris about being a priest?
As I parked my car in the deserted lot, I quickly jotted down the ideas that were swirling in my head. It was easy writing as I pictured sharing my thoughts with Deacon Chris.


Joy of Being a Priest

I have never regretted not being able to marry or be the father of children. Both marriage and fathering do find an expression in the life of a priest. People will often ask, “Are you going home for Christmas or Thanksgiving?” and my response is always, “I am home.” After God, there is no close second to my parish as my family. As for children, the constant calling “Father Nicholas” and trying to realize what the title really means is very compelling. I am reminded of the teen who asked me what cologne I was wearing. When I asked why, she said she wanted to buy it for her father because we wears “old man’s cologne.” There are a multitude of such connections where our children are my children.
The other joy of being a priest has been to celebrate the Sacraments. It is an extraordinary experience to glimpse from time to time what I am really doing at the Mass and in Jesus’ name to say, “This is my body…this is my blood” and have what I say become the fact! In each of the sacraments there is something: what a joy it is to see the relief in the eyes of the penitent, the peace in the one anointed before surgery, the excitement in the signing of the hymn at Mass, or the thrill of raising that little bambino at baptism and have you all applaud!


Sadness of Being a Priest

Being a priest does have a “heavy” side, particularly in the sexual abuse scandals of last 20 years. What heartbreak to see so many children abused at the hands of a beloved and trusted priest or to see the failure in leadership of bishops not dealing with the issues more responsibly or to know priests themselves who were part of our “Band of Brothers” in such profound trouble.
A second sadness has to do with the legion of cases where, in pastoral care of our people, the law or teaching of the Church is considered more important than the individual in anguish or pain. Among such people are the divorced and remarried, persons with same-sex attraction, and women who have had abortions. I often think that people know what the Church’s teachings are; what they do not often receive is the Church’s compassion.


Challenges of the Priesthood

I have always liked the distinction of the Church as being both human and divine. As divine, it is the Body of Christ in our world. As human, it is the sinful spouse, the weak and unfaithful disciple. Thank God the “greats” like Peter and Paul had their own faults and failings. In their changes of heart there is hope for all of us. I have found that it helps others, as well as myself, for me to recognize my own sins and failings. When we are able to admit that, people see us as real and the mercy of God becomes more tangible.
A second challenge has to do with the things we lament in our lives as a Church. Unfortunately, we all think that the challenges and crises are unique to our own lifetime. History is such an aid in seeing that parents have complained about children from the dawn of creation. We need to honestly admit that perhaps there were never any real “good old days.” Oh, I know we think there were, but we often fail to see the problems experienced then and, as our lives become past memories, we tend to romanticize them. That is all to say that “this too shall pass away” and when the journey gets tough, just put one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward.


Response to One’s Call to Priesthood

As I sat in the car, I searched for the ways I had been able to better experience the joys, carry the sadness, and confront the challenges of the past 40 years. First and foremost has been the acquiring of the habit of prayer as a way to remain regularly in Christ’s presence from one day to the next. It is that presence that gives one the ability to hope, to endure, and to stay motivated.
Finally, as choices and opportunities of all sorts presented themselves, it has helped to simply reiterate the popular saying many teens have on their wristbands, “What would Jesus do?” If you have put on the mind of Jesus Christ through prayer, then the answer and the grace to know and to follow would flow more easily. I suddenly realized I needed to get into the Seminary to my brother priests. And with that thought, my little parked car reflection quickly drew to a close.

Fondly,
Father Nicholas