{"id":5587,"date":"2019-08-31T11:44:55","date_gmt":"2019-08-31T11:44:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/?p=5587"},"modified":"2019-08-31T12:00:32","modified_gmt":"2019-08-31T12:00:32","slug":"priesthood-a-few-of-my-favorite-things","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/priesthood-a-few-of-my-favorite-things\/","title":{"rendered":"Priesthood. A Few of My Favorite Things."},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image wpimg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"700\" height=\"467\" src=\"http:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/fr_tim.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-5589\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/fr_tim.jpg 700w, https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/fr_tim-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/fr_tim-500x334.jpg 500w, https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/fr_tim-624x416.jpg 624w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In these days, these unhappy days, when we read the tragic tale of clergy abuse &#8211; &#8211; here in the diocese of Rochester, New York State and elsewhere &#8211; &#8211; it might be well to tell you, good reader, how happy my life as a priest has been. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You know of course, the happinesses of marriage and\nfamily life: spousal love, the birth of children and their\nthousand \u201cfirsts\u201d (first step, first word, first prom, etc.),\nholidays, vacations, family nights . . . everyone knows\nthese joyful moments.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Did you ever wonder about the secret happinesses of a\npriest? I am convinced that few people know the joys of\nthis life of priesthood. I know I can speak as well for Fr.\nJohn when I tell you of some of our favorite things living\nlife as a priest.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s a list of my favorite things.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li> The surprising newness of the tools of our trade: the psalms, scripture, the prayers of the sacraments, seem always fresh and full of power to touch and heal. <\/li><li>The beauty of the liturgical seasons and the \u201cinside\u201d experience priests have of them each year. <\/li><li>Secret moments just between God and me. &#8212; The deep peace in knowing we were used by God in very specific ways to help a soul that was burdened with sorrow or sickness. <\/li><li>Watching the beauty of a bride come down the aisle to meet her husband and to know our lives point to the Bride yet to come &#8212;- The New Jerusalem. <\/li><li>To be beside a wedding couple and to hear their vows spoken so tenderly, and to know you helped them get to that moment. <\/li><li>Of course the confessional . . . we see the guilt and burden of sin lifted from God\u2019s children. The hope and faith that gets fanned into flame with the words, \u201cI absolve you . . .\u201d. (The humble and tender way people speak their sorrow for sin never ceases to touch my heart. \u201cLord, do you see how much they love you?\u201d, I tell God.) <\/li><li>The love of God\u2019s people who look at us at times as they would look upon Christ. (Oh how I wish I were as good as your kindness toward me). How touching is your love for the priest. <\/li><li>The privileged and sacred moment in the pulpit when the living Word of God comes out of you and is received by His people. It\u2019s a holy moment, a goose bump moment. <\/li><li>To be called \u201cFather\u201d and know it means something very good. <\/li><li>To have wise old priests, with battle worn faces, light up when they greet you. Their humble lives have been poured out for thousands of people. Now, older and bent, they smile a secret smile. (Fr. John and I love our Saturday night dinners with our brother priests.) <\/li><li>To see the Paschal Mystery up close and personal every week. To see the suffering and death and (sometimes much later) the rising to new life in the lives of so many. <\/li><li>The collar. I like wearing it, sometimes for the stares it gets. <\/li><li>Convocation \u2013 seeing my fellow priests all together each year with our bishop. Watching the grey hairs grow!! (or have fled entirely!). <\/li><li>Time. (I love this one). You can use it as you see fit. In a sense there is no \u201cinconvenient time\u201d. The priest\u2019s time is meant to be spent on the people and their needs &#8211; &#8211; not the time clock at work. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>There are lots more I could mention. (Be sure of course,\nthere is another list of sad or difficult times for the priest.\nThere is for any life here on earth). But after 40 years as a\npriest (Fr. John\u2019s 55!) I can honestly say I\u2019d be a priest\nagain in a heartbeat.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let me end with a message to our young men. Take a\nlook into your heart. What do you feel God has given you\nto share with the world? Could it be His invitation to\nshare His love as a priest?\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019m praying for you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Fr. Tim <\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"holidaybox\">\n<h4>Scripture Readings for the 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time <span class=\"abb\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.usccb.org\/bible\/readings\/090119.cfm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">(all)<\/a><\/span><\/h4>\n<p class=\"churchdetail\" style=\"margin-top: 0;\">First Reading: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.usccb.org\/bible\/sirach\/3:17\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Sirach 3:17-18<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.usccb.org\/bible\/sirach\/3:20\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">20<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.usccb.org\/bible\/sirach\/3:28\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">28-29<\/a><br>\nResponsorial Psalm: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.usccb.org\/bible\/psalms\/68:4\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Psalm 68:4-5<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.usccb.org\/bible\/psalms\/68:6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">6-7<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.usccb.org\/bible\/psalms\/68:10\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">10-11<\/a><br>\nSecond Reading: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.usccb.org\/bible\/hebrews\/12:18\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Hebrews 12:18-19<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.usccb.org\/bible\/hebrews\/12:22\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">22-24a<\/a><br>\nGospel: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.usccb.org\/bible\/luke\/14\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Luke 14:1<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.usccb.org\/bible\/luke\/14:7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">7-14<\/a><\/p>\n<h4>Scripture Readings for the 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time <span class=\"abb\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.usccb.org\/bible\/readings\/090819.cfm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">(all)<\/a><\/span><\/h4>\n<p class=\"churchdetail\" style=\"margin-top: 0;\">First Reading: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.usccb.org\/bible\/wisdom\/9:13\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wisdom 9:13-18b<\/a><br>\nResponsorial Psalm: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.usccb.org\/bible\/psalms\/90:3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Psalm 90:3-4<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.usccb.org\/bible\/psalms\/90:5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">5-6<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.usccb.org\/bible\/psalms\/90:12\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">12-14<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.usccb.org\/bible\/psalms\/90:17\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">17<\/a><br>\nSecond Reading: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.usccb.org\/bible\/philemon\/1:9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Philemon 1:9-10<\/a>,  <a href=\"http:\/\/www.usccb.org\/bible\/philemon\/1:12\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">12-17<\/a><br>\nGospel: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.usccb.org\/bible\/luke\/14:25\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Luke 14:25-33<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div><a class=\"synved-social-button synved-social-button-share synved-social-size-24 synved-social-resolution-single 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You know of course, the happinesses of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_eb_attr":"","_price":"","_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_header":"","_tribe_default_ticket_provider":"","_tribe_ticket_capacity":"0","_ticket_start_date":"","_ticket_end_date":"","_tribe_ticket_show_description":"","_tribe_ticket_show_not_going":false,"_tribe_ticket_use_global_stock":"","_tribe_ticket_global_stock_level":"","_global_stock_mode":"","_global_stock_cap":"","_tribe_rsvp_for_event":"","_tribe_ticket_going_count":"","_tribe_ticket_not_going_count":"","_tribe_tickets_list":"[]","_tribe_ticket_has_attendee_info_fields":false,"_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5587","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-weekly-column"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5587","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5587"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5587\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5592,"href":"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5587\/revisions\/5592"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5587"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5587"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.holytrinityweb.com\/weekly\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5587"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}