Dear Parishioners,
When I began writing a weekly
column for my parishioners a number of years ago, I wanted to express what I
was thinking and illustrate what was going on in my life. Priests and priesthood can be somewhat
mysterious to many people. If people are
regular in their Mass attendance, they might actually encounter their parish
priest each week. If they are more
sporadic in going to Mass, then they might not see—let alone get to know—their
pastor. Then there are those Christmas
and Easter Catholics . . . .
Questions like “What does a priest do all week?”
demonstrate to me that sometimes people have no clue concerning what a priest’s
life may entail.
Let me give you my schedule
from yesterday while it is still fresh in my mind. I was up around 5 AM spending time in prayer
before the Blessed Sacrament in my
rectory chapel. I celebrated daily Mass
(with a homily) at 8:30 AM. Then I was
off to Hammonton to celebrate a Mass of
Christian Burial (with another completely different homily) for a former
student. She was only 36 years old. I prayed the rosary in the car on the way
there. Following the Mass, I went to the
cemetery for the interment. On the way
back to the rectory, I received a message that there were a few Flyers tickets available from the Knights of Columbus for a game that night, if I wanted to go with them. After
making a few calls, I was scheduled to pick up a few seminarians (who happened
to be on spring break) and take them to the game that evening. I picked up the seminarians, drove to Philly,
watched the game, took them out to get something to eat afterward, and got back
to the rectory at 2 AM. I knew that I
had the morning Mass the following day at 8:30 AM.
This past weekend saw me
celebrating Mass four times (once in Spanish
with two different homilies to prepare), speaking at all the weekend
Masses (six in total) about our capital campaign, making two Communion Calls with
the Anointing of the Sick, hearing
the confession of someone by request, a wedding appointment, and an appointment
with someone wanting to be a godparent. Then there was the time that I needed to spend in preparation of the homilies, contemplating what to write for a
bulletin article such as this, and trying to maintain the semblance of a
prayer-life through it all.
I know that my life is not
unlike many of my brother priests. I
also realize that priests are not the
only people who are busy each day. (I
give credit to those mothers and fathers who have to provide for their
families, sometimes working more than one job while going to school, etc.) My point, however, is that most priests have
far from a boring or monotonous life. My
favorite line that I use is: Every day is a new adventure. Will I be called to the hospital? Who will want to schedule an
appointment? And for what reason? Will someone request the Anointing of the Sick or to go to confession? Wedding?
Funeral? Baptisms? Teach in school? The possibilities each day are endless.
With all of this being said,
if I had to do it all over again, knowing what I now know, I would not even
hesitate. Priesthood is a gift, a
blessing greater than I could ever have imagined. Why is there a vocation shortage? Why do more young people not say “yes” to the
call? I know that the answer is very
complicated today.
However, I am so glad—more
than I can express here in words—that God invited me to be His priest. I am forever grateful.
Fr. Ed Namiotka
Pastor
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