Tonight my mind was taken back many years ago where Father Kelly Irish delivered the sermon at my ordination to the priesthood. The theme was evident, and we have since titled it “Father Phony,” and it was about what would happen if the higher ups discovered who we really were. It was actually a great sermon, and it reminded me that it is only by God’s Grace that we are called. No one is really worthy, but we, Kelly and I, have had many years joking about flying under the radar.
In all honesty, I used to have a lot of insecurity about being in this vocation, but much of it subsided as I met others in it, particularly these “spiritual giants” who I discovered were just men called like I was. In fact, I watched many of them fall too, leading me to see the extreme fragility of life and ministry, and to thank God for being able to stay in it.
But really, I am over most of that, as my concerns and worries really do not revolve around me anymore, but more so around my kids. Steph is away at school and traveling the country for lacrosse (tonight and the next few days they are in Florida for some games). Scotty is working and going to school full time, and rarely home.
But Ben is omnipresent, and in school, and a Catholic one at that. Sure he looks harmless in this picture, but he is really turning on the heat! As he is a pastor’s kid, and MY KID, my anxiety is once again all tied up in that. Steph and Scott started out in Catholic School and had exemplary careers for their stints. Ben however, is a different breed.
Tonight for instance, we talked about Jesus….who was his mom, who was his dad? And then I asked him, “Where was He born?” And Ben said, “In a manger.” So I asked, “What’s a manger?” To which he replied, “It’s a place with a lot of those yellow things (straw) that look like fries.”
Yes, Ben Tirman, the son of a priest of well over 20 years, envisions Jesus being born on a bed of fries. Yep, I have made it a long time…….he however, will clearly be my Achilles’ heel.
Goodnight my friends and God Bless.
Tommy+