A Personal Priestly Anecdote

On Maundy Thursday of this year 2023 Our Good Lord wanted to show me the outstanding dignity of the ministerial priesthood. It is so difficult to know exactly what it means to be a priest. After twenty years of priesthood I keep daily asking myself: What is the gift I received in the laying on of hands? Many times I asked the question and many times the answer I received was total silence. Until this morning, while I was at the Sir Anthony Mamo Oncology Centre the Lord wanted to give me a taste of how it is like to be a priest.

I went to see some hospital staff to talk to and pray with them at the Support Services when, on my way out, on the waiting room seats I met a mother together with her daughter. The latter was in a wheelchair. They both came for the hospital appointment outpatient. As soon as the mother saw me she greeted me and told me: Father, can you please bless us? Since the covid-19 is over the Holy Spirit has given me the grace of anointing people with the exorcised oil. When I offered them the possibility to anoint them both the mother and her daughter said yes to my proposal.

The moment I stopped praying for them the mother went on and told me: Can I hold your hand? Initially I felt a bit shocked about it. But then, something deep within me told me to be at peace and let the woman grab my hand. Sure that you can, I said. And the mother grabbed my hand and would hold it with great faith in her hands. After a few moments her daughter followed. Thus, I found myself being held by my hands from both the mother and the daughter.

After a rather long time the mother and the daughter let go of my hands and the former told me: That consecrated hand is not yours but Jesus’. To Him I prayed for my daughter’s healing and my healing too while holding it. Thank you for letting me do something I wanted to do for a long time. At her reply I was speechless. Immediately start coming into my mind and, most of all, my heart, powerful and convincing answers as to what the ministerial priesthood is.

This heart moving experience made me more and more realise those beautiful words which Pope Francis addressed to us priests in his 2018 Chrism Mass homily when he told us: A priest who is close to his people walks among them with the closeness and tenderness of a good shepherd; in shepherding them, he goes at times before them, at times remains in their midst and at other times walks behind them. Not only do people greatly appreciate such a priest; even more, they feel that there is something special about him: something they only feel in the presence of Jesus. That is why discerning our closeness to them is not simply one more thing to do. In it, we either make Jesus present in the life of humanity or let him remain on the level of ideas, letters on a page, incarnate at most in some good habit gradually becoming routine.

 In my reflection of this very interesting experience I had today in the Oncology Centre one thing stands clear to me: Let me never be afraid of being and living as a priest! A priest deeply immersed in the Holy Spirit whose discerning direction can take me there where the people most need Jesus. Sacramentally, both in presence and the celebration of the sacraments themselves Jesus keeps going to his people to save them, sanctify them and guide them in eternal pastures.

As I wept with contrite heart and joy at receiving such a magnificent catechesis of who the priest is I turned to Jesus and made to Him the following prayer: Lord, how beautiful it is to be a priest! Lord, I ask you that it is not that I live but that you live in me! This is what I want to live! Thank you for showing me who the priest is! Yes, that is the priest! Amen.

A Closed, Unsustainable, Descending Loop

As a follow-up to my thoughts on Payette’s payout, here be a stark image of where are here in Canada. As the graph shows in, well, graphic terms, since 2025, the public sector has contributed to 95.5% of economic growth. The private sector – which funds the public sector, or is supposed to – has[…]Continue reading→

Presidential Pardon of Weronika Krawczyk

As a good news, follow-up to our story from Poland, of the persecution of Weronika Krawczyk for her pro-life views, we heard that she has been granted a presidential pardon. One might still wonder why one needs a presidential pardon for simply holding the long-held belief that the child within the womb is a child,[…]Continue reading→

Pope Leo and a Rosary for Peace

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Payette’s Payout

I was glancing through some headlines, and noticed a mention of Julie Payette – engineer and astronaut and sometime the Queen’s representative in Canada – which brought back vague memories. She was appointed Governor-General by Justin Trudeau in 2017. Ms. Payette resigned in 2021, amidst claims that she created a ‘toxic work environment’, with allegations[…]Continue reading→

Weronika Krawczyk and Injustice in Poland

Catholic Action in Poland has issued a formal statement appealing to the President of the Republic of Poland to pardon Weronika Krawczyk—convicted for warning other women against an abortion-performing gynaecologist. Catholic Action (AK) emphasizes that no apology is owed to a doctor who has performed numerous abortions and proposed others; furthermore, the organization considers the[…]Continue reading→

Saint Isidore of Seville, the Internet and Industriousness

Today, April 4th, muted this year by Holy Saturday, is the commemoration of Saint Isidore of Seville (560-636) a bishop and doctor of the Church during a tumultuous age, when civilization was crumbling, coming apart at its very seams, which may sound sort of au courant. Then again, the form of this world has always[…]Continue reading→

Bishop Fulton Sheen’s 58th Good Friday Reflection

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A Minimal Friar and the Death of a Great Pope

This April the second- overshadowed by Holy Thursday this year – marks the memorial of Saint Francis of Paola (1417-1507), founder of the ‘Minim’ friars, so called for their humility and poverty, who interpreted the rule of Saint Francis of Assisi in quite a literal sense: extreme poverty, trust in God, foregoing all animal and[…]Continue reading→

Woven versus Seamless Garments

The reflection on the worthy project by Magie Dominic was intriguing, and I thought I would offer a brief follow-up commentary. The garment woven out of many pieces is a poignant symbol, even a ‘sacramental’, inspired by prayer and grace. We are all united in some way, and should strive for such unity, wherever we[…]Continue reading→

Bill C-9: Prelude to Persecution?

Well, it happened, as I suppose was inevitable, at least in a secular sense (from God’ perspective, there’s always hope). Bill C-9, the ironically named ‘Combatting Hate Act’ passed the House of Commons with a 186-137 vote. Look on the good side – there’s still over a hundred sane people in parliament who believe in[…]Continue reading→