Time flies when you're preaching the gospel!

Rejoice with me!

Thirty-five years ago today I lay face-down on the floor of the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston while hundreds of people sang the Litany of the Saints over me and my classmates who were being ordained to the presbyterate of the Archdiocese of Boston.

Little did any of us know that morning what joys and sorrows lay ahead for us as priests and for the whole Church...

It strikes me this morning that I have spent more than half my life in ministry - and ministry is certainly where I intend to spend the rest of my life. I'm grateful to God and God's people (that's you!) that ministry continues to comfort me, challenge me and, I hope, change me. It's also my hope that the Lord, through my ministry, comforts, challenges and changes you!

These 35 years have been happy years for me: happier, richer and fuller than I could have dreamed of on May 19, 1973. These years have also been marked by sadness: deeper and more wrenching than I could have imagined on my ordination morning. But it is a crucified Lord we follow through death to life and we Christians should never be surprised that our path is shadowed by the Cross as we seek Christ's peace.

It's amazing how many mistakes one can make in 35 years, but even more amazing is the mercy of God and the forgiving kindness of his people. I praise God and thank you for pardoning me my failings.

When I was ordained I never dreamed I'd ever own a computer or even know how to use one. At that time I was pretty impressed that my Brother Electric Typewriter featured two whole lines of erasable memory! I certainly had no idea that one day my ministry would extend through this medium but I am certainly glad that it has!

Please pray for me and my ordination classmates - we need it!

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!


-ConcordPastor