Year of the Priest: Part 2 – Burn Notice

One of my favorite television shows is Burn Notice on USA. It is a show about a spy who has been fired. One of the unique features of this show are the periodic voice-overs by the main character, Michael Weston, describing why he is doing what he is doing. At the beginning of one recent episode Michael explains that there really is no such thing as the “lone spy” because spies need support from others if they are to accomplish their mission. In a similar way there is no such thing as the “lone seminarian” because for a young man to discern a possible call to the priesthood he will need the support of his family, friends, and parish in order to overcome the obstacles that the world and the devil place in front of him. I know that in following my own call to the priesthood I would not have made it to ordination if it were not for the support I received from others.

My primary support for my vocation came from my parents and grandmother. What I appreciated the most about their support was that it came in a form that was not pushing me in one direction or another but rather came in the way that they showed me that they loved me no matter what decision I made. I can remember in a special way having many conversations with my mother and without fail she would at some point remind me that she would love me no matter what choice I made. In a special way I remember my parents and grandma’s support each time I celebrate Mass because their names are engraved on the bottom of my chalice.

A second and important area of support came from other young adults that I met as I went through college and graduate school. From time to time I would meet other people my age that did not support my being in the seminary for one reason or another but overall most of the people I met in college supported my right to explore a call to the priesthood. There is one time in particular that sticks out to me when I really felt supported by others. I had been helping out with a youth program near the seminary and I was invited over to a young newlywed couples house for dinner. I believe there were three newlywed couples and myself and after dinner we sat around and the young couples took the time to tell the story of how they fell in love and decided to get married. I was shocked when after each of the couples had told their story that they turned toward me and asked me to tell them why I was considering the priesthood. So I told them my vocation story and we spent the rest of the night talking about how in many ways it was similar to their stories. As I left to return to the seminary, I remembered feeling a deep sense of acceptance and feeling that as God had guided each of the couples to find their marriage vocation, God was helping me find my calling to the priesthood. I know for certain if it were not for the support of friends like those three couples, I would not have made it to ordination because the need to be accepted was really strong for me in my college years.
A third and equally important group that has supported me in my search for God’s will are a group of people I refer to sometimes as the nameless. I believe this story will help identify these people better. After my internship year, I was certain that I was being called by God to be a priest and that being a priest was what I wanted to do with my life. I was set to be ordained a deacon the year the priest scandal hit St. Louis. While I knew that I would never become a priest who abuses children, at the same time, I did not want to be viewed with suspicion for the rest of my life because of a few bad priests. At the Chrism Mass (Holy Thursday Morning Mass at the Cathedral where the Holy Oils are blessed and priests renew their ordination vows), I was a master of ceremony and was given the task to lead the priests over from the Cathedral school at the right time. I was instructed to first go to the back of the Cathedral and look outside and see if there were protesters. If there were protesters I was told to bring the priests to the Cathedral by a different way. I was shocked when I opened the back doors of the Cathedral and saw people holding signs that read “We support our priests.” It was at that moment that I realized that God would support me in my vocation and I decided to become a priest. I am certain that these nameless people have no idea that they had such an impact on my vocation (unless one of you are reading this or have heard me use this story in a homily). As I end today’s reflection, I want to invite you to consider being a nameless supporter of vocations by supporting parish priests through always talking positively to them and about them. Maybe even take the step and offer them a compliment. I am not suggesting putting priests on a pedestal but I am suggesting that by having a positive attitude toward priests, you may inspire a young man to answer God’s call for him.