As a priest, you realize there is no such thing as coincidence

Author: Kresta in the Afternoon Published on: March 28, 2017 Published in: Evangelization

I had woken up content and looking forward to celebrating Mass in the parish. I sprang from bed, eager to get ready and to arrive early for my appointment with Our Lord and his people.

Mass went beautifully.

At the end, some women approached me, “Father, could you hear our confessions?”

I said yes — there were only three of them — but after I’d finished hearing the confessions of the first three women, I saw more people had gotten in line, and then more and more … until three hours had passed. I was hungry, thirsty and ready for a break.

I started to head back to the seminary, content with the morning’s ministry, when another woman approached me. “You’re a priest, right? My father died yesterday and they are going to bury him today, but I haven’t been able to find a priest.”

The prayer that came to my mind was, “Lord, I see that you want me to work in your name today! I just ask that you give some peace to my stomach!”

I celebrated a Mass of Christian burial for the woman’s dad, and decided to take a taxi back to my house and finally get some breakfast, and perhaps even lie down for a bit. Though you might not realize it, celebrating two Masses and hearing three hours of confessions on an empty stomach isn’t that easy.

So with an almost childlike excitement, I readied to dig into my sandwich … and as if the world was suddenly in slow motion, a brother arrived to tell me: “They are looking for you. Father. The parish priest got sick and there’s no-one to celebrate the 1 p.m. Mass …”

My human frailty immediately began to protest and my thoughts turned in complaint to God. “But, Lord, you know that I haven’t even had breakfast! I’ll go, but afterward, give me a break … or better yet, send another priest!”