Those gathered
for daily Mass this past Saturday morning, January 12, 2013, witnessed a
beautiful sign of love and dedication to the Church in the chapel at Little Sisters of the Poor. The priest who usually celebrates Mass there
wasn’t well enough to do it, so the 93 year-old priest who typically
concelebrates with him and gives out Communion while sitting in a chair on the
altar was asked if he would be up to doing it with help. Fr. Paul agreed, and our best friend and
dearest brother in Christ John, was summoned to come up to assist him.
It was deeply
moving to see a very elderly, devout priest sitting next to a young only just
finished his first semester seminarian.
John helped him find the right prayers, consecration, and blessings for
the Mass. The lady sitting in front of Kevin
and me said it was one of the most beautiful Masses she’d ever been to. Kevin and I definitely agreed.
At the conclusion,
we clapped for Fr. Paul and thanked him for being willing to celebrate Mass for
us when it took a good deal of effort for him to do so, even sitting down the
whole time. As he slowly made his way
back down the aisle with his walker (which of course has the standard two
yellow tennis balls), he said that we should be thanking John.
Many people did
come up to John after Mass to talk with him.
The woman sitting in front of us asked Kevin if John’s our brother,
because she could tell we were proud of him.
My husband ultimately said yes, with a little bit of explanation.
When he was home
for Christmas break, John served at quite a few Masses, so we’d gotten used to
seeing him up on the altar. It hit home
that’s where his ministry is going, and ours will continue to be, at least in
part, to love and support him on the journey—a blessing we are grateful to
have.
It has always
moved me deeply to see Fr. Paul up on the altar concelebrating Mass at the age
of 93, bless his heart. There was hardly
a dry eye in the place seeing him sitting up there with John seated at his side,
helping him each step of the way.
Lord, thank You
for the many ways that You speak to us through different circumstances as well
as the sacraments of daily living. Amen.
