The Good Priest

Raising our standards for holy priests

05/05/2019

John 21:1-19 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" Simon Peter answered him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my lambs." He then said to Simon Peter a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Simon Peter answered him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Tend my sheep." Jesus said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was distressed that Jesus had said to him a third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, "Follow me."

When I was a young boy and an altar server, I used to think I knew which priests were the good ones. I had one simple criterion to judge all priests. After Communion, I watched closely how the priest purified the chalice, the gold cup. I was convinced that the good priests were the ones who, when they purified their chalice, they would spin it really fast in their hands, like a professional basketball player spins a basketball on his finger tip. On the other hand, all the priests who purified their chalice slowly, methodically and meditatively were clearly the mediocre ones. Those guys were no good. So, when I was ordained, I spun my chalice as fast as I could after Communion. I didn’t want some little altar server judging me and thinking I was some sub-par priest!

This past year that Fr. Stephen has been with us, he has taught me there are actually other criteria for concluding which ones are the good priests. And based on those somewhat more spiritual standards, I would say Fr. Stephen is an extraordinary priest. I’d like to share a few things about him as a priest, as a small tribute but as a big thank you. Don’t tell him what I’m about to say.

First of all, our baby priest has a huge brain; he’s extremely intelligent. I don’t think he has ever made a “B” grade on his report card. (All the other grades were “A’s” by the way.) Do you know what he does while eating breakfast? He watches Jeopardy on his Ipad, and usually answers before the contestants do. But he doesn’t watch just normal Jeopardy; instead, he prefers “Championship Jeopardy,” where the past champions return to wrestle with each other. They don’t know it, but they are also wrestling with Fr. Stephen. And he usually wins. Intelligence is one mark of a good priest. Why? Well, because intelligence helps the priest be a better preacher. Pope Francis said in his apostolic exhortation called The Joy of the Gospel, “A preacher has to contemplate the word, but he also has to contemplate his people” (Evangelii gaudium, 154). Every clergyman must be a contemplative. We have been blessed by Fr. Stephen’s brain as its brilliance shines forth in his Sunday sermons.

A second criterion for a good priest is musical talent. Fr. Stephen sings and plays the piano, but he can even play the organ, the so-called “queen of all instruments.” The Church’s liturgy actually calls the priest-celebrant to chant parts of the Mass, which Fr. Stephen does beautifully. St. Augustine said that “he who sings prays twice.” On the other hand, I rarely chant the Mass parts. Why? Well, because I’m trying to get the people out of here as fast as I can. I’m trying to make the Mass as short as possible, while he’s trying to make the Mass as sacred as possible. You be the judge which is better. By the way, do you know what Fr. Stephen’s favorite genre of music is? I was surprised when he told me it was jazz. He enjoys listening to jazz while he’s cooking.

             And that brings me to the third criterion of a good priest, namely, being self-sufficient or resourceful. Msgr. Gaston Hebert, my first pastor, taught me that every priest must know how to cook his food. I teach my associate pastors that every priest must know how to beg for his food. And do you know what Fr. Stephen’s signature dish is? It’s pizza, made from scratch. He prepares a half a dozen balls of dough from scratch, which he then freezes. When he’s hungry and hankering for a fresh pizza pie, he can prepare it in half an hour. My Christmas present for him last year was a pizza peel. Do you know what on earth that is? I didn’t either until the Brain told me. It’s the large, flat plate with a long handle used to slide a pizza in and out of the oven. It’s great when your kitchen smells like a pizzeria. St. Paul was a model of self-sufficiency when he wrote in 2 Corinthians 11:9: “And when I was with you and in need, I did not burden anyone.” A good priest, therefore, is self-sufficient and not needy.

A fourth criterion for clergy is he must be a people person and a people priest. Fr. Stephen loves to be around the people of God because he loves the people of God. He is literally everywhere: at school events, at bible study classes, playing piano with the Youth Band, giving presentations in Little Rock, being bilingual he walks in and out of two worlds of Anglos and Hispanics. He spends his time hanging out with you all. I spend my time hide out from you all. Being a people priest makes Fr. Stephen really relatable. He enjoys watching old episodes of the television shows, “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation.” He can quote Disney movies and St. Thomas Aquinas. Oh, and he quotes St. Thomas in the original Latin, not in English. And he’s a “gamer,” meaning he loves video games. When his priest-friends visit, they make pizza, go into his room, close the door and conquer the world. A good priest is a people priest.

A fifth and final criterion for a good priest can be found in the gospel of John today, that is, obedience. Jesus prepared St. Peter to be obedient to the point of death when he told him: “Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” That “someone else” who is leading Fr. Stephen where he did not expect to go is the bishop. And just like St. Peter, Fr. Stephen said, “Yes, I will go where you lead me.” Why? Well, because Fr. Stephen did not become a priest to do his own will, but the will of God. A good priest can hear the will of God in the voice of his bishop, and the good priest obeys.

I know everyone was sad to hear that Fr. Stephen was leaving us to go to another parish. But instead of being sad that he’s leaving, we should be glad that we got to know him. Most parishes cannot say that. Personally, I’m kind of happy to see him go. He has raised the bar far too high for being a good priest. Instead of intelligence, musical ability, self-sufficiency, sociability, and obedience, I would rather just practice spinning my chalice faster and avoid the critical eye of the altar servers.

Praised be Jesus Christ!