The Morphine Guy

Appreciating our priests but loving our Lord

03/16/2025

Luke 9:28b-36 Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray. While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white. And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem. Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but becoming fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” But he did not know what he was saying. While he was still speaking, a cloud came and cast a shadow over them, and they became frightened when they entered the cloud. Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.” After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. They fell silent and did not at that time tell anyone what they had seen.

This past week I was in Little Rock for our Spring Continuing Education for clergy. The conferences were educational and useful, but the best part of the 3 days was the company of brother priests who truly love Jesus and “all a ya’ll”, his people. Invariably, the visiting speakers comment on the warm fraternity and strong unity of the priests who comprise the Arkansas presbyterate.

One way we demonstrate our brotherhood is being able to laugh at each other good-naturedly. For example, one priest shared the story about visiting a dying patient in the hospital and overhearing the doctor prescribe 5 doses of morphine. The priest had an alarmed look on his face, so the doctor took him aside to explain.

The doctor said, “Just in confidence, the patient is a heroine addict, and it takes 5 doses to counteract the drugs in her system. Don’t worry, I am not trying to kill her.” But after this priest related that story, we all started calling this particular priest “the morphine guy.” And the speakers picked up on that, and started calling him that too. And he loved the jovial ribbing.

Our first reading today is from Genesis 15 and it always reminds me of my own liturgical faux pas many years ago while studying canon law. A group of priests and I were celebrating Mass. I volunteered to read the Genesis reading because there were no lay people. It was an older translation which had, instead of “a smoking fire pot” the words “a smoking brazier.”

Well, I accidentally said, “a smoking brassiere.” After all, I’m just a poor priest from India, who can’t pronounce these hard words. Needless to say no one could pay attention to the rest of the Mass. And they dubbed me “the brassier boy.” Ever since then one of my favorite proverbs is: “Keep your mouth shut and let people think you’re a fool then open your mouth and remove all doubt.”

Another example of this humorous humility of the clergy occurred in the era of Napoleon Bonaparte. The brash French emperor once taunted Cardinal Consalvi, “Your Eminence, are you not aware that I have the power to destroy the Catholic Church?” To which the unperturbed cardinal answered calmly: “Your Majesty, we, the Catholic clergy have done our best to destroy the Church for 1800 years. We have not succeeded, and neither will you.”

Maybe this is the reason Venerable Fulton Sheen titled his autobiography, “Treasure in Clay.” Even though Archbishop Fulton Sheen had the most popular television show in the 1950’s – and good reason to have a big head – he still knew the true Treasure he carried was Jesus Christ, and he was merely the earthen vessel. Sheen could laugh at himself.

The gospel of Luke today presents the Transfiguration of Jesus, and the three apostles Peter, James, and John are given a glimpse of his divine glory. And like “the morphine guy” and “the brassiere boy,” St. Peter also puts his foot in his mouth by suggesting building 3 tents for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah.

Notice that Luke notes: “But he did not know what he was saying.” And maybe Peter’s comment elicited hearty laughter from James and John, his brother priests. They were probably thinking: “Peter, keep your mouth shut and let people think you’re a fool than open your mouth and remove all doubt.”

But ironically – and here’s the main point – Peter’s blurted suggestion actually served to highlight Jesus’ glory. How so? Well, it makes it plain as day that Jesus’ Church will stand on his grace alone, and not on the holiness or the wisdom of his priests. Just like the moon and stars shine brightest in the dead of night.

St. Thomas Aquinas said the best way to know God was the via negativa, the negative way. We know God by seeing how unlike he is to us. We are mortal, but God is immortal; we know little, but God is omniscient (all-knowing); we are weak, but God is omnipotent (all-powerful), etc. In other words, the earthen vessels serve to highlight how precious the divine Treasure (Jesus) truly is.

And in this way, the Transfiguration holds a special lesson for our Lenten journey. That is, we witness how holy Jesus precisely by catching how human his priests are. Jesus alone is our Treasure while the priests are but earthen vessels, his instruments of grace.

Of course, Catholics love their priests but should always be careful not to put priests on a pedestal. Why not? Because we quickly tumble off. That is, we put on our black pants one leg at a time, just like everyone else. In other words, Lent is all about not clinging too closely to things (or even people, or even priests) and clinging ever more tightly to Christ.

Archbishop Fulton Sheen remarked in his humble autobiography, “If Jesus can ride triumphantly into Jerusalem seated on the back of a donkey, then he can use human priests to ride into your life as well.” Sheen used a stronger word than “donkey.” This Lent, learn to love the Treasure (Jesus), and laugh at the clay, “the morphine guy,” and the “brassiere boy.”

Praised be Jesus Christ!