Holla If You Love Priests!

From today's title, I think you can guess that I really like priests. Seriously, though, I don't think I've met more than one priest I didn't like in my entire life. My reversion to the faith has certainly helped this a great deal, though I have to say that my idea of priests being ordinary men as well as being holier than the rest of us comes from my uncle, an Antiochan Orthodox (arch) priest.

(Uncle Joe, complete with funny hat, big, blingy archpriest cross, full cassock, and sweet beard)

Growing up Catholic, my parents were always involved in liturgical music, so one or both of them was used to being close to our parish priest. He came to our house for dinner sometimes, and I fell asleep on his couch in the rectory more than a few times as a small child. My parents were friends with a priest who was also an artist, and along with making us a lovely stained glass window for the dining room, he was over to Sunday dinner every six weeks or so, and always at holidays with his mother. Priests were never foreign to me as a child, though it wouldn't be until college that I really loved and appreciated them.

Last year, I was like much of the freshmen who frequented our school's Newman Center, in that I knew priests growing up, so our chaplain, though he was younger and much more full of life than most of our parish priests, wasn't a huge oddity. Because of the nature of my reversion (and the fact that I practically lived in the Newman Center), we became much closer to each other than I would naturally have been to any priest back home. He is now my spiritual director, and I regard our relationship as sort of a fraternal-filial one- he's not afraid to goof around and trade insults with me and have fun, but he's also not afraid to set me straight and watch out for me if I go off the rails a bit.

I've also met a number of great priests here in Washington, among them, the rector of the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle (who has me etched in his memory as "the ninja freak"), several fantastic Dominicans, one who attended Princeton, and others who are brilliant, joyful, holy men. I will not hesitate to say that it has been a joy and honor to know and learn from them, and I look forward to getting to meet more priests, as I have already through connection to our chaplain.

Before I forget, I also have a special place in my heart for seminarians. I haven't the foggiest idea if there are any men in seminary for my diocese back home, though occasionally someone will tell me there are. Seminarians are sort of the best of both worlds for me, because though they are laymen (those not ordained to the deaconate yet), they also exemplify the joy, holiness, and intelligence of the priests they hope to be one day. I currently have four friends in seminary, and we're not bosom buddies, but I thoroughly enjoy their wisdom, wit and silliness, as well as the hope they represent for our Church and our generation. I sort of love seminarians generally, and regard a couple as the older brothers I wish I had (though I'm sure if I actually had siblings, I wouldn't be so quick to say it).

Priests are some of my favorite people in the world. They are ordinary men who live out a supernatural call, but manage to do so in a variety of truly amazing ways. They are spiritual fathers, spiritual directors, and so many other things all rolled into one. I don't think it will ever cease to amaze me how much priests are really, after the tradition of St. Ignatius Loyola, men for others.

And just for fun, here's a funny video of (hopeful) future priests in formation: