Me and my classmates celebrate our 45th anniversary of the priesthood today. It just happens, as it occasionally does, that it’s also the feast of Corpus Christi, as well as Father’s Day. We will be on retreat tomorrow and Tuesday, and concelebrate together on Tuesday evening, with the presence of our relatives and friends, the first time in three years that we are meeting as a group with our families, of course because of the Covid situation. At the moment I am coordinating our monthly meetings, even though we can never get everyone of us present, which at the moment amounts to 10 active ones, with 2 of our classmates having passed away over the last 4 years. This past year we visited various Museums and places of interest, for which I shared with you some of the paintings and artefacts we saw.
I conclude today simply by quoting a popular prayer by the Dominican French priest Lacordaire, a prayer I always like to share on this anniversary.
To
live in the midst of the world, without desiring its pleasures.
To be
a member of each family, yet belonging to none.
To
share all sufferings, to heal all wounds.
To
penetrate all secrets, without being curious.
To go
from men to God and offer Him their prayers.
To
return from God to men, to bring pardon, hope and peace.
To
have a heart of gold for charity, and a heart of bronze for chastity
To
teach, to listen, to forgive. To lead, to console, to bless always.
This
is your life, o priest of Christ.
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