A Call From Rome

This afternoon I got a phone call from my brother Aaron who is studying in Rome. “Amy," he said in voice that I could tell was needy, "I want you to do me a favor."

"Okay," I said wondering if it was something to do with the ordination talk we had on Sunday.

"Go to your computer."

Hmmm...this sounds like another last minute, I need you to look over a paper I have due in the morning, kind of favor. Nonetheless, I hit the computer and awaited further instructions.

"Pull up this website," he directed me, "and tell me what you think."

To my surprise I pulled up a website with antique chalices. He was in the process of picking out his chalice for his first mass and the rest of his life. He told me what he was looking for - nothing new, no tulip shapes, something with some history behind it. Really, it was as if I was helping him shop for an engagement ring.

We perused the site together and I learned quite a few things. The most surprising of which was the cost of the chalice which is somewhere around $2,500. He informed me that that was a pretty good deal and that some of his classmates were paying over $3,000. Why these young servants of God have to pay for their own chalice which will be used to turn wine into the blood of Christ which will then be shared with the masses, is beyond me. Unfortunately, that's just the way it works I guess. Excuse me while I make a plug here – Support your seminarians!

While on the computer he told me to look up the Clericus Cup.
There are sixteen teams playing in this tournament. The interesting thing is that all the teams are made up of priests and/or seminarians. Even the coaches have to be clerical. Of course he was telling me all this because he is on one of the teams. They are the North American (because all the players are seminarians at the North American College in Rome). Go NAC!

He has no idea how they'll do but it's a round robin tournament so they are guaranteed at least seven games. He was very excited about playing but even more excited about the media coverage the tournament is receiving.

What really impressed me was when Aaron said, "I hope we do well. Think of what something like this could do for vocations!" He did admit that he thinks the trophy is a little goofy. I think it's clever with its little cleats and parson's hat.

All in all, I'm grateful that I have a brother who will be a priest in a mere four months. I'm grateful that he cares enough about my opinion to ask me about such an important thing in his life. I'm grateful that we have the kind of relationship that he wants to tell me about things like this tournament. I'm grateful that he's not even a priest yet and he's already thinking about vocations. Mostly though, I'm grateful he's my brother and he's my friend.