It's Starting to Hit Home

Today I was sitting in the kitchen making a check list of all the things I need to do before the ordination when it hit me - ordination – my little brother - A PRIEST!

Kind of silly, I know, considering the fact that he has been in Rome preparing for this day for the last four years. Of course, he was in Maryland for two years of pre-theology before that. And, oh yeah, the two years before that he was in Macon as the assistant to the diocesan vocations director.

But really, I didn't see it coming. In fact, I was pretty sure he wanted to be anything EXCEPT a priest. Then he spent that two years with Father Brett and he entered the seminary. But that was all he was doing. He wasn't going off to be a priest. He was just discerning.

Then the bishop decided to send him to Rome. Still, he was just discerning. But with each passing year (or every six months when I would ask him the question) I heard less doubt in his voice. Peace replaced doubt and eventually turned into confidence.

And now, eight years into the discerning process, "God willing" as every true seminarian says until the moment of ordination, he will rise to his feet at the ordination on Saturday a priest forever.

Simply amazing.