It's been a while since I last wrote an entry on this blog. I was of course away for about eight days as I was celebrating my fifty years as a priest.
Celebrating such an event I believe is above all about GIVING THANKS. More than anything I have found myself realizing more and more that what I am today is due to what God has done for me and what many others have done for me. There were so many people who came to honor the priesthood and some came from quite a distance. As I told the people in my homily at Mass on Sunday, June 7, this was a day for all of them to rejoice. That little parish at Brunswick, Missouri did so much for me and so much to make me what I am today. Friends came from as far away as Phoenix, Arizona, the state of Virginia and the deacon for the Mass was a friend who at one time was in the seminary here at Conception. He had served at my first solemn Mass fifty years ago. He left the seminary and then married and now lives with his wife in the Detroit area. He also studied and was ordained a permanent deacon. He came back for this celebration and was deacon for the Mass.
Of course when we celebrate the Mass we are offering thanks. The word Eucharist means "thanksgiving." So it is above all to God that we offer thanks daily. So many others doing things for us only helps us realize God's love all the more. I sometimes think to myself that those two simple words THANK YOU are the most important words in our life.
So to all you oblates I want to say thank you in this blog. Some of you were able to come for my jubilee celebration, others of you sent cards and/or e-mails. For all I am grateful. It was a wonderful celebration and almost overwhelming and embarrassing because of all the attention. I needed to remind myself that this was not so much just for me but a way to honor the priesthood, a way to honor God.
Eventually I hope to get a number of photos on the internet. When that happens I will let you know the address. For now I am just attaching a couple pictures.
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