Thirty Years

“I will now praise the godly, our ancestors, in their own time.” – Sirach 44:1  

Today is the thirtieth anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood. As such, it naturally invites and encourages a degree of reflection on my life thus far. There are, of course, many ways in which I could approach such a reflection. For this post, I will make an attempt to list my spiritual genealogy, so to speak. I will briefly mention some people, in Church history and in my own, whom I can point to as spiritual ancestors. Each one of these has given me some kind of gift, or helped me see some gift I already had received.

Moreover, the fact that someone is not mentioned doesn’t imply that this person is unimportant in my life. I have chosen certain people who embody virtues that I admire and hope to embody in some fashion. Such a listing cannot help but be autobiographical. Those who know me will understand.   Continue reading “Thirty Years”