This week I have a story about my youthful brashness as a young priest. The tradition was that Bishop Daly invited the Cathedral priests to dinner on New Year’s Day.
I was just ordained and Fr James Clerkin had warned me beforehand (wisely, it later proved) to keep my mouth shut.
The bishop sat back towards the end of the meal and said to me: “Paddy, as the youngest here and still wet with the oil of your ordination have you any comments about your experience of church and priesthood?”
I think I surprised myself when I abandoned my imposed reserve and, like a trout jumping to catch a fly, I said: “There’s one thing I would change. I would not have money associated with the sacraments. No stipends for Mass, baptism, marriage or funerals.”
I continued to make my point by referring to Luther and the scandal of paying for indulgences which led to the Reformation until, unable to take any more, Bishop Daly paused me by raising his hand: “If you ever find in the future that you have money to spare I can recommend some good Catholic charities.”
I was dumbfounded. I kept my opinions to myself for a long time afterwards. Later I discovered how dependent priest are on stipends ‘to make ends meet’.
We get £23 per day salary in this diocese. It’s adequate.
I also came to learn how the good bishop - who is nevertheless one of my heroes - could not easily accept bad news.
But then again there is a part of me – the rebellious part- which would make me say the same again ; as I said here in the ‘Word of wisdom’ recently, while silence can be golden it can also be yellow. As Ecclesiastes tells us there’s a time to speak and a time to keep silent.
I tell this story today for on October 31, 1517 Luther felt it was time to speak up about corruption he saw in the Roman Catholic Church when he nailed his 95 thesis on indulgences to that famous cathedral door. The big 500th anniversary of the Reformation Is celebrated this year. (More next week).
Sleep
One day in February 2003, with America on the verge of war with Iraq, Secretary of State Colin Powell was reminded that, notwithstanding the stress, President George W. Bush was in bed by 10 o’clock every night and slept like a baby. “I sleep like a baby, too,” Powell replied, “every two hours I wake up screaming!
PAT AND MICK
‘Fr Pat’ says Mick to me
‘Can I shake your hand
For I think of all the priests I’ve met,
You’re the best that’s in this land?
Pushing out my chest, my ego began to soar
‘Thank you Mick’ says I ‘’please can you tell me more?’
‘Why you’re not a bishop, surely is a crime
But let’s not give up hope too soon,
We’ve still got loads of time.’
By now my head was in the clouds
And still puffed up with pride
Vain thoughts of my new importance
Were swimming in my mind.
But things I said ‘bout married priests
At last week’s morning Mass
Would they now come back to haunt me
And bite me in the ass?
‘The day will surely come’ says Mick
‘when you’ll be made a saint!’
And the glow of my new halo,
made me rather faint.
By now I could see me singing
somewhere up in heaven
Till Mick drew near,
And whispered in my ear
‘Could you spare a tenner?’
Word of Wisdom
The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism
Joke
A tour group was riding I a lift to the top of the Empire State Building. At about the 102nd floor, a woman asked the tour guide, “If the cables on this elevator break, do we go up or down?” The tour guide answered: “Well, that depends on how you are living!’’
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