Showing posts with label Exciting. Show all posts

Serving for the Pope - Awesome in More Ways Than Meets the Eye

So, I've come to the conclusion that gazillion-word blog posts are not a good thing (primarily because they take forever for me to write - so I don't often write them - but also because they take a long time to read - and most of you folks don't have an over-abundance of time, so here's a short post about my serving for the Pope this past Christmas).  I'm currently  in the midst of 2-3 weeks of oral finals (the 6 of them are spaced out pretty well - which is nice because there's less stress, but not-so-nice because it means I'm doing finals for 3 weeks...), but since my next one isn't until Friday, I decided to get an update out...
 
Background: a group of guys from Brute were going to be coming to Rome after a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and so I stuck around here for the first week of Christmas break so that I could show them around and hang out with them while they were here.  Obviously, I wasn't going to miss the chance to spend time with them, and I was also pretty pumped to be able to experience Rome around Christmas and show them around the city that I had been enjoying for the past few months, but those reasons would quickly be over-shadowed by a certain even-more-amazing blessing that was given us...
 
My task, in the months leading up to their trip here, was to line up the things we'd be seeing/doing while they were here, so - besides tours of St. John Lateran's, St. Mary Major, St. Peter's, the Scavi, a trip to Assisi, different walks around Rome to see other churches, and the coliseum, and stuff like that - I also wanted to get them tickets to attend Midnight (actually 9:30 PM) Mass on Christmas at St. Peter's.  So, I contacted the sisters at the Casa Santa Maria (located right next to the Gregorian, it was the NAC before it moved up here on the Janiculum, and these days it's the house of further studies for American priests, and the place where the sisters work to line things up for American pilgrims/tourists in Rome).  Basically, I contacted them to request tickets for the 9 of us seminarians and to check into how Fr. Bob (the rector at Brute) could be able to concelebrate at Christmas Mass.  As it turned out - a couple of weeks later - the sisters were unable to get tickets for us to attend Mass (they didn't get very many this year), but Fr. Bob, who had meanwhile contacted the liturgical folks over at St. Peter's, had gotten a ticket to concelebrate and permission for us seminarians to attend Mass.  The letter, though, was in Italian, and it also - intriguingly - asked that us seminarians show up to St. Peter's the day before for a prova [Italian for "practice" or "meeting"].  I didn't know why we would have to show up for something the day before (it wasn't specific) - surely we weren't serving or something... - but the more I asked around, the more I found that there was no other reason for us to be there the day before unless we were going to be serving. 
 
Practicing before Mass!
So, long story short, we made our way into St. Peter's on the morning of the 24th, found Msgr. Cihak, who we were supposed to meet up with, and - after he asked if we were the group from Indianapolis - he immediately started assigning us different things to do during the Mass.  I was picked for carrying the 7th candle (indicating the presence of a bishop - in this case the pope), to hold the microphone for the deacon (prayers of the faithful, "the Mass is ended, go in peace", etc.) and to wash Pope Francis's hands during the offertory.  We were all looking at each other like - wait, so we're serving for the Pope! - and sure enough, we were!  We then had a practice to run through everything we'd be doing that evening (all the MC's made it super easy, literally, you just waited at your spot until they came and got you for your next task), and then we were asked to show back up that evening early enough to run through everything again, oh, and so we could meet, and help vest, the Pope before Mass!  Needless to say, we were on cloud nine for the rest of the day! 
 
 

Waiting for His Holiness!
We arrived back at St. Peter's around 8 PM, had our practice, and then spent 30 minutes anxiously in the chapel of the Pieta (which I hadn't ever seen anybody inside of, it is all behind glass) for the Pope to arrive.  20 minutes until Mass, in walked the Vicar of Christ, and moments later he was walking around greeting us and shaking our hands!  What a moment!  Looking back, even after a month, I can't quite wrap my mind around it.  It wasn't just a cool moment because I got to greet the pope - you know, he's pretty famous, the head of the Church, directly connected with St. Peter, and Christ's chosen vicar here on earth - gosh, it was so much more than that.  But, so much more amazing to me than that, was the realization that Pope Francis is a human being like the rest of us.  Maybe that should be obvious - ok, it definitely should - and don't get me wrong - he's definitely been given a position, and a responsibility, way beyond mine, and I'd guess most of yours...  But, as I shook his hand and looked into his eyes I saw a man that was excited to celebrate Christmas, and tired from a long day in a hard "job", and happy to see us serving for him, and - in so many ways - a person a lot like myself.  I don't want to underplay his role in the Church by any means, but it was such an eye-opening experience to realize that he's not just a person that shows up on TV, or gives an angelus address each week, or writes encyclicals that I try to read.  He's a person with strengths and weaknesses, joys and sorrows, favorite
foods, and books, and hobbies... 

 
 
A couple months back we had the opportunity to go on a tour of the Swiss Guards' barracks, and the guard giving us a tour mentioned that from time to time he got to be stationed outside of Pope Francis's apartment, and so he got to know the Pope fairly well, including the fact that he really liked candy but had been told by his doctors that he'd have to cut back on sweets for health reasons.  At the time I chuckled with everybody else, but that little detail didn't actually sink in until I had the chance to meet the pope and serve for him.  Seeing him - up close - during that Mass reminded me again and again that he's a man like the rest of us -  and weak like the rest of us.  Yet, he's been given a responsibility - to feed Christ's flock - that's absolutely tremendous.  Basically, I saw that he wasn't some sort of super-human character, but he still has a super-human job to do!  He didn't look invincible, or for that matter terribly weak, he just looked really normal!  What I realized during that Mass was that - above all else - he needs our prayers!  How quick we are to complain about Pope Francis - he's too vague, he's too critical, he's too liberal, he's too conservative, whatever - but how often we forget to pray for him: for his health, and strength, and holiness! 
 
So yeah, it was an amazing experience to be able to serve for the Pope!  I was thrilled while I was doing it, it'll probably be one of my top-10 experiences for the rest of my life, and it's bound to make good homily material one day (God willing).  But, as so often is the case, there's so much more to each experience than meets the eye!  This is why I love blogging about these things, it makes me reflect back on them and see the deeper meaning.  Serving for Pope Francis means serving him in so many more ways than just holding a candle and pouring water over his hands!  It means serving along-side of him in the Church, in praying for him and for the Church that he is leading, and I am also a part of. 
 

Yeah, so it was incredible, and eye-opening, and inspiring, and profound, and awesome!
 
Sorry, they did take pictures of the actual meeting with the Pope (and Mass afterwards), but I haven't bought them, so I can't put them  up here, yet...
 
 
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After the Ordination - Dinners, Volleyball, Candidacy, 1st Masses, Goodbye's - Entrusting Myself to God



Myself, After receiving a 1st blessing from Fr. Arisman
After the ordination on Saturday morning, I helped to “unset” the altar (put away chairs, take the sacred vessels back to the sacristy, etc.) and then divested from my cassock/surplice/collar (thank goodness – I could finally breathe!).  I got back into by suit/tie and went out into the nave of the cathedral and jumped in line to receive a first blessing from Fr. Seth Brown.  As it turned out, mom and dad were just a few people in front of me, so they joined me in the back of the line and I got to fill them in on what I had been up to over the past few days (Alex didn’t make it because he had the flu or something).  We talked a bit with the people around us (I introduced them to some of the other guys who had joined the line behind us) and then got a beautiful blessing from Fr. Seth.  Unfortunately, I don’t remember the words that he used because they were incredibly beautiful – in a simple, excited, loving, concerned way.  We then walked over to the other side of the cathedral and joined Fr. Steve Arisman’s line (which was considerably longer).  It also went pretty quickly, and again his blessing was incredibly touching.  For mom and dad he asked God to continue to bless them, showing in their love the love of the Trinity, and strengthening and enlivening their marriage.  For me he asked God to strengthen my vocation and form me into a good and holy priest.  Obviously, I am missing huge portions of these blessings – but overall there was a certain tenderness and profundity to them that your typical-old-blessing just usually doesn’t have – it was really cool!  After the blessings, we went down into the basement under the cathedral school and had a tasty little luncheon of sandwiches, pasta salad, and cake.  Mom and dad took off after several minutes and I joined the group of Bruté guys, who were hanging out with one of the priests of the diocese.  After another several minutes, with the party starting to disperse, our conversation also ended, and I caught a ride with Dcn. Stone back to the Villa Maria.  [picture of myself with newly ordained Fr. Steve Arisman]

Once back at the villa, pretty much everybody took a quick nap (myself included), and then around 5 PM most of the remaining guys (some had gone home) headed out to celebrate with the individual newly-ordained-priests.  I went to Fr. Seth’s reception/dinner which was at his parish about 45 minutes from the villa.  I rode with Jason again – why take two cars when you’re going the same place? – and we got there just in time for the small celebration.  Matching his personality perfectly, Fr. Seth’s “party” was extremely modest – with just a smattering of seminarians (some Springfield guys as well as friends of Seth’s from other dioceses) and his family and close friends.  Dinner was delicious: pork loin, rolls, salad, baked potatoes, green beans, and cake – and I spent the meal talking with a few of the other Bruté guys as well as some seminarians from Mundelein (from other dioceses).  It was a fun, quite, simple evening!  After the meal I said my congratulations to Fr. Brown again and he courteously asked about my plans for the summer – it was so like him: just quietly listening to my plans for the summer and wishing me luck.  He will make a phenomenal priest! 

Around 7:30 we took leave of Seth’s party, this time with a full car-load (some of the other guys piled into Dcn. Stone’s car to catch a ride over to Fr. Arisman’s party).  As we drove up to the K of C hall about 20 minutes later, I was bemused to hear music blasting.  I chuckled to think of how different Fr. Steve was from Fr. Seth.  As it turned out, the music was out behind the hall (which shared a building with a restaurant), so it wasn’t exactly for the celebration of an ordination, but it was still funny to compare the different between the two parties.  Though I wasn’t hungry at all, I got a small slice of pizza and some beer.  The pizza was great, the beer was, well beer, (it was my second beer since turning 21 and I am not at all used to the taste, so I can’t really stand the flavor yet).  Fr. Steve was wandering around greeting and talking to people and when he got to the Bruté table he quickly roped us into a game of volleyball with some kids who were present.  I wasn’t really feeling a game of volleyball – I had just ate, I was wearing dress pants, shirt, and tie, and I’m not any good at volleyball – but he convinced me (I am trying to push myself outside of my comfort zone and I knew that I’d enjoy it either way), so out we went.  It was a fun little game.  We played like the family plays tennis: if the ball is still moving it’s still in play J, so that made my mistakes less obvious and the game more fun.  However, after about 20 minutes of that we went back inside only to find that the Mundelein guys (from other dioceses) were interested in playing a game.  I was much more reticent to play this game – surely they would be more competitive – but again, I let myself get talked into it…  Again, though, it was a fun game!  I found that I wasn’t as bad as I thought (especially once I got the hang of hitting the ball with my palm, not punching it, and risked my clothing with a few dives to save the ball).  We played three games, had a blast, got all sweaty, and Bruté ended up winning!  We headed back inside, drove back to the villa, and went to bed – it was a long, exciting, blessed, sacred, fun, and awesome day!
The Cathedral before my admission to candidacy
The next morning, unlike everybody else, I woke up early (7 ish), took a shower, got dressed in suit/tie, said matins and lauds, had another tasty breakfast (fruit, cereal, cinnamon rolls, hash-browns, etc.), and then drove myself over to the cathedral for 10 AM Mass.  Most of the other guys weren’t going because they didn’t have to be there (only at the first Masses later that day), but I had to be there because that was the day chosen for me to receive/enter (don’t know the right terminology…) candidacy.  Usually this is a step that guys take once they get into upper seminary, but the NAC requires guys to have it before they arrive, so I was blessed to do it in the Cathedral in front of the bishop!  Candidacy is a further commitment, on the part of the seminarian, to continue his formation towards becoming a priest, and the further acceptance, on the part of the bishop and diocese, to accept and endorse the seminarian.  I had written a letter to the bishop a month before (or so) basically requesting that I be admitted and confirming my intention to continue on towards the priesthood.  It actually is a pretty big deal – about the closest that I’ll come to “signing on the dotted line” before getting ordained a deacon (I think).  Mass was completely typical, if you consider a Sunday Mass celebrated by the bishop at the cathedral typical, except for the simple ceremony after the homily in which I verbally made this commitment.  Dcn. Larry (who was “deaconing” the Mass), said something to the effect of “for the admission to candidacy, may Dominic Joseph Rankin come forward”, with a booming voice and I had to stand up, say “present”, and walk up into the sanctuary (from the first pew where I was attending Mass with mom and dad, who had come for the occasion).  Then the bishop said two questions to me:  “In response to the Lord’s call are you resolved to com­plete your preparation so that in due time you will be ready to be ordained for the ministry of the Church?” and “Are you resolved to prepare yourselves in mind and spirit to give faithful service to Christ the Lord and his body, the Church?” to which I responded “I am”.  It was a simple little moment, but I was actually listening to those questions (duh!) and it kind of hit me in that split second that I was committing myself to something huge.  Seminary, most of the time, is just one day on top of another – classes, serving, praying, eating, having fun, discerning, etc. – and it is all-too-rarely that I think of the immense calling that I am discerning and preparing.  I was so glad to “do” candidacy at the cathedral, but even more than that, I was glad to do it over this weekend where I had just seen Steve and Seth get ordained.  It filled me this excitement – I could be in their shoes in 4 short years! – but it also fills me with apprehension – will I be ready? Will I be capable?  It was the same questions that had shot through my mind the day before, but this time they were even more clear and obvious.  Gosh, the priesthood is an incredible calling, but it is also a supernatural one, I need to rely on God so much more, to love Him so much more, to follow Him so much more closely, and to be so much more dedicated to Him (and less attached to everything else…)  I love to listen to or read great homilies, and I usually am sort of thinking about how I can make my writing/speaking that cool, awesome, compelling, and enthusiastic, but the fact is that that kind of awesomeness and enthusiasm only comes from God.  It’s not that I can’t think of myself as humanly capable – those difficulties (speaking, writing, knowing, serving) can be learned, but if I’m to be a great priest the only way is going to be relying on, and totally loving, God.  Yeah, so I’ve got a lot of work to do, but more importantly, I have to let God do the working...  We also carried up the gifts (haven’t done that in a while), and otherwise Mass continued as usual – but I had a lot of thinking to do.

After Mass, to my surprise, Fr. Alford (now the vocation director if you didn’t already know) and Bishop Paprocki agreed to go out to breakfast with us.  Beforehand, I just invited some of the other “sems” to go out to breakfast, but Dcn. Stone was the only one there (and he had already had a big breakfast), so I just threw it out for the bishop and Fr. Alford, and – surprise! – they agreed.  We went to a nice restaurant inside of a hotel, which was totally empty (fine with me) and had some pretty tasty food.  It was cool to spend an hour or so talking with the bishop – about Rome, about running, other such things…  It was cool!

St. Agnes before Mass
After that mom and dad took off and I drove over to St. Agnes (Fr. Steve’s parish).  Fr. Arisman was going to have his first Mass there at 3 PM, and it was only 1 or so, but the extra time allowed me to scope things out and think about what serving would entail (a month or two ago he asked me to MC for his first Mass).  I was thrilled to be serving, especially as [assistant] MC, but I wasn’t terribly knowledgeable with the ins and outs of a first Mass, especially with the numbers of concelebrants and servers that would be showing up.  Thankfully, another seminarian from Denver (I think?), by the name of Luke had been chosen as head MC, so that took a lot of the pressure off of yours truly!  After saying mid-day prayer, and spending a few moments thanking Our Lord for the wonderful weekend that He had given me, I saw that Luke had arrived and so I went and began to work with him on planning everything out.  As I said, I was extremely thankful that he was there – not only was he more knowledgeable, but he was also much more prepared (he had handouts explaining all the positions, where people would be, which priests would do which part of the Eucharist Prayer, etc.).  We spent probably 30 minutes hashing things out between us and then I was tasked with trying to communicate what I knew with the servers who had arrived.  I kept running up against things that I didn’t know the answer to (when did we need the boat bearer, whether all the servers would fit on the altar, intricacies of the procession, etc.), but I just kept asking around or coming up with answers on the spot, and we got through most of the Mass for most of the guys.  I kind of ran out of time, so in the end I was just hoping that they knew what they were doing (maybe not the best assumption, but it worked out). 

During Mass
Mass was beautiful!  It began with an impressive procession - probably a dozen seminarians and at least 20 priests and deacons, with the (large) choir beginning the Mass with Ave Verum Corpus, Anima Christi, and then Go Up to the Altar of God - all phenomenal hymns.  Basically, everything was done in as awesome a manner as was possible (I was thrilled).  Also, I didn't have too much to worry about at this time (after showing the priests/deacons their places), so I could - for the most part - just sit there and enjoy it.  I did have to worry a bit about the Gospel procession - which could have gone smoother - but Dcn. Stone got to his place eventually, and things worked out in the end.   Fr. House's homily (often at their first Mass a newly ordained priest chooses another priest to give the homily) - about obedience, and how it is a crucial part if every Christian's life (and isn't just submission, but is also our emulation of Christ, and His love - sorry, I was distracted at the time and it has been two weeks since then, so I don't remember the rest of the excellent homily).  For the Liturgy of the Eucharist, I had a few more things to worry about - making sure everything was carried over to the altar, the thurifur was at hand, and guys knew when to make their moves, etc.  They all pretty much knew what was going on (and Luke was keeping a better eye on things than I was), so everything was completed well enough (there was a little bit of a struggle during the Eucharistic Prayer, when I was unable to direct the priests correctly and the candles/thirifur left their places too early, but neither were disasters by any means, and most everything else went along as planned).  Before Mass ended, Fr. Arisman spent a long time thanking all the many people that had helped him throughout his life, and also - in a beautiful ceremony - he gave his maniturgium (the cloth that wrapped his hands after being ordained/anointed) to his mother, his first stole to his father, and also placed a banquet of roses at the altar of Our Lady - consecrating his priesthood to her.  They were all beautiful, profound, moments, and well worth the additional length that they added to the Mass.  Fr. Arisman gave the final blessing and everyone processed out to the triumphant O God, Beyond all Praising.  It was a beautiful - if long and complicated - Mass, and I was humbled and honored to have MC'ed for Fr. Steve.  I was again inspired with enthusiasm for the end-goal which I am aiming towards (priesthood).  Yeah, it was just really, really cool!

After Mass I stuck around for the dinner served to everyone afterwards.  I sat with a bunch of other guys from Brute, and we sat and chatted waiting for the meal to begin (as well as during the meal).  I was glad to be able to catch up with them for a little while, because - for most of us - after that afternoon we would each be heading off to summer jobs/assignments (Totus Tuus, Peru, me: Rome).  Obviously, those are all good things, but - for me at least - it was a hard moment because I don't know when I'll get to see those guys again.  Anyway, it was a fun evening, I said my goodbyes to everybody, and then headed for home.  

I guess it's hard to put into words the awesomeness of the entire weekend.  I obviously had a blast hanging out with all my diocesan brothers, as well as the other seminarians visiting from other dioceses.  I also sincerely enjoyed all the beautiful (and spectacular) Masses that I had the chance to serve at (in positions that put me right in the middle of the "action").  But most of all, I guess, I was truly reinvigorated in discerning my vocation, in putting myself out there for God, in sticking through the (sometimes) hard times.  Gosh, being there when those guys - my friends - were ordained, when they gave their first blessings, when they said their first Mass; it was extraordinary, their joy, their excitement, their enthusiasm - the graces of Holy Orders were evident!  I was not only inspired by them, their commitment, their happiness, but even more by the love and inspiration that was flowing through them.  More and more, in seminary, I have come to realize that it is only through God's help that being a priest is even possible, but over that weekend I saw - I was reminded - that God will provide that grace.  The transformation that I saw in Fr. Seth and Steve is evidence of Our Lord's incredible love for them, and the incredible life that He has called them to.  Yes, for me, things are a bit scary - I don't know how easy it will be to move over to Rome, I don't know if I'll be ready for ordination in (God willing) 4 short years, I don't know if I have what it takes to give myself totally to God, to be obedient (life Fr. House was talking), to make myself prepared to become a priest (as the Bishop asked me), and on and on...  But, that weekend not only made me more enthusiastic and excited about continuing on the path that I am on, it also reminded me of the immensity of God's grace, of the incredible things that happen when you put your life in His hands.  

Yep, life is good!
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Priesthood Ordination - Awesome, Inspiring, Exciting, Incredible!

The Cathedral before practice
On Friday evening – after a quick dinner with the family of tuna-loaf and asparagus – I drove over to the Cathedral in Springfield.  Practice was scheduled to start at 7:45, but I got there a little early (maybe 7:25 or so).  The doors were still locked so I waited around until Mark Tracy (who is in my same ordination class and studies at St. Meinrad) arrived and showed me the side door to the cathedral rectory, which we knocked on and got in.  Other guys showed up over the next few minutes and then we were assigned positions (I was given the job of holding the Roman Missal and Rite of Ordination for the bishop).  We then spent a few minutes setting up chairs in the sanctuary for all the priests and deacons that would be assisting/concelebrating/condeaconing (that last one is made up).  We waited for a little while for both deacons – soon to be ordained – to finish their dinner with the bishop and join us, and then we began the long process of running through the Mass.  Other guys thought that the practice was way too long – and it was long, like 2 and a half hours – but the difficulty was that there were so many different people with different responsibilities that Fr. Alford (the MC, as well as vocation director) had to teach each person almost individually what they would be doing, and so many things had to be repeated and explained for multiple people.  For me, practice wasn’t that hard because I had done book-bearer before (so I knew how to process, where to stand, how to hold the book, etc.)  Thus, all I needed to learn was approximately when I would be moving out to hold the book, about how long I would hold it, and a few other things that I ended up doing (cleaning the bishop’s hands from the chrism, helping to set the altar during the offertory, etc.)  After practice finally finished up, we all went to the Villa Maria, a retreat house owned by the diocese and the place where we usually stay during diocesan events like this.  I was sort of thinking about heading to bed pretty quickly – it was already past 10 at this point and it had been a long day – but when I got to the villa I found that there were a bunch of friends of Steve and Seth – mostly from Mundelein – along with all the guys from the Springfield diocese and so I ended up hanging out, chatting, enjoying some ice cream and apple pie, sharing stories, learning names (well, sort of), and otherwise just having a good time.  Anyway, it was a fun evening/night and I ended up hitting the sack around midnight. 


The chapel at the villa
I woke up the next morning around 6:30 when the sun started shining through the window where myself and a few of the other Bruté guys were sleeping.  I took a quick shower and headed across the building to the chapel – saying the Office of Readings, Morning Prayer, and several other prayers before wandering into the dining room where they had just begun serving breakfast.  A smattering of other guys were up and we all enjoyed a hearty breakfast of biscuits & gravy, fruit, eggs, hash browns, cereal, juice, and cinnamon/blueberry/banana bread (I didn’t have everything, but that was the selection).  After breakfast, I grabbed my cassock and surplice and drove over to the cathedral, arriving around 9 AM.  Mass was scheduled to start at 10:30, so I had plenty of time, but it flew by as we were pressed into service setting up the altar, lighting the candles, figuring out last minute things that we would have to do, etc.  I squeezed into a collar that I borrowed from Braden Maher (a previous graduate from Bruté who is 2 years ahead of me in formation at St. Meinrad).  I was extremely thankful for the collar (because I don’t have one – that will probably wait until I get over to Rome), but it was pretty tight (I guess that’s like the priesthood, it’s always awesome, but some times are harder than others).  About 15 minutes before Mass I went over to the other side of the sacristy (where the bishop was vesting).  I spent a few minutes fiddling with my collar – it didn’t want to stay down, and I wanted to be able to breath – with little success…  Still, I was really glad that I was book-bearer because I was right there watching deacon Seth and Steve getting vested – to be ordained priests in a few minutes – it was an incredible moment!  Both were excited and nervous, though Dcn. Arisman got more talkative as the time approached and Dcn. Seth, less talkative (they have very different personalities).  Finally, the big moment came and we walked around the outside of the cathedral and stood in the back ready to process.  The processional hymn, All Creatures of Our God and King, magnificently thundered from the choir loft and the procession began!  A minute or more later – with the servers, deacons, and some of the priests already having gotten to the sanctuary the bishop finally began to move (that was how epic of a procession it was)!  I was in the very back of the procession, so I got a spectacular view of everybody packing the cathedral watching the procession snake up the center.  Myself, along with the deacons for Mass (recently ordained: Samuel Bagyo, and Adam Prichard), Fr. Alford, and the two vimps (Wayne Stock – a Bruté grad, one year in front of me, now at Mundelein, and Aaron Kuhn – a classmate of mine, at Mundelein) genuflected with the bishop and then we went off to our respective spots (mine was behind and to the left of the bishop).  Mass began with an incensation of the altar – during which I did nothing – and then the Confiteor, Kyrie, Gloria, and Collect.  My job, holding the Roman “action”, but it was also tough on the arms.  The Confiteor and Kyrie weren’t bad, but then my arms started to get tired as I held the book out in front and to the side of me so that the bishop could read it.  My left arm was more extended (because I was holding the book to my left) and to make it worse, since the ordinary parts were at the front of the missal, most of the weight was pushing down on that arm.  I tried not to grin as the trumpets chorused out during the Gloria – it was awesome! – but I was watching the ominous hints that my arms were tiring – mainly the fact that they were starting to tremble – and had to grit my teeth to get through the last bit of the Gloria.  Thankfully, like the collar, I had a good intention for which I was offering up all these physical difficulties: Steve and Seth (soon to be priests)!  Fr. Alford came over and flipped the book to the collect, thankfully taking a bit of pressure off my left arm, but forcing my tired arms to shove a bit harder against the missal, fighting against a losing battle against the force of gravity…  Anyway, I managed to hold the book up for another minute and the mercifully got to close the book, bow, and head back to my seat.  The hardest part was done! 

Fr. Steve Arisman making the promises
The liturgy of the word went by quickly and after Marty Smith (one of our recently ordained deacons) finished proclaiming the gospel the rite of ordination began.  This time I was holding the Rite of Ordination – a smaller book than the missal – and even more awesome was the proximity that I was to the men being ordained.  I was right there, literally a couple of feet from the bishop when the candidates’ names were called out.  Then, after the homily, I was again right there during the promise of the elect when Dcn. Arisman and Brown responded “I do” or “I do with the help of God”: to the bishop’s requests to: “discharge the office of priesthood in the presbyteral rank as worthy fellow workers with the order of bishops”, “exercise the ministry of the Word worthily and wisely, preaching the Gospel and teaching the Catholic faith”, “to celebrate faithfully and reverently the mysteries of Christ handed down by the Church, especially the sacrifice of the Eucharist and the sacrament of Reconciliation, for the glory of god and the sanctification of the Christian people”, “to implore God’s mercy upon the people entrusted to their care by observing the command to pray without ceasing”, and “to be united more closely every day to Christ the High Priest, who offered himself for us to the Father as a pure sacrifice and to consecrate themselves to God for the salvation of all”.  And then, I was right between the bishop and the candidates as they placed their hands within his and promised “respect and obedience” to him and his successors.  I didn’t have to hold the book during the litanies (thank goodness!), but again, I was only a little ways away when the young men prostrated themselves on the floor, begging, I’m sure, Christ’s help in living “in persona Christi”, a totally new life that was now beginning! 

Fr. Seth Brown receiving the chalice/paten
my collar is working its way upwards...
After the litany, the deacons (for only a few more moments) again approached the bishop, who laid hands on each of them, ordaining them priests and marking their souls with the indelible mark of being an alter Christus.  Then, as the Veni, Sancte Spiritus floated through the air, all the other priests present – including one in a wheelchair (touching moment!) – laid their hands on the newly ordained priests.  Then, myself holding the book, the bishop said the prayer of ordination and the new priests were vested in stole and chasuble.  It was an epic moment, and one full of emotion, as Fr. Arisman and Brown stood there in front of the cathedral full of people, now priests of Our Lord!  They were incredibly happy – the moment for which they had been waiting for years had finally come and they would soon be serving as priests in the diocese.  I moved forward again with the book, this time for the consecration of their hands, and again was right there when the bishop crossed their palms with the sacred chrism, anointing them for administering the sacraments, celebrating the sacrifice of the Mass, blessing people, and the other unique faculties of the priest.  Fr. Steve and Seth then moved off to the side and cleaned the chrism from their hands onto a maniturgium.  I couldn’t see exactly what else they did (if anything) because I was helping to clean the bishop’s hands, but the maniturgium has special significance because later (the next day) it would be given to the priest’s mother, a symbol of her giving her son to God as a priest.  Finally, both priests returned to the bishop – myself again kneeling inches away – to receive the chalice/paten/wine/bread from him.  Each one came forward, knelt before the bishop, and, as he said a short prayer, they clasped the chalice (held by the bishop), symbolically receiving the sacred vessels and bread/wine that they would use or offer at future Masses.  It was one of the last parts of the ceremony of ordination, but important because it reiterates the most important part of their priesthood – the Holy Mass, in which the priest acts most like Christ and gives the people Christ’s Body and Blood.  Finally, the bishop embraced the new priests and all the priests again processed across to them and also gave them a kiss of peace.

The liturgy of the Eucharist was much the same as in any other Mass.  I helped to set up the altar – carrying over the Roman Missal and stand, as well as several of the sacred vessels as well as the hosts and wine.  Yeah, there wasn’t anything “special” about the offertory and consecration other than the usual miraculous transubstantiation that transformed the bread and wine into Christ’s Body and Blood…  Actually, I couldn’t see very much because the vimps were blocking my view of the altar (for the most part).  All the servers received Communion from the bishop, who then distributed the Eucharist to the people (along with plenty of priests including Fr. Arisman and Brown).  Communion took a good while because there were so many people there, but it gave me a little bit of time to meditate on the moment – not only the Eucharist that I had just received, but also the vocation that I am discerning and preparing for.  Last year it was really cool to be at the ordination – it was the first priesthood ordination that I attended – this year it was even more awesome because it was starting to hit me that I could – God willing – be in the exact same position in just four short years.  It’s a thought that excites me and that was the thought that sent chills down my spine as I held the book during all those moments of the ordination ceremony, but is also a thought that worries me a little – will I be ready?, will I be capable?  During those moments after Communion I gave myself again to Our Lord, begging Him to make me worthy, ready, capable, holy, strong, joyful, and everything else that I will need to be in order to be a good priest, a good alter Christus. It’s an incredible vocation, one that has blessed me immensely already in my discernment of it, and one that I still feel called to, but that knowledge, that joy, and that confidence aren’t enough.  The call comes from Christ and it is only through Him, and His grace, that I will ever be able to live out that call. 

Bishop Paprocki and Fr. Steve Arisman after Mass
The end of Mass was unique because before the final blessing the bishop received the very first blessings of both Fr. Steve and Fr. Seth, a really cool moment as they each (one after the other) raised their hands and prayed that God’s blessing might come down upon our bishop.  Then the Bishop gave his blessing to them – and everyone else – while I held the Missal one last time (my arms had held up pretty good, so this wasn’t terribly difficult).  Then everyone processed out to the sound of Oh God Beyond all Praising, the entire congregation enthused with the joy of seeing two young men transformed into priests! 

More to come!  Sorry, these posts take a long time to write and I am in the midst of preparing to apply for my visa (tomorrow in Chicago), packing for vacation (Saturday in Washington State), and writing a letter to my sister (ASAP).  Also, most of these pictures were collected from Facebook (obviously I didn't take them).
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