Ordination

We had the honor of being invited to a priest being ordained at St. Jude Cathedral in St. Petersburg last Saturday. One of our priests from Espiritu Santo was praying and asking who he should invite when our son's name and another altar server's name came into his mind.

So, he tracked us down and invited us to the special, holy event.

We were afforded special seating near the front and we were able to view one of the most holy sacraments the church offers. The event was lead by the Bishop and almost every priest in the diocese was in attendance.

You don't really appreciate just how many priests and holy people there are in our area until you see them all at once. To watch them, over a hundred in all, process together down the aisle of the church, along with seminarians and acolytes, was a special moment.

One of the things I adore about the Catholic Church is the rituals that add depth to our faith. The garments, the chalice, the candles, the incense, the music... all so wonderful.

We were very blessed to have the choir and music provided by the Florida Orchestra. They filled the rafters with angelic hymns that lifted your spirit.

When the new priest was being ordained the Bishop choked up, barely able to hold back his joy. And when all of the priests raised their hands and, in unison, participated in the consecration of the bread and wine, well, it was like experiencing a little piece of heaven.

When the Bishop completed the ordination, the new priest then kneels and promises obedience to the Bishop. At the end of the ceremony, the new priest lays hands on a bowed Bishop to offer his first official blessing. Wonderfully cyclical. Great, amazing stuff.

Many times I was brought to tears and such a holy event made me realize how temporary and completely unimportant our daily lives can be in comparison.

As the mass ended and our local priest processed down the aisle and passed the two young men he had invited, he gave them a joy-filled hand shake as we all sang the last hymn.

That ordination was one of the most special Catholic moments of my life. I cannot imagine a greater joy a parent could feel than to offer their child up to God in such a way.

For any Catholic reading this, I implore you to offer an extra hour of your life next year and attend the next ordination in your area. It is something that will touch your heart and infuse you with a renewed faith in Jesus, in your church and in your leaders.