A GRAIL PUBLICATION

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St. Meinrad Indiana



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ReO. Chtliul Tliemexiel

PRICE TEN CENTS

A GRAIL PUBLICATION

ST. MEINRAD INDIANA



Nihil obstat:

Leonard A, Bauer
y
S. T. D.

Censor deputatus

Imprimatur:

Albert R, Zuroweste, D, D.

Bishop of Belleville

February 18
y
19Jf9

All rights reserved.

DeacMscI

Copyright by

St, Meinrad^s Abbey
y
Inc,

19Jf9



A VOCATION

‘'Have you ever thought about what

you would like to be when you grow up,

Jim? Getting pretty close to gradua-

tion time you know. About time to

decide, isn't it?"

“Yes, Father. I know it is. Gee,

Father, do you . . . well, do you think I

could ever be a priest?"

Father Tom Reiley stopped in his

tracks and put out a hand to stay the

lad who was walking beside him. The

two were headed for the playground on

the other side of the school building

where a baseball game was about to get

underway. But the ball game would

have to wait. Here was the opportunity

Father had been wanting and he wasn't

going to let it pass. He knew Jimmy

White was a good boy—one of the best
in the eighth grade at St. Mary's. He

had always thought he saw the makings

of a good priest in Jimmy but lately

had begun to feel he might be mistaken,

and that maybe God would not call Jim-

my after all. Now things looked differ-

ent. Jimmy had been thinking about

- 3 -



the priesthood! So it was time to do

something definite.

The priest smiled broadly as he an-

swered the boy. ‘‘Why, of course you

can be a priest, Jim. That is, if you

have a true vocation. Tell me, what gave

you the idea?'’

Encouraged by Father Reiley's evident

interest Jimmy replied, “I don't know

exactly. Father. I just feel that way.

Sometimes when I am watching you at

Mass I get a feeling inside me that

makes me want to be a priest so I can

offer Mass too."

“Did you ever ask anyone to tell you

about the priesthood— what it means
and what it takes to be a priest and

all that?"

“No, Father. I was afraid to ask."

“Afraid, Jim. Afraid of what? That

you would be scolded?"

“Oh, I guess I just didn't want any-

body to know I was thinking about it

'cause I wasn't really sure."

There was no one within hearing

distance but just the same Father Reiley

lowered his voice almost to a whisper.

“This is going to be a secret, Jim, be-

tween you and me. Here, let's sit down

on this bench and talk this thing over."

Jimmy was glad for the chance to

- 4 -



confide in Father Reiley, who, being a

priest himself, would be able to under-

stand better than anybody else, better

even than his own father or mother.

‘'You know what, Jim?'' said Father

Reiley, after they had settled themselves

on one of the schoolyard benches, “I

really believe you have a vocation to the

priesthood. You know what we mean by

a vocation, don't you?"

“Yes, Father. A vocation means a
call from God."

“Right, Jim. It is God Who calls and

chooses the ones He wants to be His

- 5 -



priests. But sometimes the ones He is

calling don't realize it. Now, when your

mother or dad calls you, you know defi-

nitely that they want you for something

and you obey. Well, when God calls you

He wants you for something too and He

wants you to obey Him. There is this

difference—God doesn't call out loud as
your mother or dad does. No, God speaks

to the heart."

'‘But how does God speak to the heart.

Father?"

"God has many ways of making His

voice heard, Jim. For instance, the

feeling that you say you have experi-

enced during Mass is one way. That was

Christ calling you. It is His way of

saying, 'Jimmy, I need you—I want you
to be a priest.' Here's another way:

perhaps you may know some priest that

you admire, or a boy who is studying

to be a priest, and the thought comes to

you, 'That is what I would like to be.'
"

"Oh, it has. Father. Many times I've

looked at you and wished I could be

just like you."

"Hold on, Jimmy, I didn't mean my-

self, I was just citing an example."

"But I would like to be like you. Fa-

ther. I'd like to be able to help people

the way you do, and be called 'Father'

- 6 -



and be able to preach about God and the

Blessed Mother/' Jim went on seriously.

'‘So what, Jim? What are we going

to do about it?"

"What can we do, Father?" asked Jim.

"The first thing, Jim, is to decide that

you are going to let nothing stop you

from answering that call of Christ. He

is saying to you, 'Come, Jim— follow
Me.' You must answer by telling Our

Lord that you have heard His call and

you want to follow Him. Then you must

pray. Pray hard, Jim. Ask Our Lord

and the Blessed Mother to show you the

way and to give you the help you'll need.

I'll be praying too. Later on I'll arrange

to take you to visit the seminary where

you will have to go to study."

"Father," said Jim.

"Yes, Jim."

"Don't you think we ought to let

Mother and Dad in on the secret?"

Father Reiley nodded. "By all means,

Jim. I'll tell you what I'll do. I'll take

a stroll over by your house this evening

and break the news for you. How'll

that be?"

"Swell, Father. Thanks, Father. I'd

better go now."

Father Reiley glanced at his watch.

"Time for me to go too, Jim."

- 7 -



'‘Goodbye, Father/'

"So long, Jim. Don't forget those

prayers!"

"I won't. Father," promised Jim as he

went skipping out of the schoolyard.

VOCATION MEANS SACRIFICE

John White and his wife, Martha,

were sitting on the front porch enjoying

a few moments of relaxation at the end

of the day's work. Mrs. White happened

to look out across the lawn just as Fa-

ther Reiley swung around the corner.

"Isn't that Father Reiley, John?" she

asked.

"Yes, it is," answered her husband,

"and I believe he is coming in here."

By that time Father Reiley was half

way up the walk. "Good evening, folks!"

he called out.

"Good evening. Father," the two re-

sponded. "How are you this evening?"

"I'm very well," replied their pastor

in his usual friendly fashion, then add-

ed with a chuckle: "How is everyone

at the White House? May I join your

peaceful family circle?"

"Glad to have you. Father. Have a

chair. What's on your mind?"

"Your son Jim. Now, now, Mrs. White,

- 8 -



there is nothing wrong/’ declared the

priest, seeing that his word had dis-

turbed Mrs. White, and she was about

to excite herself unnecessarily.

“I just want to tell you something

about him. What would you say if I

told you your son has a vocation to the

priesthood?”

- 9 -



‘‘I'd say how did you find it out, Fa-

ther. He's never mentioned anything

like that to us," answered Mr. White,

drawing a long puff on his pipe.

“Oh, Father, don't you think Jimmy

is a bit young to be making such a de-

cision?" put in Mrs. White.

“No, Mrs. White, he isn't too young.

God has put that desire into your boy's

heart. He wants him to be a priest. A

vocation to the priesthood is the highest

calling a boy can have. But it is some-

thing that cannot be trifled with. It

can be lost you know, or rejected. God

only knows how many parents there are

who have been the cause of their child's

loss of vocation. That is a serious mat-

ter to consider, when we stop to think

that God will hold those parents respon-

sible who did not do all in their power

to encourage vocations in their homes.

I know that neither of you would want

to prevent Jimmy from answering the

call that he has felt and which he spoke

to me about this afternoon."

“You're right. Father. We want to do

whatever God expects us to do, don't we,

Martha?" spoke John White, turning to

his wife for her opinion.

“At least we'll try. Father." answered

Mrs. White.

- 10 -



‘‘Good/' said Father Reiley. “I knew

I could count on you. It's going to mean

sacrifice, though, on both sides. Jim will

have to go away to school. There are

long years of study ahead for him. The

Priesthood is the most important pro-

fession there is. A boy has to be trained
for it in the proper atmosphere—away
from the world and all its hubbub, so

he can think and study about the things

of God and the truths of religion that

he will have to teach to others. He must

be guarded against temptations so that

his mind and body will be free to work

at the task of storing up knowledge that

he will need later in his work of caring

for souls. At the same time he has to

learn to practice what he intends to

preach, which means good, solid spiritual

training. I purpose to take Jim down

to the seminary for a visit before long

so he can get a general idea of what

the place is like."

“Excuse me. Father, but won't all this

schooling cost a lot of money? One can't

run a home or a business without money,

and I don't suppose the seminary can

be run without it either," commented

Mr. White.

“You've got something there, Mr.

White. Yes, it does take money. That's

- 11 -



part of the sacrifice. The seminaries

have to meet with the approval of Rome

and of the Bishops. They have to main-

tain a pretty high standard. However,

I may be able to arrange to take care

of part of the financial burden for you

through the chancery or the seminary.

I don't have things worked out yet. I

just dropped by to find out your opinion

in the matter. Besides I told Jimmy I

would speak to you about it this evening.

He is fairly bursting to discuss it with

you. He's a fine lad, if ever I saw one.

But he'll need encouragement from you."

- 12 -



Father Reiley rose from his chair. ‘‘I

have to get back to the rectory/' he

said. ‘'Have an appointment at eight

o'clock. Must be nearly that now."

“Sorry you can't stay longer, Father.

Your news has given us a lot to think

about. We are certainly grateful for

whatever you do for Jim," said Mr.

White. “We'll give the boy all the back-

ing we can."

“Come again soon, won't you. Fa-

ther?" called Mrs. White.

“That I will, Mrs. White. Goodnight

to both of you, and God bless you!"

- 13 -



THE DIGNITY OF THE PRIESTHOOD

It was Saturday morning. Father

Reiley had just finished his thanksgiv-

ing after Mass and was about to put the

chasuble and other Mass vestments back

where they belonged. Suddenly he heard

footsteps behind him, and turning a-

round looked down at Jimmy White’s

wide grin. There was an eager look in

Jim’s eye.

'Tve straightened up the sanctuary,

Father,” he announced.

‘‘Good boy, Jim. Are the other serv-

ers gone already?”

“Yes, Father, they are. But I was

wondering if you would have time to tell

me more about being a priest. I’d like

to find out more about it.”

“I have time right now, Jim. I’m glad

you are that interested. What would you

like to know?”

Jimmy didn’t have any questions

ready so Father Reiley began by asking

him one. “What would you say is the

greatest thing in a priest’s life, Jim?”

Jimmy thought hard for a moment.

Perhaps it was the bright red vestment

that Father Reiley was folding so neatly

in the drawer that gave him the in-

- 14 -



spiration. '‘I think it is the honor of

saying Mass/' he finally answered.

‘Mim, you've hit it right on the nose!"

exclaimed Father Reiley. ‘‘That's just

what I hoped you would say. Offering

the Holy Sacrifice is the priest's greatest

privilege. It is also his greatest joy as

well as his greatest consolation. Why is

it such a great privilege, Jim? Can you

tell me that?"

“You tell me, Father."

“All right," replied Father Reiley,

leaning his broad back against the vest-

mept case and shifting his weight from

one foot to the other. “I'll tell you.

You've heard this in your religion class,

I know, but I'll try to bring out more

clearly the point we have in mind. Now

get this, Jim—every time a priest offers
the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass he is

offering the Body and Blood of Jesus

Christ just as truly as Christ Himself

made the offering of His own Body and

Blood at the Last Supper and on the

Cross of Calvary."

Father Reiley paused and looked

straight at Jim. “You know the story

of the Last Supper, Jim," he said.

“Yes, Father. It was then that Our

Lord changed the bread and wine into

His own Body and Blood and gave the

- 15 -



Apostles their First Holy Communion/’

'‘Quite true, Jim. But Our Lord did

even more— and this is tremendously
important— He gave the Apostles the
power to do the same as He did. In

remembrance of Him they were to say

the same words, do the same thing, and

get the same result. He made them, as

it were, other Christs. And so each

morning at Mass, as the priest conse-

crates the bread and wine, he is not

speaking as a man, but is speaking as

Christ Whom he represents. At the con-
secration the priest says, "This is My

Body. This is My Blood” and no matter

what kind of man the priest is, be he

fervent or otherwise, the bread and wine

become the Body and Blood of Christ.

But the priest would not have this power

if Christ had not first given it to the

Apostles. Nor if He had not commanded

the Apostles to pass that power on to

their successors who are the Bishops, so

that they in turn could transmit it to

the priests whom they ordain.”

Jimmy was taking it all in—his atten-
tion was closely centered on the priest

before him.

"Any questions now, Jim?” asked

Father Reiley.

"I was just thinking. Father, what an

- 16 -



awful power it is that God gives to the

priest. It makes me feel afraid. Do you

really suppose He wants to give that

power to me?’'

‘‘Of course He does, Jim. You see,

God doesn’t always choose the brightest

or the holiest men to be priests. It is

God’s own power working through men

that makes the priesthood so wonderful

and gives it so much dignity. God could

have given the power to His angels in-

stead of giving it to His priests, but He

didn’t choose to do so. Look at the Apos-

tles, Jim. What kind of men were they?

They had no training in school before

Christ called them. Yet they followed

Him and He showed them and taught

them what He wanted them to do. You

can do as much, can’t you?”

“I’ll try. Father,” answered Jim.

“That’s the spirit, my boy! Don’t

get discouraged. And remember what I

told you the other day.”

Jimmy smiled. “I know. Father. You

said, ‘Don’t forget to pray.’
”

The discussion ended there, but Fa-

ther Reiley noted with satisfaction that

his words seemed to be taking effect,

for out in the church Jimmy’s tousled

head could be seen for quite a while

above the front pew where he was kneel-

-17



ing in earnest prayer before the Blessed

Sacrament.

O wonder of wonders that God should

take the form of bread, but still more

wonderful the way in which it is ac-

complished! And to think that he, Jim-

my White, was being called by Christ

and some day the blessed privilege of

bringing God down upon the altar might

be his! ''This is My Body. This is My

Blood.'' Jimmy repeated the words soft-

ly as he slipped quietly out of the church.

THE TASK OF A PRIEST

It was hot and sultry. The last class

of the day was in session. And Father

Reiley was very much aware that his

pupils were not concentrating on their

Bible History lesson. More than likely

everyone's mind was beginning to turn

toward the baseball field.

"That will be all for today," he sud-

denly announced when the class was only

about half over. "School dismissed."

Thirty pairs of eyes opened wide at

the announcement and thirty pairs of

hands lost no time clearing off desks

and gathering up ball gloves, bats and

other baseball items.

"Hurrah for Father Reiley!" someone

- 18 -



shouted. A chorus of 'Thank you, Fa-

ther'’ followed.

Jim White was one of the group that

crowded around Father Reiley on the

school steps a few minutes later.

"Coming over to ball practice with us,

Father?" asked one of the boys.

"Sure thing, boys. We've got to win

that game from St. A's," answered the

priest.

"It was nice of you to let us out early.

Father," spoke up Jim White.

Father Reiley's eyes twinkled and he

winked at Jim. "It was nice for the

teacher, too, Jim," he said.

"Do you like to teach. Father?" ques-

tioned Billy Marvin who was a star pupil

as well as a star baseball player.

- 19 -



''Yes, Billy, I like to teach. In fact,

I have to—every priest is commanded
to teach. I'll bet you didn't know that."

"Who commanded you. Father?"

asked Jim.

"That's an easy one, Jim. Our Lord

commanded the Apostles to teach when

He said, 'Going therefore, teach ye all

nations,' and naturally whatever He

commanded the Apostles to do all the

Bishops and Priests of the Church must

do also. Now, every priest doesn't teach

in a class room, but every priest does

have to teach. That's why we have ser-

mons on Sundays, and at other times

like Lent and Forty Hours and Missions.

Preaching is one of the pastor's first

duties. He is bound to instruct his par-

ishioners in their duties. We all have

duties toward God, ourselves and our

fellowmen—we can't get away from
them. True, we can learn a lot about

them during our school-days but that

isn't enough. As we grow older we take

on greater responsibilities and need

more instruction on how to shoulder the

burdens that life brings. Our Lord spent

three years preaching and teaching. The

Apostles were constantly receiving in-

struction from Him. He taught them

how to live, how to pray, how to teach

- 20 -



and how to die. After His ascension

into Heaven Christ sent the Holy Spirit

who would encourage them and bring

back to their minds all that He had

taught them. And so the priest speak-

ing from the pulpit is carrying on the

work of the Holy Spirit because in his

sermons he brings back to the minds of

the people all they have learned in their

catechism and instructs them more fully

about their duties, and he also encour-

ages them to do what is right. But a

priest can also teach without opening

his mouth.”

''You’re kidding, aren’t you. Father?”

"Honest, I mean it, boys. Ever hear

that little saying, 'actions speak louder

than words’? Well, example is one of

the most powerful means of instruction

there is. Our Lord used it. He was a

perfect model of obedience, purity, hu-

mility, patience, kindness and of every

other virtue. He didn’t just tell the peo-

ple that 'Blessed are the poor in spirit,

blessed are the clean of heart, blessed

are the meek’—oh, no. He showed them
by the way He lived. I know of a priest

who won many converts just because he

was understanding and kind. But sup-

pose we consider the group of you stand-

ing with me now. Why, I might talk

- 21 -



all day about fair play, honest sports-

manship, being a good loser and all that

sort of thing and not get to first base.

But let a bunch of boys on the field

show all those qualities while at play

and the idea goes over like a homer

over the fence. It takes example along

with words. Get what I mean, boys?”

“Yes, Father. We get it,” they shout-

ed in one voice.

“Well then, let’s go over to the play-

ground and give a little silent instruc-

tion on how to win a baseball game. . .

.

Long after the ball practice was over

for the day Jimmy White was still pon-

dering Father Reiley’s words. The task

of teaching which Christ had imposed

on His priests was a big one, but Jimmy

would not have to wait until ordination

to begin his teaching career. By setting

a good example he could begin right now.

SHEPHERD OF SOULS

Father Reiley sat in the back of the

schoolhall, watching listlessly as Sister

Anna put the eighth graders through

final practice of the graduation exer-

cises. Presently one of the girls began

reading the class prophecy and Father

Reiley pricked up his ears to listen. He

- 22 -



was not at all surprised to hear that

Billy Marvin would one day be in the

pitcher's box of a big league ball team,

but he was surprised when he heard

Jimmy White named the future pastor

of St. Mary's. He couldn't figure out

who had let the cat out of the bag, but

as soon as the signal for dismissal had

been snapped and Sister had been con-

gratulated on her well planned program.

Father drew Jim aside and questioned

him: '‘Say, I thought we had a secret.

Who told?"

- 23 -



‘‘I don't know, Father," answered Jim.

^‘Sister Anna must have guessed it.

She's pretty keen that way."

''Well, my boy, since you're going to

be my successor as pastor of St. Mary's

some day, maybe I ought to tell you a

little about the job a pastor has," said

Father Reiley half jokingly, yet serious-

ly enough for Jim to sense that more

instruction on the priesthood would be

forthcoming if he encouraged Father

to talk.

"Go ahead. Father, shoot," replied

Jim eagerly. "I'm listenin'."

So Father Reiley again opened fire.

"Jim," he said, "a pastor has more to

think about than himself. A parish

priest is responsible for the holiness of

all the souls in his parish. That means

a lot of work. He is really a shepherd

of souls. The people of his parish are

his sheep. And just as the old-time

shepherds of Our Lord's day cared for

the sheep of their masters so does the

priest look after the souls that God

places under his charge. Christ was the

first Good Shepherd. He gave Himself

that name. He said, 'I am the Good

Shepherd. I know Mine and Mine know

me.' The priest then, if he be truly

another Christ, is also a good shepherd.

- 24 -



He must know his sheep and care for

them/'

‘‘How does he care for them, Father?"

put in Jim.

“Like this, Jim. When the priest bap-

tizes the children of his flock he is put-

them into the sheep-fold of the Church.

Later on he arranges protection for

them from the wolves that would de-

stroy them. This he does through the

Sacrament of Confirmation which the

- 25 -



Bishop administers in order to strength-

en souls against the attacks of the devil.

It is also the priest who prepares food

for his flock by bringing the Body and

Blood of Christ down from heaven

through the Mass; for isn't it in Holy

Communion that our souls receive divine

help to make us grow in holiness? Then

there are the poor strayed sheep and the

lost ones who must be brought back.

There are the sick and wounded sheep

who must be healed. All these are taken

care of in the Sacrament of Confession.

There are the wandering sheep who

want to seek shelter in the sheep-fold.

These are the converts who must be in-

structed. Yes, Jim, at every turn of life

the priest is there ready to aid—he even
stands as God's witness when in God's

name he blesses the solemn contract that

couples who enter into marriage must

make. And when the awful agony of

death comes upon the soul, who but the

priest can give real help? It is the priest

who brings the Holy Viaticum, and who

anoints the body with the purifying oils

of the Sacrament of Extreme Unction."

Father Reiley paused and took a deep

breath. ‘'Oh, it is such a wonderful

work, Jim, . . . a beautiful work!"

Jim thought to himself: “Father

-26 -



Reiley must be a true shepherd or else

he couldn't look the way he does now."

But Jim wanted to keep the conversation

going so he said: ''What else does the

shepherd do for his sheep, Father?"

"
'The Good Shepherd gives his life

for his sheep' " quoted Father Reiley in

answer to Jim's question. "Every pastor

gives his life for his sheep, Jim, even as

Christ did. The years of his youth he

gives to the study and preparation nec-

essary for ordination. After ordination

he takes up the actual work—he gives
his time, his health, his talents, he sac-

rifices his own pleasure, he risks his life

and sometimes his honor, in caring for

the needs of His Master's sheep. The

Good Shepherd represents the mercy of

God. The priest, is above all else, the

dispenser of God's mercy. And never

before has the world so needed the mer-

cy of God!"

"Gee, Father," cried Jim. "Even if I

had thought about giving up the idea of

being a priest I couldn't now."

There was a long moment of silence

which was not broken by either of the

two who sat absorbed—each in his own
thoughts, yet each thinking of the other.

—Suddenly there was a sound of youth-
ful chatter. A group of girls was re-

- 27 -



turning with flags, bunting and stream-

ers with which to decorate the hall for

the graduation exercises.

''Looks like we're going to be in the

way here, Jim," declared Father Reiley

coming out of his dreams. "We'd better

get out before we And ourselves wearing

a piece of red, white and blue drapery."

Jim laughed. For some reason his

heart felt very light and his spirits rose

high as he tried to keep his short little

legs in step with Father Reiley's long

ones which were hurrying toward the

nearest exit.

THE PRIEST A MISSIONARY

A tall, heavy-set man, dressed in

black, with his hat pulled down and his

coat collar turned up, made a quick dash

from the bank door to a parked car.

However, what looked like a bandit try-

ing to make his getaway with a bank

loot was really only Father Reiley try-

ing to dodge the raindrops of a sudden

shower as he hurried back to his car

after depositing the weekly parish col-

lection.

"More rain," he mumbled to himself.

"But at least there is no danger of flood

in these parts."

Father Reiley stepped on the starter

- 28 -



and had not gone more than a block or

two when he spied Jimmy White hud-

dled against a corner building. He was

trying to shelter himself from the rain

while waiting for a bus.

''Hop in, Jim,'’ called Father Reiley,

as he stopped for the traffic signal.

"Hello, Father. Am I glad to see
you!" exclaimed the lad, brushing at his

wet clothes with his hands and settling

himself in the seat next to Father. "I

didn't expect all this rain today. I

thought we'd had enough for awhile."

Father Reiley laughed. "That isn't

for us to say, Jim. But I know one

thing, all this water is going to do a

lot of damage in some places."

"Dad was saying this morning that

Father Stone's new church is being

threatened by flood. That's a pretty

good distance from here, isn't it.

Father?"

"Yes, it is, Jim, but it's in our diocese.

I'm telling you, Jim, you don't have to

go to the foreign missions to look for

excitement. There is plenty of it right

here in our own diocese. A diocesan
priest is as much a missionary as any."

"How do you figure that. Father?"

questioned Jim. "I always thought one

- 29 -



had to go to China or some far-away

place like that to be a missionary/'

‘‘Not at all, Jim," replied Father

Reiley, swerving the car out of the way

of a delivery truck. “If it is a matter

of zeal and the enduring of hardships,

then you can get all that right around

here. Strange as it may seem there are

places in this diocese almost as poor as

some in China. That's not saying we

don't need foreign missionaries. No, in-

deed. Christ said to teach all nations.

But I do say that the priest who takes

on the pastorship of a small mission

center is doing heroic work wherever it's

located. He has to build and repair on

almost nothing and usually with what

labor he can manage to get from the

people in their off time. Most of the

time there is no school and no decent

rectory. Instructions to the children

must be given separately in the evenings

or on Saturdays and Sundays. The priest

very often has to travel great distances

to take care of his scattered flock. May-

be it isn't as glamorous sounding as

doing mission work in a foreign coun-

try but it adds up to the same things

—

hardships, loneliness, heartbreaking dis-

appointment— all those things have to
be faced by the diocesan missionary too.

- 30 -



Paints a rather gloomy picture, doesn't

it, Jim, and 'twould be a rather gloomy

life too, if it weren't for the purpose

in back of it.

Jim wanted to ask Father Reiley

what he meant by that, but seeing that

they were almost to the rectory he an-

swered with : ‘'I can get out at the

rectory. Father—it's only a few steps
around the corner to home and the rain

has stopped now."

''So it has, Jim. Looks like the sun

is coming out. Well, that's the way it

is in the life of a missionary, Jim. The

rains of trouble, hardship and disap-

pointment come but so does the sun-

shine of success. In the heart of every

missionary there is a spirit of zeal and

love for souls that shines through on

the darkest days and makes them bright

because the missionary knows He is do-

ing God's greatest work and . .
."

Father Reiley stopped in the middle

of his sentence and chuckled a little.

"What am I trying to do here, Jim

—

talk you out of being a missionary or

talk you into it."

"I don't know. Father," responded

Jim. "But you've cleared up a few

things that I'd been wondering about.

- 31 -



Thanks for what youVe told me and

for the ride too, Father/'

The doors of the car slammed simul-

taneously as the two climbed out. '‘As

far as I'm concerned, the diocese is the

only missionary field I'm looking for-

ward to," called Jim over his shoulder.

And that was all Father Reiley want-

ed to know.

STEPS TO THE PRIESTHOOD

Some of the players said it was Fa-

ther Reiley's pep talks, some gave the

credit to Billy Marvin's super pitching,

while others said they never would have

won the game if Jim White hadn't come

through with that four bagger when he

did. But if you had asked any number

of the spectators they would have an-

swered, "Team work, that's what did

it!" And they would have been right.

Father Reiley was justly proud of his

boys and he was taking them on an out-

ing to prove it. All the way to the park

they had been re-hashing the plays of

yesterday's big game and glorying in

the final score of 8 to 7.

Finally the conversation turned to the

losing team. "Father Casey's a swell

coach, I think," spoke one of the boys

from the rear seat of the station wagon

- 32 -



in which they were riding (it had been

borrowed for the occasion).

''I think so too/' agreed the boy sit-

ting next to him. ''He's almost as good

a coach as ours."

"You said it, Jack, nobody can beat

Father Reiley," boasted Billy.

"Thanks, boys," said Father Reiley.

"But remember. Father Casey has been

at St. Ann's for only two years. In fact

that's all the longer he's been ordained.

Most likely he played ball while in the

seminary, and I'll wager he was on a

team like ours once, but that would have

been fourteen years ago—before he went
away to study for the priesthood."

"Golly!" exclaimed Ted Peters. "Four-

teen years ago. How many years does

it take to become a priest?"

"Subtract two from fourteen and

you've got the answer, Ted. It takes

twelve long years of hard study—and
here's something that will surprise you,

I know—every young man who receives
the sacrament of Holy Orders must re-

ceive seven ordinations I"

"Whew," whistled Ted. "No wonder it

takes so long!" Everybody laughed.

Jim White was the first to ask: "Won't

you please tell us about the seven or-

dinations, Father?"

- 33 -



‘‘OK/' replied the priest. “As soon as

everybody quiets down.''

In an instant all were silent, waiting

eagerly for Father Reiley to begin. The

priest straightened himself against the

seat of the car and started his explana-

tion.

“You all know that Our Lord insti-

tuted the Sacrament of Holy Orders

when he ordained the Apostles His first

priests and made them the first Bishops

of the Church. He also gave to them

and to their successors the power to

ordain other priests and consecrate oth-

er Bishops. At first there was only the

order of priesthood. Later, as the

Church grew and more ministers were

needed, deacons were ordained to assist

the priests. Gradually five more orders

were instituted, making seven all told.

I'll try to explain a little about each

one. First, though, I must tell you about

the tonsure."

“What's that, Father?" asked Ted,

who by this time had become deeply

interested.

“That, Ted, means a hair cut," re-

plied Father Reiley. “The idea was

copied from the Romans who shaved the

heads of their slaves. The early Fathers

of the Church shaved their heads to

-34



proclaim themselves slaves of Christ.

This same idea prevails today. The

Bishop cuts the hair of the candidates

for the priesthood as a sign that those

young men belong especially to Christ

and intend to dedicate themselves to the

service of the Church.’'

‘‘Don’t they look rather queer?” some-

one asked.

Father Reiley expected that question

and he smiled broadly as he ansv^ered:

“The Bishop doesn’t shave their heads.

He just cuts a few strands of hair from

five parts of each one’s head so as to

form a cross. It is hardly noticeable.”

“When do the seven ordinations

start?” asked Billy.

“After the candidates have received

tonsure they are called clerics and are

eligible to go on to the seven final steps

that lead to the priesthood. These steps

are the four Minor Orders and the three

Major Orders, and together they make

up the seven ordinations that each can-

didate for the priesthood must receive.”

“The four Minor Orders,” continued

Father Reiley, “are Porter, Lector, Ex-

orcist and Acolyte. Porter means guard

of the doors. In the time of persecution,

reliable men were needed to inform the

faithful of the time and place of divine

- 35 -



services. The Porters had to open and

lock the doors and keep out those who

would cause a disturbance. Later on

they helped to take care of the sacred

vessels, ring the bells and usher. Now

those duties are performed by the sac-

ristans, ushers and janitors.

''Next comes the order of Lector

which means reader. In the early days

the Catechumens, that is, those who

were preparing for baptism, were not

allowed to remain for the whole Mass.

They received instructions from the

Scriptures which were read to them be-

fore the actual sacrifice began. The Lec-

tors were especially trained to read the

Scriptures. We can easily understand
why, when we realize that in those times

there were no printed books such as we

have now. The text was written by hand

in manuscript form and it required a

really skilled reader to make sense out

of it. Gradually the work of the Lectors

was taken over by the deacons and

priests and so the Lectors formed a

schola for singing the various parts of

the Mass. Now the choir takes the place

of the schola.

"The third Minor Order is that of

Exorcist. The duty of the Exorcist was

to perform exorcisms over the Catechu-

- 36 -



mens in order to drive the devils out

of them. Today the priest performs

these exorcisms at the time of baptism.

‘'The last of the Minor Orders is that

of Acolyte. It \vas his duty to assist in

the services, light the candles, pour the

wine and water. Now the servers at

Mass do all that.''

“May I ask a question. Father?" in-

quired Jack.

“What is it. Jack?"

“Well, if the duties have all been

taken over by others why does the can-

didate for the priesthood have to re-

ceive the Minor Orders?"

“That's a good question. Jack," re-

marked Father Reiley, pleased to find

the boys following his explanation so

closely. “The reason is this—the Church
uses the Minor Orders, which are so

called because they are of less impor-

tance, as a fitting preparation for the

Major Orders which are of grave im-

portance. All the Minor Orders recall

the fact that the priest is the responsi-

ble guardian of the house of God and

everything connected with it. And al-

though various duties are now per-

formed by lay people without the rite

of ordination it is up to the priest to

see that the duties are carried out."

- 37 -



''I guess that explains that, Father.

Now tell us about the Major Orders,
replied Jack.

‘'There are three Major Orders—Sub-
diaconate, Diaconate and Priesthood,^^

began Father Reiley. The Subdiaconate

was introduced into the Church when
the work of the deacon increased and

divine services became more solemn. The

Subdeacon must take on the obligation

of perfect chastity, of never marrying,

and of saying the Divine Office like the

Deacon and Priest. And like the Deacon
and Priest he dresses in sacred vest-

ments when he takes part in the ser-

vices. But it is only when deaconship

is bestowed that the indelible mark of

the Sacrament of Holy Orders is im-

printed on the soul. For after the cleric

is ordained deacon he participates in the

priesthood in so far as he assists the

priest at solemn services. He is also

permitted to preach and to distribute

Holy Communion.''

“Now then, the young man is ready
for the final step—the order of priest-
hood. Through the imposition of the

Bishop's hands he is made a priest for-

ever. He is given the power to offer

Holy Mass, to forgive sins and to bless.

During the rite of ordination the Bish-

- 38 -



op vests him in the sacred vestments

and consecrates his hands with holy oils.

Then the Bishop calls upon the newly

ordained priest to offer Mass together

with him.''

Father Reiley paused. '‘Any ques-

tions?" he asked.

"It means an awful lot to be a priest,

doesn't it, Father," said one of the boys.

"Yes, it does," answered Father

Reiley. "The Priesthood is the heart of

the Church. But don't forget that the

priests come from the heart of the peo-

ple in person of young men like your-

selves."

There was no time for further com-

ment. The entrance of the park loomed

just ahead. Father Reiley knew his talk

had made a deep impression upon Jim

White who had been silent through most

of the discussion, but he hoped he had

also made the others see something of

the great importance of the priesthood.

A LOOK AT THE SEMINARY

The day for the promised visit to the

seminary had arrived at last. It was a

day Jim would never forget as long as

he lived. And the enthusiasm with

which he described it to his mother

- 39 -



when he returned made it a red letter

day for her also.

''Oh, mother!'' cried Jim. "You should

have seen the baseball fields. And the

big gym! Father Reiley says I can learn

to play basketball there."

Mrs. White looked a little surprised.

Baseball and basketball in the seminary?

"Oh, yes, mother," replied Jim to the

question mark look on his mother's face.

"Father Reiley says the sems have to

keep physically fit so they can study.

They have a lake for swimming and

skating too. And a big terrace for tak-

ing walks." Jim's eyes sparkled at the

prospects of evening strolls around the

well-kept campus.

Mrs. White smiled her approval, then

- 40 -



inquired, ‘‘What about your studies,

Jim?''

“I have a book that Father Anthony

gave me. He's swell . .
.
just like Father

Reiley. The book tells about the classes.

Here it is," said Jim, handing his moth-

er the Seminary Catalogue which the

genial Director of studies had given him.

Mrs. White was about as excited as

Jim. She paged through the book quick-

ly. On one page she found the schedule

for the day. Everything was planned.

First came Holy Mass and meditation,

followed by breakfast and four classes.

At noon, dinner and a period of recrea-

tion. In the afternoon there were more

classes and recreation until supper. Eve-

ning devotions at 7 were followed by

study and after that came bedtime. She

could see Jim's days would be full.

“The class rooms are wonderful,"

Jim went on. “And so is the refec . . .

the refec . . . the place where I'll eat with

all the other students," finished Jim.

“You mean the refectory, Jim,"

prompted Mrs. White.

“Yes, that's what Father Reiley called

it. He showed me the dormitory, too,

where I'll sleep. Golly, there were a lot

of beds there. Father Reiley told me

some stories about his seminary days.

- 41 -



and he says the sems still do those

things. They have plays and concerts,

and lectures and even have contests. Gee,

I can hardly Avait to get started.''

^'Well, I'll be needing the Summer to

get all your things ready," replied Mrs.

White scanning the list of clothing and

supplies that Jim would be required to

bring along.

Jim paused thoughtfully as the vision

of the seminary chapel filled his mind.

'‘Mother, you should see the beautiful

chapel. We go there every morning for

Holy Mass and Communion. It's so easy

to pray there." His thoughts recalled

the feeling of peace that had come over

him when Father Anthony had led him

up the aisle pointing out that much of a

seminarian's time is given to prayer.

It had seemed to Jim that never before

had the desire to be a priest been so

strongly felt as it had that afternoon

when he knelt for the first time in the

seminary chapel and looked upon the

huge crucifix which hung behind the

tabernacle. The same Christ Who had

died upon the cross and Who was pres-

ent before him in the tabernacle was

calling him to follow as closely in His

footsteps as any man can, for He wanted

him to be one of His priests.

- 42 -



Jim’s train of thought was broken by

the sound of a door opening. Mrs.

White’s ear had also caught the sound.

‘'Isn’t that dad coming in, Jim?” she

asked. But Jim didn’t wait to answer.

He was out of the room with a dash

—

eager to tell the day’s adventures to his

father who he knew would be more than

anxious to hear them.

THE PRIEST’S BEST FRIENDS

Father Reiley’s breviary lay open on

his knee, but his eyes were closed in

. silent meditation. It was the Feast of

St. John the Baptist, and this great

saint’s life suggested many points worth

pondering. So completely lost was the

priest in thought that he did not hear

Jim White come up the steps to the

rectory porch.

“Excuse me. Father,” began Jim, and

Father Reiley was immediately aroused.

“Oh, good evening, Jim, my boy. I

didn’t hear you coming. Sit down,” re-

plied Father Reiley.

“I don’t want to interrupt you. Fa-

ther,” spoke Jim.

“But I have finished saying my Office,

Jim,” informed Father Reiley, closing

the breviary and laying it carefully on

- 43 -



the bench beside him. ''Sit down, and

I’ll share my thoughts with you. There

are a good many lessons we can learn

from today’s feast—you especially, since
you are to prepare for the priesthood.

Some day you will be learning what the

Divine Office is all about and what it

means to the priest, but for the time

being you can follow the feasts of the

Church year through the use of your

daily missal.”

"I know today is the feast of St. John

the Baptist, but how does it have special

meaning for me. Father?” inquired Jim.

"St. John the Baptist,” began Father

Reiley, "is called the Precursor of Christ

because he went about preaching to the

- 44 -



people of the great Messias who was

to come and save them from their sins.

In a way all priests are prophets of Our

Lord like St. John, because they must

preach the coming of Christ by faith

into the hearts of His people. St. John

should be a model for us since his voca-

tion was a very special call to preach

Christ. Then, too, St. John said, in

speaking of Christ, ‘He must increase

:

but I must decrease.’ Applied to our-

selves that means that we must decrease

in selfishness and increase in Christ-

likeness. It means putting aside our

selfish interests and thinking of the

things of God and of the Church. If

you learn to be selfless during your sem-

inary days, Jim, you will have a much

more fruitful priesthood from the be-

ginning.”

“I hadn’t thought of that. Father, but

I guess I should,” Jim admitted.

“However, St. John isn’t the only saint

who can be a model for us. There are

scores of them,” continued Father Rei-

ley, warming up to his subject. St.

Peter, the first Pope
;
St. Paul, the great-

est of all missionaries; St. John and St.

James and all the other Apostles. They

all long to share their priesthood with

you, and for that reason they have a spe-

- 45 -



cial interest in you right and and want

to help you. The Cure of Ars is another

saint to whom you should be devoted.

He was poor in talents but rich in zeal

and love for souls, and because of his

great zeal God gave him extraordinary

powers for doing good. It was through

the confessional that he did his greatest

work. He died a poor little pastor, but

not before he had become a model for

all diocesan priests. Then there is the

saint of our own times, the Little Flower

of Jesus. Of course she wasn't a priest,

but she was especially devoted to the

priesthood and has obtained many

graces for the seminarians and priests

who pray to her. But there is one per-

son, above all others, who is most in-

terested in your success as a student and

as a priest and that is .

.

‘'The Blessed Mother," put in Jim.

“Yes, my boy, there is no other person

to whom we can go with as much con-

fidence and hope of being heard. It was

through Jesus that Mary became our

Mother. How she must love those who

come closest to her Son! A priest is

another Christ—how often you will hear
that. He has the mission of carrying

on the work of Our Lord and has been

given a share in His divine power. Be-

- 46 -



cause a priest gives his all to God's

service he must forego earthly attach-

ment to women. But Mary is always

beside him ready to inspire him and

encourage him. She gives her love in a

special way to priests because they re-

semble Christ most closely. Make her

your companion now, Jim. Make her

part of your everyday life. Remember

this, Jim—no priest was ever ordained
without the help of Mary and no priest

can carry on the work of a priest with-

out Mary to guide him. You can go to

her in joy as well as in sorrow. She

has known both." Father Reiley paused

and smiled.

''Here we were discussing St. John

the Baptist and all of a sudden we end

up talking about the Blessed Mother.

But that isn't such an unnatural con-

clusion when we consider that it was

through the visit of Our Lady to St.

Elizabeth that St. John was sanctified

even before his birth. Truly every grace

comes to us through Mary."

Father Reiley leaned over to pick up

his breviary. It was getting near sup-

per time.

"Was there something special you

wanted to see me about?" he asked Jim.

Jim replied, "I just wanted to give

- 47 -



you this paper which I received from

Father Rector. You are asked to fill it

out so I can return it to Father when

I go to the seminary.

‘‘ril be glad to do that, Jim.

‘'Thanks very much, Father. See you

later.''

Father Reiley's eyes followed Jim

down the steps and watched him until

he disappeared out of sight. Only then

did the priest turn to go into the house.

A prayer for Jim was on his lips. “Keep
him, dearest Mother, keep him in your

heart and make the goodness that is in

him now, grow and grow, and never

cease to bear good fruit."

- 48