Today (May 18) 27 years ago, I was ordained to the priesthood. May 18 is also the birthday of St John Paul II. Next Thursday (May 25) around 11am, I will have spent exactly 50 percent of my life as a priest.

Where does the time go? God is Good and His Love and Grace are everlasting. When I was in college, I started going to daily mass and there has only been one day in over 30 years where I have not received Communion. One of the blessings of being a priest is offering Jesus to the Father in the Mass. And there has only been one day in that 27 years I have not offered my daily Mass. During the time in the hospital, most of my Massess have been in the silence of my room. One of  the main motivation for offering the Mass is the intention for which I offered it. Today I offered the Mass for the soul of a friend’s father who died.

Cure of Ars said “The priesthood is the Love of Jesus.” A priest is a man like any other man, but by virtue of ordination, he is configured to Jesus, the head of the Church. And he has power to act in the name of Jesus in forgiving sins and offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

As the book of Hebrews says “No one take the office of priesthood upon himself but only he who is called as Aaron was.” So the priesthood is not an accomplishment. It is a grace. So today , 27 years ago, I was ordained a priest, and next Thursday May 25, the birthday of Padre Pio, I will have spent half of my life as a priest.

So if you see this, pray a Hail Mary… or a Rosary if you have time… that I will persevere in running the race, and win the crown of victory. That I will obtain the crown, which in Greek is the word ‘Stephanos.’  That I will truly live up to the name I was given at birth – Stefan = ‘Crown.’