in Chambley, France I was
born.
In the great scheme of things 50 years is not a long
time, but for an individual man it is, or should be, a seminal
moment to look back on his life’s journey, and see how far
he has come and to realize how much farther he has to go.
My first 25 years were active, visiting ten countries on
three continents with protracted stays in Germany, the
United States and France. A quarter century ago I was a
Legislative Assistant to a member of Congress, with an
undergraduate degree in Philosophy and German, and a
Master’s in International Relations. I had been raised
Lutheran, but seldom went to Church. In worldly terms I
was pretty successful, and it would never have occurred to
me, or anyone who then knew me, that 25 years later I
would be a Catholic Priest.
If my first quarter century was my most traveled in terms
of different countries, my second quarter century has seen
even greater journeying in spiritual terms. At the age of 28
I was received into the Catholic Church. Not too long after
that I heard the Call which I have been striving to follow
ever since. On the way I picked up two more Master’s
degrees and more importantly was ordained a priest. In
worldly terms I may still be seen as successful, but that is
unimportant. I have to admit that I like my “stuff” and my
friends, and my way of Life, while not without challenges, is
on the whole pretty easy. Everything however pales in
significance when I consider the Mark on my soul, which
marks me out for all eternity as a priest of Christ Jesus.
The thought of that humbles me and makes me realize
how very much farther I have to go. Do I have another
quarter century ahead of me? I don’t know. I give thanks
to God for the tremendous blessings He has so gratuitously
showered upon me – my friends, my family and my Faith.
As I celebrate my big L – my 50