A Priest Needs Friends

Over the weekend I had the real pleasure of hosting my best friend that was visiting from California. Each of us are Ordained priests within the Roman Catholic tradition and each of us have shared the negative experience, as a result of our vocational choice, of not having many friends our age.

Priests need friends. They need people with whom they can confide their joys and hopes, their frustrations, anxieties and disappointments. All too often people believe that priests are superhuman that are impervious to slings and arrows of ordinary life. Yes, they are "men" of faith, sacrifice and commitment but priests are mere human beings that need community in order to be authentically human.
Christ had the community of the twelve disciples in addition to Mary, Martha and Lazareth of Bethany. Not even the Christ of our faith sojourn through his divine life without the company of friends and companions. Solitude may be good and healthy for some from time-to-time but God gave us the gift of community (cf Genesis 2:8) for a purpose. There is no way I could live the life of a priest with out the love, commitment, dedication and challenging counsel of my friends.

For me, Father Lester Love has been an extraordinary friend. He has been my advocate and has challenged me to see beyond my faults, blind spots and , at times, vulnerable ego. I deeply cherish his friendship and company. When I think of Father Lester I'm reminded of the quote from Sirach: "A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter; he who finds one finds a treasure. A faithful friend is beyond all price, no some can balance his worth."

One way to foster vocations is by just being a friend to those whom you believe possess the priestly character--- namely all of us!