This article is published in Ministry and Liturgy magazine: December 2013/January2014 volume 40, number 10
From the souls of the forgotten: Lenten preaching
Shortly after I was ordained a deacon, a mother of a mentally disabled man approached me after Sunday Mass. She told me that her son was not allowed to receive communion in the other parishes that they had attended. She begged me to work with her son. She grabbed my attention when she told me that her son was my age. She was a frantic, yet strong mother. Her grey hair was pulled back off her face, her shoulders tight from exhaustion and concern. She introduced me to her son, Dennis. He was extremely polite and seemed so interested in our conversation.
Dennis and I discerned his readiness for the Eucharist during the next months with catechists and his mother. After getting to know Dennis, I realized he was teaching me more than what I was offering him. He taught me to really need God, not in an intellectual way, but from the gut. The teacher-student relationship was blurring. He companioned me during those formative months as I learned how to preach and how to lead public prayer. He walked with me through Lent and those last minute preparations for priesthood ordination after Easter. Continue reading →
