There is a story of a man who was hosting a dinner at his home for a few friends. In the middle of the meal, he asked one of his friends, a Shakespearian actor, to entertain the rest of the guests. The actor, true to his artistic form, thrilled the guests with his dramatic renditions of Shakespeare’s dialogues and were met with great applause.
The host then asked the actor if he could recite Psalm 23. The actor agreed provided that after he finished, the priest who was sitting next to him would recite the same Psalm after he finished. The actor recited the Psalm with the same gusto which again led to a flurry of applause. Then the priest rose from his chair and began, “The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want…” The priest’s voice was soft, as if speaking from his heart to the hearts of the others at the dinner table.
As he sat back down, there was no applause, no cheers, no request for an encore. There was just dead silence, broken only by the sniffle from a woman who grew emotional. The actor rose from his seat and told the guests, “I hope you realize what you have witnessed here tonight. To me you have given applause and adulation, but to Father, you give him silence. And rightly so, because while I know the Psalm, he knows the Shepherd.”
While reflecting on Psalm 23, I have come to realize more clearly that each day in the seminary is another valuable opportunity to know Christ Who is the Good Shepherd and to grow in greater relationship with Him. Psalm 23 illustrates the many aspects of our formation in a deeper, personal way:
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[list_item icon=”fa-chevron-right” type=”icon”]“He leads me along the right paths for His Name’s sake” – Christ’s invitation to follow Him as a seminarian and priest does not stop when we finish the paperwork and enter through the doors of the seminary. Each day is a recommitment for all of us who have answered the call to not only to renew our “yes” but also to put our complete trust in God’s love and relying totally on His guidance, especially on those days when our vocations might be a little challenging and difficult.[/list_item]
[list_item icon=”fa-chevron-right” type=”icon”]“You have set a table before me in the sight of my foes” – It is certainly difficult to live a good, moral life in a society which seems to have lost its sense of dignity and relationship with its Creator. Seminarians are no exceptions to these challenges. But in His goodness and mercy, Christ gives us the courage to march on with His own strength and perseverance. We receive this strength most profoundly from the altar where Christ, by His very own Body and Precious Blood, gives us the strength to persevere in our vocations and to help draw others to this supreme source of life.[/list_item]
[list_item icon=”fa-chevron-right” type=”icon”]“Only goodness and kindness shall follow me all the days of my life. And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever and ever.” – All of the gifts that we develop through our formation will help us to bring people as well as ourselves more deeply into the joy that comes from being children of Almighty God. Our universal call to holiness aims to reach our ultimate, common goal which is eternal happiness with God. It is our responsibility as Christians to help each other to reach that height.[/list_item]
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God’s invitation to serve Him as a priest is not only a call to be just an ordinary worker in the vineyard, but to bring Christ to those that He longs for as well as drawing others to Him. Be generous to His invitation to know Him, the Chief Shepherd of the flock.
Father Carlo Santa Teresa
Latest posts by Father Carlo Santa Teresa (see all)
- I BECAME YOUR FATHER IN CHRIST JESUS - November 10, 2020
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- That We May Imitate What They Contain - October 15, 2019
