"When I was ordained a priest, I made a promise to the
Lord. I committed myself to always having a table between myself and the person
who would come to see me for counseling, or for whatever reason, to protect
myself.
This promise was not always easy to keep, but I kept it, thanks to God and it saved me. One day, a woman came to see me in her need to speak to a priest about her situation. I was immediately very attracted to her, and I even fell in love with her. Thoughts of her entered my mind and my strong feelings were uncontrollable. Besides that, she came often to see me with her problems. Each time I felt a strong desire to take her in my arms, or even to reveal my feelings to her. But the table was there, between us!
This promise was not always easy to keep, but I kept it, thanks to God and it saved me. One day, a woman came to see me in her need to speak to a priest about her situation. I was immediately very attracted to her, and I even fell in love with her. Thoughts of her entered my mind and my strong feelings were uncontrollable. Besides that, she came often to see me with her problems. Each time I felt a strong desire to take her in my arms, or even to reveal my feelings to her. But the table was there, between us!
"Oh, how I detested that table! Yet the table never
moved. The torture lasted three years.
Then one day, the woman came as usual, and as I was looking at her, I realized that I no longer felt anything for her. All my feelings had disappeared as quickly as they had come!
I continued to do my best to help her, but with great freedom of heart, just as with a sister in Christ. I understood that this feeling was a trap that the enemy had set for me to destroy my priesthood. That table saved my priestly vocation; or rather through my promise to Jesus to remain vigilant through a concrete protection, Jesus saved me from disaster."
Then one day, the woman came as usual, and as I was looking at her, I realized that I no longer felt anything for her. All my feelings had disappeared as quickly as they had come!
I continued to do my best to help her, but with great freedom of heart, just as with a sister in Christ. I understood that this feeling was a trap that the enemy had set for me to destroy my priesthood. That table saved my priestly vocation; or rather through my promise to Jesus to remain vigilant through a concrete protection, Jesus saved me from disaster."
Afterwards, this priest was given a special charism to
help tormented people. How many hearts did he help, how many lives did he save
by praying and giving witness to God's mercy!?
What a loss his fall would have been to so many people! Today he is a happy priest, preparing to return to the Lord, filled with the joy of having been able to humbly serve the Church in the midst of waves and having remained a priest!
What a loss his fall would have been to so many people! Today he is a happy priest, preparing to return to the Lord, filled with the joy of having been able to humbly serve the Church in the midst of waves and having remained a priest!
Blessed was that table!
But if this priest was able to insure his own protection
as early as his ordination, we, lay people, can also place "tables" around our
priests and find effective means to avoid situations that could make them fall.
Isn't this a good way to "take good care of them"?
Children of Medjugorje Newsletter, May 2013
Children of Medjugorje Newsletter, May 2013