A first....

On Pentecost Sunday I had the pleasure of celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation with a splendid young Soldier who decided while he was deployed that he wanted to grow spiritually and take his faith more seriously. It turns out that he and I have more in common than might at first have seemed possible, so in addition to becoming more involved in living his Catholic faith, he's also recognizing a need for other, daily, spiritual input.

I told him I'd gladly refund his misery if this addition to his spiritual life didn't deliver as promised....

A friend of his came to the Mass, which really surprised me.

(It wasn't the fact that he *has* friends that surprised me the most -- though that is a surprise -- but that *this* particular young man showed up.)

That guy had never been to a Catholic Mass before, and he clearly seemed uncomfortable in excelsis. Fortunately, SFC McG and he have become friends over the past seven months, so SFC McG sat next to him in the back pew, and seemed to be a steadying and calming influence on him.

Afterward, that Soldier said to me, "If my father ever found out I attended a Catholic Mass, he'd have a cow!"

Blessings and peace to one and all,


Fr. Tim, SJ

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