Coming from a country which until recently was divided into two worlds: white and black. Whites lived in one part of town, blacks in another. Black kids sent to their schools, whites to their own. Whites do not shop at stores where they bought the black and vice versa. And so it was with everything. These two worlds, but lived near each other, were very distant. There they met with each other, looked at each other with fear, contempt and anger.
When I was a teenager , missionary to the parish came from France, Fr. Emanuel. I could not understand why the white man to live among blacks, why he left a rich country and came to us why he left the next, to live thousands of miles from home. Slowly I discovered that there must be something more. Something that makes a missionary from Europe had the courage to cross boundaries between the world of black and white. Now I know that is not "something", but someone. It is God.
When I served Mass. , often came to my mind the question: "Maybe you'll be a priest?". But it did not take this idea seriously. I was sure that there is, because I was an altar boy. But the question returned. With time, more and more clearly and loudly. Scared i. .. I started to run. I stopped the Mass to serve. And even more rarely went to church. It seemed to me that I no longer hear the questions.
long My dad did not agree with my choice . He wanted, I started a family with a wife and children. He dreamed that I gave the name, I'm his only son. And with us is very important. Dad even stopped talking to me. It was very difficult for me. Only the ordained priests saw something in him changed. From the beginning Mass dad was very excited. His hands trembled. And when you pray with the cross, I was lying on the floor, my father wept with emotion.
Stanley --- I know the last 3 years. In Rome, live in the same college. In February 2009, we were together in Poland.
Published in Our Sunday Visitor Small , 06/2011
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