It is rare that the last one to arrive for Mass on Sunday is the priest, but such was the case at my church today. Father’s tardiness was a simple human error that many of us have done at one time or another– he set his alarm for the wrong time. 

However, the fact that we were all gathered together waiting for our priest to arrive stirred a deep reflection in my soul. What if Father didn’t arrive? What if there wasn’t a priest to arrive? What if our priest was legally prevented from arriving?

The fact of the matter is, in countries throughout the world — including our own — one or all of these circumstances do happen.

How much gratitude do we express for the priesthood? To what extent do we pray for vocations? If we have sons, do we pray that one of them, or all of them, will respond to God’s call should He invite?

Have we taken seriously the blessing of freedom of religion? Do we actively engage in the cultural and political events of our day to preserve this privilege?

Remember: no priest, no Mass. No Mass, no Eucharist. No Eucharist, no Church.

Satan knows this. Do we?

When Father arrived and the processional hymn began, gratitude filled my heart. First, for Father and his vocation. Second, that he was well and with us. Third, for the gift that is the Mass and the privilege to celebrate it.

May none of us take for granted the priest, the gift, the privilege.