words from a priest

After Mass today, one of the priests at the parish where I serve on Sundays sat me down and gave me some rather frank talk about what to expect after ordination. "The people at any place you go to will love you," he said, causing my heart to suddenly skip a beat. Then he elaborated on what he meant, dispelling what I had thought was his personal assessment of me: "They usually love newly-ordained priests. That's because you are not the pastor, you do not make the hard decisions, you have not refused them anything yet, and you are not the guy they have to watch out for." Hmm.....interesting.

Then he said, "You are young, you have zeal, you are fresh, so they naturally will give you accolades and praises. Remember those moments, because they won't last. Cherish them and relish them so that when you are old and grey you can look back to that time fondly."