Unexpected Guest

 

Our church needed help from its parishioners by hosting some student priests who were visiting our town for a few days. The idea was that each family will have a student priest in their home for two weeks to give them a short break from their studies at the seminary.

I kindly obliged and filled in a form.

A few days later we had a new trainee priest standing at our door. It changed our lives ... well, mine actually.

Can you imagine what it's like having a priest living with you? I have to mind what I say and do. For a start, I cannot watch Two and a Half Men and the adventures of Charlie Harper on TV. The priest does not approve of that. And there's a limit to how much EWTN and Christian TV Channels I can take. All this religion is doing my head in. And the Christian music too. When the TV is not on my wife now plays hymns on the radio 24/7. Is that what Heaven is like?

I have even been stopped by my wife from drinking my favourite whisky or cans of Guinness. And yet again, there's a limit to how much coffee I can take. I am so wound up I'm likely to lose control soon. Coffee is making me run to the bathroom more often than I like to.

The trainee priest sits there quietly all day reading his books and praying all the time. Every so often he asks us, ever so politely, to test him by asking him questions from his revision books. Questions like "what does ora pro nobis mean?" And other Latin phrases which he has to learn by heart. Does anyone know how to say "Clear off!" in Latin?

Worse of all, since he has been here I have had to be very nice and very good indeed. I am not myself any more. My family have noticed and liked the transformation in me. They say I am a much nicer person. That's what abstinence from a good drink does to you; and endless hours of Christian TV. 

Even the cat now likes me and sits on my lap purring. It's really too much. Oh ... to be able to sin again!

I went to confession the other day and I had nothing to tell our regular priest. Ever since we've had this trainee priest living with us I have been turning into a Saint. 

I did not do one thing wrong or bad for ages. Not one impure thought, not one biscuit or chocolate too many, in fact none at all. Not one greedy piece of cake or my favourite cheese. In fact I am losing weight as well as being saintly - maybe it's all those sins washing away.

FOOD FOR THOUGHTS: Can YOU imagine what it would be like having a priest living with you?  Think about it. How would it change your life? Would it change you for the better?

Another thought - Jesus is with you right now and every day. Every moment of your life. How does this affect the way you behave?