The Best Priests

(Photo by Dr. Kevin Dieter)

The best things aren’t THINGS

and the Best Priests aren’t Priests at all.          .           .

I wasn’t looking for it Wednesday night

but IT

found me

and quite a few others, I imagine.          .         .

Here’s hoping that this little blog post will do its part

in helping it find countless others who are not

actively seeking

and finding treasure

just the same.          .          .

Like so many these past couple of weeks, I’ve been captivated by the NOW SUCCESSFUL rescue efforts of the daring divers who saved 12 soccer boys and their coach from a flooded cave.          .          .

I wasn’t there

I assisted no one

I offered no extended hand

Gave no money

but

I prayed;

sent up humble well meaning good intentions

along with countless others

and like those countless others

felt deep relief

felt a warm gratitude;

f                e                l                t

but Dr. Dieter summed it up better than any CNN, Fox News Reporter and certainly much better than my meager blog post when he wrote in his Face Book post on Wednesday night, July 10, 2018:

People of different nations, differing faith traditions, different “military forces”…all PRAYING to their version of God…working together, despite differences, to risk their lives and spend time and treasure to do GOOD…
The mission leaders today acknowledging that they expected failure, the odds were too great…
BUT…the forecasted rains did not come…the pump that kept much of the water out of the caves did not fail until the last of the heroes were out of danger…
The one life lost, I suspect, felt honored as a Seal to give his life for his comrades and the lives of 12 boys and their brave coach…he did not have to take a life to save lives…
Prayer. Trust. Community.

Dr. Kevin Dieter is an awesome Hospice doctor who is more Pastoral and Priestly than I will ever fully be as a Hospice chaplain of nearly a quarter of a century and counting.  Kevin, like so many Housekeeping, Home Health Aids, Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Social Workers, Expressive Therapists, Bereavement Coordinators do a much better job at my job than I do, mostly because it’s not expected or suspected of them; they do more than I can or will ever do mostly because they are in places and better still, AT  THE  PLACES in the lives of those THEY  SERVE than I will ever be;

THEIR’S is a sacred work without Vestments, Testaments, Hymnals, Rosaries, Liturgies, Incense or Anointing Oils.    .      .

THEIR’S is a healing potion of magical PRESENCE that they produce merely by just SHOWING UP (and not leaving even when they are not physically present)

THEIR’S is a Holy Work that seeks not and often finds no renumeration, special thanks or much recognition

THEIR’S is a Country without borders you already reside but seldom recognize

THEIR’S is a Sanctuary without walls where all are welcomed and better,

h                    e                    a                    l                    e                    d

and   I

like so many, many innumerable others

am a humble beneficiary

m  e  n  d  e  d

by their kindness

r e m e d i e d

by their compassion

r e s t o r e d

by their empathy

enough to recognize that

this blessed beggar

is inspired to not only show

but bring other petitioners

T   H   A   T

same healing presence

LET    THIS    BE    YOUR    ORDINATION    DAY

for   a   world   that seeks your

w a r m h e a r t e d n e s s

G    I     V     E

T   H   E    M

THEIR    EXPERIENCE
(o  f  t  e  n)