In honor of the 41st Anniversary of our pastor Fr. Pat’s ordination to the priesthood, we share Fr. Malcolm Guite’s sonnet entitled, “St. Peter,” written for the 30th anniversary of his own “priesting.”
Impulsive master of misunderstanding
You comfort me with all your big mistakes;
Jumping the ship before you make the landing,
Placing the bet before you know the stakes.
I love the way you step out without knowing,
The way you sometimes speak before you think,
The way your broken faith is always growing,
The way he holds you even when you sink.
Born to a world that always tried to shame you,
Your shaky ego vulnerable to shame,
I love the way that Jesus chose to name you,
Before you knew how to deserve that name.
And in the end your Saviour let you prove
That each denial is undone by love.
Best wishes on your anniversary, Fr. Pat!
We are so grateful for your vocation, your faith,
and your incredible service to our parish!
Image source 1: El Greco, Apostle St. Peter (ca.1610-1614), https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/El_Greco_-_St._Peter_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg
Image source 2: Fr. Pat during his sabbatical, 2022, https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2217052465143602&set=pb.100005166090077.-2207520000&type=3
Poem source
Beautiful poem, wish I could write like that, topped only by the pic. Congratulations on 41 years, lucky us at OLMC and StarOfThe Sea that we continually reap the benefits of your devotion to your vocation, thank you.
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