Father Bernie's blog

 
            There is a passage in Sacred Scripture that I find troubling; not so much because of the meaning, but because of its implication. As a priest in the Catholic Church, I spend time daily reading and reflecting upon the Word of God. One of my primary responsibilities as a priest is to proclaim the truth of the Gospel. I am especially challenged each week in preparing a homily for the Sunday Mass celebrations. The prayer and study of Jesus’ words leads me more deeply into the mystery of faith and helps me to instruct God’s people.

 
            Sometimes people think of a priest as a guy dressed in black that spends all of his time in the church praying. They tend to put all priests in a cookie cutter mold and expect that they talk the same, look the same, and act the same. I believe that we are the person God created us to be and we live out our life serving as a priest. 

How did you know that you wanted to be a priest?” I hear this and similar questions often since being ordained as a priest for the Diocese of Evansville. The answer isn’t short, nor is it simple. However, over the years my response has gained more and more clarity. There were a number of factors that had great influence in the decision to seriously discern the call to priesthood.