The Cardinal and the Crook

John announced, “I have something I want to share with all of you.”

They looked at John. Aside from the clink of melting ice cubes in their drinks, the room was silent. James sat a little straighter, alarmed by the shift in his brother’s voice—the slightly higher octave, the gravel to it. Whatever this was about, it was going to be serious. He guessed he would soon find out the reason his brother had been so quiet earlier in the day.

“It’s been about a year since I started working at Gillette, and it’s been a truly outstanding experience. I have completely enjoyed it. I’ve met some great people and learned a lot. I now realize that it’s one thing to learn about business from books but an entirely different experience in the real world. I’ve even dated some very nice young ladies.”

John smiled at his brother and continued, “I also did a lot of praying during this time. I asked God to guide me.” He took another sip of his scotch, aware that he had their full attention. “And after many prayerful thoughts, I still feel a strong calling to the priesthood. So, I have decided to apply to Saint John’s Seminary. I will need recommendations from the clergy. I think I know of at least two fine priests who might write a recommendation for me.”

Both priests smiled and nodded their agreement.

“If all goes well, I hope to start the seminary next fall. That will give me almost another year of that real-world experience.”

As he ended his announcement, John took his last sip of scotch. Father Pat was the first to respond. He grabbed the bottle of scotch and poured another finger into everyone’s glasses. Then, with tears of joy in his eyes, he raised his glass and offered a toast.

“Johnny, I couldn’t be any happier than I am tonight. I pray that God will continue to bless you and guide you on this wonderful journey. It’s been nearly fifty years since I became a priest, and I’ve enjoyed every single moment of it. While I made plenty of mistakes along the way, I realized that each mistake was really an opportunity to learn and grow. It is so rewarding, so very rewarding, to bring the word of God to people . . . to be a shepherd of his flock! And I know in my heart—in fact, I’ve always known—that you are going to be an outstanding priest.”

At that point, Father Pat became very emotional and could not utter another word. So, with tears running down his cheeks, he put down his glass and simply hugged his son.