Almost twenty years ago I worked with a lady named Dawn.
Dawn and her husband separated. There were no children.
It was really hard on Dawn. She was riding the bus to and from work and she went from house to apartment. It seemed her husband was not interested in getting back together with her.
One evening we were working late and Dawn asked to leave early so she could catch the bus. A client was present and was nice enough to offer her a ride home.
This act of kindness led to Dawn having a spicy relationship with the client. Dawn moved out of her apartment and in with the client. Of course, I did not approve of any of this but this is work and none of my business so I held my tongue. I had known her for awhile so knew she was Catholic.
Anyway, one day I came in to work and Dawn was looking very miserable. Enough so that out of concern I asked her what was wrong.
She told me that her separation and this new arrangement with the client and been eating away at her conscience so she had gone to her parish for the first time since moving in with the guy and laid the whole thing out to the priest.
The priest had sat there across from her at his desk just looking on and showing no emotion until she was finished.
He handed her a tissue, looked her straight in the eye, and told her flat out:
"If you do not end this relationship Jesus is going to chew you up and spit you out of His mouth."
When Dawn told me this I was secretly glad he had told her the truth.
That is what being pastoral is. It is not giving the unrepentant sinner a hug and throwing the doors open and treating people like simple minded children.
Topic: A real pastoral priest (Read 586 times)