The following  true story meant a lot for me :

When I was ordained as a priest , I was placed in a small godforsaken little village . I was ecstatic that I could go . One is marking time  in a seminary, like horses ready to bolt, that would gallop if they could….I wrote a great inaugural  speech and I could hardly wait to arrive .

At the holy mass on Sunday there were six elderly women  and one old man. In the nice warm surrounding they just laid back ! When I started my sermon , the old man started to snore . My world was shattered . I tried to convey my great message as well as I could, but there were no takers for it . Like when the milk goes sour in one’s mouth , I felt so miserable , I could hardly wait for the mass to end .

On returning to the sacristy , I sat collapsed in a chair and I felt sorry for myself: “ Look my Lord , I studied for 6 years , I fulfilled my pledge of celibacy and renounced other things for You and this is what I got in exchange .” It seemed as though Jesus would have sat next to me and would have replied : “ See, I died for them on the cross . “ I am ashamed but at that moment  my spontaneous thought was : “ Well my Lord ,then You were also taken for a ride !” Quietly I was sitting in the empty church and I felt ashamed . I understood something very important : it is a fact that I studied for six years , for these people , But Christ died for them on the Cross  .

Father Csaba 

translated by dr k.e.