Whilst I was studying theology I received the first big lesson from the bishop Jakab Antal . He spent over 10 years in jail , for us he was a living martyr and it was with him that I had to assist as an altar server alone every day for a week . Until then never in my life was I an altar server and also to be quite frank I was really irritated by the pompousness wearing these lacy loose capes .

As Böjte Csaba I was at the very front of the row , and right at the start of the academic year I was assigned assist my prelate to become an altar server . The bishop started the holy mass in latin “Dominus  vobiscum”  (The Lord be with you ), then I should have replied 

“Et cum spirit tuo”(  és a Te lelkeddel ) , but I was furiously flipping  the pages in the  Lectionary . The bishop just waited patiently until I found the answer in the Lectionary , that I read with a great deal of difficulty . Aged twenty five I was so stressed that perhaps I could not have even managed to say my own  name . I was flipping backwards and forwards in the Lectionary ,with great patience  the bishop allowed me to find the correct page  , then calmly guided me to it .I had read the Reading , well…lets leave it at that , through the grace of God we made it to the end of the mass . I was convinced that my theological carrier would end here . They would thank me for my good will and send me on my way .

At the conclusion of the mass the bishop gracefully knelt down for adoration , as after every mass  ha prayed at length then stood up at the conclusion an began to walk away , and asked that I wait for his return . He managed to get a nice, ripe orange from somewhere and seriously he looked me in the eyes and said :”Thank you very much for your assistance  I’ll be waiting for you tomorrow as well .” I always believed that  calmly with kind words one can educate a person , but the prelate with this gesture reinforced my outlook for life .

I don’t even mention that all night long I studied the latin mass , and by the end of the week I mostly knew it .

Six years later he , himself ordained me as a priest in Gyulafehérvár . His actions gained an everlasting place in my heart , demonstrating  that to raise a child  does not need to be done with impatience , anger, waving a stick but peacefully , patiently with love as well . 

Father Csaba 

translated by dr k.e.