This tree at Gilroy Gardens, California, says, “I’m the oldest, but I am in great shape.”

Shouldn’t we all be in great shape as we age? It is going to take a bit of effort but if we think of this tree of old standing tall and still producing “fruits” – leaves and healthy branches – we should run the race as well. Sure, the physical body will show signs of fatigue and dis-ease, nevertheless we should maintain a healthy and balanced spiritual outlook; now the latter is the internal nourishment that we need to hold on to as we age. So nurture your inner being with tender loving care and stand tall and strong in the face of what is to come.

I met Fr Lester at a workshop cum retreat last week. However, I had not known that he was a Catholic priest until later. By that time he was Lester to me and I could call him without the honorific of “Father” in front of his name. In fact I think it would be weird if I were to call him Fr Lester now; well, not  unless (and perhaps?) he is in his cassock. I don’t know … I  didn’t have the opportunity to find that out since he was in layman’s clothes for the week that we were in class.

I have never been pal-pals with priests. I kind of put them on the pedestal because I don’t associate them with wanting to be in touch with the humdrum of life. I figured that they only want to hear “holy” stuff and things of God and how good I had been. However, the relationship with Fr Lester is somewhat freeing. He was so human … like friends that I have. I could laugh with him. I could laugh at him.

Strange too that when I “noticed” this disparity in my treatment of Lester and in my treatment of priests that I know, a friend forwarded me an email and the subject line was simply, “a good article”. It was actually a letter and the writer started with:

Dear Friends,

On some Sundays I witness Catholics going ‘Oh-oh, here comes [F]ather’ and head off in the opposite direction. ….

and the letter ended with:

Next time you see your priest approaching, don’t flee. Stay to say ‘hello’ and get to know him. God may just surprise you with the friendship of a wonderful human being.

Wow, and Lester sure was fun to know as a person. I find things connecting in my life. God knows I need a shift in my treatment of priests, hence the meeting with Lester and the email from my friend.