10 -- The Priest at Mass

The Catholic church at Gdansk, where some of my father's family comes from.

The next morning Jozef woke, feeling more centered than he had last night. Thank God, he whispered. As usual, he knelt by his bed and prayed the Paternoster, opening his heart for God’s will for him as he would conduct the mass this morning. Before he rose again, he added a little prayer of his own. He tried to keep his mind blank, just focusing on being able to do what God wanted him to do. “Father in heaven, preserve and protect me, and help me to magnify my calling. Take from me every temptation that will keep me from doing so. Amen.”

He got up, feeling that God had heard his unusual prayer, and got ready for the service. Before going into the church, he glanced at his homily and realized he had picked John 13:34-35 as his theme: A new commandment I give you: Love one another.

A shiver went down his spine. He would love the people God had entrusted to him, and would teach them to love each other. But somewhere deep down in his soul, he wondered about other kinds of love. He pulled his mind away from the image of a dark skinned beauty and started the service.

The church was well filled. The butcher sat with his wife and boys, and the mayor and his numerous family were in their assigned seats. A few pews in the back were empty, as usual.

He started his homily, his mind on St. John’s words and his heart full of love for his congregation. “St. John exhorts us, no he commands us to love one another,” he preached.

The doors of the church opened. He looked up. Three men and a woman walked into the church, outlined against the bright sunlight. They sat down in the last pew. Jozef turned back to his homily and stopped. He looked at the newcomers again. He didn’t know who the older one of the men was, but he recognized the two younger ones and the woman. The three men wore black suits. And Nina, yes, it was Nina, wore a large black hat that shadowed her wonderful eyes. She turned to one of the men and whispered something. He whispered back and she smiled. Jozef lost himself in her amazing smile.

A rustling in the front row brought him back to reality, and he realized he had stopped the homily for too long. “Love one another. That means you should be ready to forgive and forget.” His eyes returned to the woman in the back. Her black eyes stared at him, the expression inscrutable. Her full mouth was set in a firm line.

He looked back at his paper. “Hmmm. Forgive and forget.” He should forget. He had to. “No one is perfect…” He preached on, with only an occasional glance at the back pew.

He was almost finished when Nina bent toward the older man. He nodded and Nina rose and left the church.

Jozef suppressed a sigh of disappointment. At least this evening he could be sure she wouldn’t come, since the circus would perform for the last time tonight. Most of his congregation probably wouldn’t come, either. They’d be at the circus, admiring Nina, no the performances, one last time. Like some automaton, he finished the service.