“Planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God, still bearing fruit when they are old, still full of sap, still green, to proclaim that the Lord is just; in him, my rock, there is no wrong. ” Psalm 92: 13-15
During our stay near Cologne, Germany for World Youth Day with Pope Benedict XVI, we shared a dining hall and chapel with a retirement community. One of the residents was a 92 year old priest who was in a wheel chair and had great difficulty speaking. His assistant told me that he had worked with youth for most of his 50 + years of priesthood and he was so happy to see our group. He also asked if he could possibly con-celebrate a Mass with me before we left to go home. Our schedule was hard to measure because of our long outings, but I told him that I could do a special Mass with him on Saturday afternoon at 4 PM. We arrived late, and I felt so bad to see this priest waiting in the chapel with his vestments tangled up in the wheelchair, but with a big smile on his face. We celebrated Mass in Latin (he only spoke German and Latin), and as his assistant pushed him into the sacristy afterwards, I noticed tears pouring out of his eyes. His assistant told me that he was so grateful to be able to con-celebrate with me, (because of his situation, he was not able to celebrate Mass on his own any more), and that he would be praying for my priesthood.. What a beautiful witness!!
