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FATHER MATHEW C. GEORGE
MY LIFE AS A PRIEST

My ordination to priesthood on April 4, 1997, was the end of a long journey through the seminary training process, and the beginning of a more practical living process of a priest's life. Christian understanding of history is linear in comparison to the Eastern Mystical religions' understanding of cyclical. We have a beginning and an end and the ultimate end of all human beings is God. (In cyclical understanding your life goes through endless cycles until you attain liberation.) St. Augustine speaks in his City of God of the dual citizenship of all Christians. Our earthly life is a preparation for our ultimate life with God. In the same way, I understood my seminary training just as a preparation for my life in the parish with the people.

We had a two months "honeymoon"' period before our appointment to a parish. I received many invitations from parishes I had worked before as a seminarian to offer my "first mass"' there. Mostly I received the same kind of praise and similar kind of presents. One of my professors from the seminary gave me a set of New Testament commentaries which I used extensively in preparing my homilies and classes in the three years of my priest life in India. I gave it to another young priest when I left for the United States. That priest passed away last year after his long years of teaching the seminarians. He was the one who spoke at my ordination representing the seminary.

Just like my friends, I was eager to know about my appointment to a parish. Unlike here we have small parishes and a priest might be in charge of several parishes. The priest is also in charge of the day-to-day affairs of the parish, like keeping the registry and issuing certificates. We also have traditional well-to-do parishes and mission centers. I was appointed assistant to a priest who had been a priest for more than twenty years. We were in charge of several mission centers. The priest was a very good and experienced person. Like any other young priest who wants to change the world within few weeks, I was ready to "‘rock and roll."' I felt my ‘boss' lacking in enthusiasm and energy. Later I found out that this was just a transitional period for him as he was expecting a "better" appointment. Seeing my excitement he used to tell me: “Mathew, when I was your age I also showed much excitement, but eventually you will learn the lessons to quiet yourself down.” I still haven't learned those lessons - and have become more ‘noisy' than "quiet!"

A few months after the appointment, the auxiliary bishop and the secretary to the Archbishop stopped in by our rectory on their way to another parish. They suggested to this pastor that it would be better if we divided the responsibilities and give me the freedom to be in charge of three of the missions while he still could supervise me. He was happy to do that, and I was excited for some "adventures"' in my parish life with those mission stations.

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