Living with Regret
Living with regret
October 18, 2015
In memory of my father, Vyacheslav.
A few months ago my father died. I loved my father but we had somewhat of a difficult relationship for the last ten years of his life. When I graduated from high school, over thirty years ago, I was determined to enter Seminary in order to prepare for the priesthood, he was cautious, concerned that the life of a priest was difficult. The Ukrainian phrase that he used was that being a priest “was a tough piece of bread,” but he did give me his blessing to enter Seminary. Throughout my years of study he was very proud of me, especially when I was able to return to my home parish during vacations and allowed to preach to the congregation. He used to prod the local pastor to allow me to preach. The harder conversation came months after graduating from Seminary and telling my father that I intended to ask to be ordained as a celibate priest.[1] He was very worried that I would be (more…)