Rendiamo Grazie

This past weekend my Christology professor, Fr. Donath Herscik, SJ passed away. He had been in a great deal of pain for some time due to his battle with cancer; and left this world for the next on Saturday after praying the Rosary and singing the Salve Regina with a brother Jesuit. The more I think about Fr. Herscik, the more grateful that I am for his immense gift of self to my classmates and me. I truly believe that Fr. Herscik taught Christology by embodying Christ on the cross. Although, undoubtedly, another professor could have been found, this priest who had been suffering a great deal for over a year chose to begin another semester-- to begin another opportunity to speak of the Lord whom he loved so thoroughly.

During class lectures it was clear that Fr. Herscik was in pain as he spoke, though he would never say it; but it was also clear, from the spark in his eye and the almost meticulous detail of his excitement in the person and nature of Jesus the Christ that this man truly knew Jesus of Nazareth and had devoted his life to gaining even greater knowledge of him and the opportunities to spread this knowledge to the next generation of theology. And in addition to the factual, methodological, and spiritual testimony that he gave to us as his students, Fr. Herscik also gave us the witness of one who generously gives of self beyond all resemblance of comfort.

I think also of John Paul II, who in the later years of his life shared himself with all of us through and with his debilitated and suffering state. For me, such witness screams of hope. Hope that what we are doing is absolutely worth it. Hope that one more talk, one more homily, one more Sacrifice of the Mass, one more confession heard, one more class will make a difference. Hope that no matter what we go through in this life we have the assurance of eternal union with God who is beyond our wildest dreams. This is a hope, the hope, that sustains us in everything that we do-- and this hope comes first and foremost, I believe, from our personal knowledge of God. It comes from the ways and times in which we have encountered God who breaks into our ordinary lives to fill us with his life and his love.

Having known Fr. Herscik and many others like him, I want to be a priest all the more. I want to, like them, step out of the way and let God work through me; to let God work through the love of my actions. And I am absolutely excited to know that if it is God's will for me to be a priest I will have the opportunity to be in community with, worship with, work with, and learn from thousands of people who testify and witness to this same hope in their daily lives. There are so many people that I have met, young and old, since even before becoming a seminarian who live this hope so thoroughly and so generously. And I am grateful to them.

Talking with my classmates and brother seminarians, we can only imagine the great joy that was on Fr. Herscik's face as he gazed into the eyes of this Jesus the Christ and heard him say, "Donath, thank you. You spoke well of me."

What great opportunities all of us have, no matter who or where we are, to spend of ourselves generously in love along with our Lord and the entire communion of saints-- which, by the way, includes you too.