Celebrating Priesthood – Fr Stephen
“I read somewhere that a priest is someone who unites heaven and earth. Wonderful but surely unrealistic. A priest is only human! All the same, St. Paul says that Christ unites “things in heaven and things on earth” (Ephesians 1.10), so perhaps this is what a minister of Christ the Head does for a community. And I believe it’s possible because I’ve seen it happen. I direct a dance project with a strong spiritual focus, and we put on a performance at a church in London. When I proposed it to Fr. Stephen as something to contribute to his church’s mission, he was open-minded, encouraging, and also set wise boundaries. The night before, the big paper screen was still not ready. The only way was for the artist, Daniel, to work in the church through the night. Would Fr. Stephen go this bit further with us? He stood contemplating Daniel’s work for a moment. Then he said, “This isn’t just a work of art. It’s an act of devotion. Of course you can stay. I’ll have to lock the church but will leave keys for you. And would you like music to keep you going?” Daniel, who’s not a Catholic, pointed to the tabernacle and said, “He’s there. That’s enough for me.” One happy artist, who finished a beautiful work, and the performance really grabbed the audience. Fr. Stephen had dared see a bit of heaven and earth, and passed that connection on to us.”
