Children of my Priesthood

As the week gradually closed its door, no inspiration for my blog entered the engine room of my mind and heart.

At least so I thought.

Just before the final kiss of the door with the door frame, an insight slipped through -a WhatsApp conversation with a young Haitian religious brother, living in Ghana.

I informed him of my upcoming 30^th priestly celebration on June 28, 2022. His immediate response was, “You are old in the priesthood. Your first son would have been 30 years old.” “Wow!”

His spontaneous and insightful response triggered a progressive landslide of thoughts. 

I started asking, “What would have been the physical features, the personalities, and spirituality of my biological children today?  What would they be doing with their lives? What would be their profession?” 

As the landslide of thoughts progressed, I mull over the many persons to which my priesthood gave birth, some older than 30 years and others younger. In a quick review of these ‘children’, I realize they reflect the weed and wheat of humanity; their lives represent the joy and hopes, anguish and pain of life. As I accompany them from childhood to adulthood, and they leave the proverbial nest, others are born. I ask myself, “Will I ever cease giving birth to children?”

There are times I consider using psychological contraceptive to close the door to future conceptions, but it fails. Like a sailor, every new port I dock, new conceptions and new births occur.  

Despite the imperfections of my Caribbean fatherhood, I responsibly own and journey with them. In the end, I thought, “This is my meagre contribution to the human family – to the Kingdom of God.”