From the Pizza Shop to the Altar

by Father John Abdallah

RECENTLY, I WENT TO A PIZZA SHOP TO visit a parishioner whose Mother had died in Syria. Because of the burial customs of the Middle East, and difficulty getting to Syria in a hurry, my parishioner was unable to get back to Syria for the funeral. When I arrived at the pizza shop, I was introduced to an old man who spoke no English. My parishioner explained to him that I was the priest from our Church. The old man looked at me a bit puzzled because I wore no cassock, and had a very abbreviated beard. He then crossed himself, embraced me and cried. Through the translation by his daughter-in-law, he greeted me in a way that will be etched in my memory forever: "God has come to console me in the hour of my grief." This widower was visiting America when his dear wife died, and he too had no way to go home to Syria for the funeral. My visit to the pizza shop was as close as he had come to connecting to the Church and expressing his grief over the loss of his beloved wife.

Twenty minutes of eating pizza with this family balanced out countless hours of parish council meetings, dreaded office work and the grumbling of parishioners dissatisfied with the level of service that they receive. Ordained into Christ's ministry, I brought God's consolation to a grieving man who couldn't even understand a word I spoke. My eloquence or lack thereof didn't matter, for God had visited and consoled this believer, and he did it through me.

The priest lives among God's people to reveal God's love and place in our lives. He prays with us, brings the sacraments to us, teaches us and consoles us. Although often demanding, this vocation is without parallel. The priest witnesses God's work in people's lives. He witnesses God healing, forgiving sins, bringing babies into the world and calling people home to His kingdom. The priest is there for all of the major changes in the lives of God's people. He watches the power of Pentecost in action when estranged family members reconcile before him. He witnesses God freeing parishioners from their addictions, and participates in their restoration to God. He comes to know the hearts of real people in intimate and wondrous ways.

I freely admit that there are legitimate reasons why mothers cringe at the idea of their sons entering into Christ's ministry and why fathers tremble at the thought of their daughters marrying men who have chosen vocations within the Church. The family of the priest is in a proverbial "fish bowl," where people watch their every move as if for entertainment. Children of clergy are expected to behave in exemplary ways. People are often unreasonable in their expectations of the priest and his wife, and sometimes transfer their angers and frustrations onto them. Some are jealous of whatever the priest or his family does or has. Others work overtime to keep the priest down, and begrudge his family the comforts of this modern time. Such actions are hurtful, but are not enough to dissuade us from the work and rewards of this unique life, ministry in the body of Christ.

Parishioners would do well to make an effort to reverence the clergy who bring Christ to them, and to reverence one another. If in the Church we could show genuine respect for each other, we would go far in building up the Church as the body of Christ as well as better serving each other. This is, after all, why we gather as Church, and why some enter into Christ's ordained ministry. Before we fall prey to the temptation to "spar" with each other, God's clergy and people alike must consider the effect of such expressions of disrespect on the children and on non-Orthodox who are seeking Christ and the fullness of His Church!

The life of a priest is as rewarding as that of the physicians in our Church, for the priest witnesses God healing people. It is as satisfying as that of the educators, because he watches as the light of understanding goes on in the minds of the children and adults that he instructs. It is as gratifying as the counselor's, for he witnesses people enriching their personal lives and marriages as they come to deeper understanding and gain insight. The life of a priest is as gratifying as that of parents, as he shares in a healthy pride and sense of accomplishment at each of the successes of the children of the parish.

Not everyone appreciates the life and sacrifices of the priest, just as not everyone appreciates the work of the physicians, educators, counselors and parents. But the gifts from God offered to and through the priest and the priest's family are beyond measure. The quality of life for our clergy is better than it has ever been, and getting better every day. People are becoming more sensitive to the needs of clergy and their families, as well as growing in appreciation for how God is active in their lives and Church communities. I encourage anyone who feels a call from God to His service to pursue that vocation, and I encourage parents and teachers to support those who are considering answering the Master's call.

(Reprinted from the May 2001 issue of The Word, Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. Fr. John Abdalah is the Editor of the Word and serves a parish in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.)