Fr. Frank Majka, SJ – The Bridge

Forty and Counting

On March 23, 1974, in the San Francisco cathedral, I was ordained by the Jesuit bishop of Fairbanks, Alaska. This year is the fortieth anniversary of that event. Fifteen years ago I wrote a reflection about what I’d learned after a quarter century of being a priest. I still believe today what I wrote then.

What have these years of being a priest taught me? To put it in a nutshell, they have taught me that most people (myself included) are both more fragile and more resilient than I had suspected, and we all need to be treated with compassion. I have learned that though theology is important, kindness is far more important. I have come to believe that God is much less serious than I had thought and pays far less attention to failings than I do. I have learned that I am more connected to the whole human family than I know how to express or live up to. Most important of all, I’ve learned that even though I’m not holy enough or even good enough, I’m ok if I still remember that everything comes from God and all ministry is for the people. For now these lesson are more than enough for which to be grateful.