I’ve fallen a bit behind in my reading of Cardinal Sean’s excellent blog — my bad — but thanks to an alert reader, who has a new blog of his own (check it out right here), I caught this terrific little essay from a newly ordained priest. Some highlights:

My recent ordination to the priesthood, clearly the milestone in my life up to this point, followed closely upon another milestone, my pilgrimage to New York along with thousands of others, to welcome the Holy Father to the United States. I remember looking at Pope Benedict XVI, seeing his effect on the crowd, and thinking “If I could radiate a tenth of that joy, that gentleness, that love of Christ, I’d be a great priest!” I know I’m a “rookie” but as I reflect on my first month as a priest, this, it seems to me, is one of the most important things a priest can do, to radiate the love of Christ to others and to do it with humility, joy and conviction…

…My First Mass of Thanksgiving was at St. Joan of Arc, my home parish in Cumberland, Rhode Island. It was quite an honor to celebrate Mass in the parish where I made almost all my sacraments and where I learned so much about my faith. I felt extremely comfortable. (Thank God for the Holy Spirit!) I told the people I wasn’t sweating because I was nervous; I just wasn’t used to wearing all those clothes! Have sympathy for your priests, my friends, especially during the summer. Trust me, those vestments can be pretty heavy! Sitting in the presider’s chair, I couldn’t help thinking of my journey of faith and discernment that started all those years ago in this very place. As a little boy I used to sit in the pews and watch the priests celebrate the Mass with total fascination. I’d watch all the good people around me praying. All of it inspired me to want to serve God in the best way I could. (I always tell people, you might think you’re not all that special or important but you never know who’s watching you. A lot of people, more than you realize, see all those little acts of faith and kindness you perform and are greatly inspired by them. I certainly was.) After a lot of prayer, it felt to me that the best way I could serve God was as a priest.

Check out the whole thing. There are some lovely pictures, including one of a note that he wrote when he was a little boy that begins: “Dear Jesus, have a nice day today because I love you and because you made me…”

And a cheerful tip of the mouse ears to Brian at Dracut Musings. Good luck and happy bloggery!