Anyone who has ever had a son or daughter enter religious life will appreciate this heartfelt essay by Peter Finney, Jr., describing the emotions of watching his son grow up to become a priest:

Look for me in the first pew at St. Louis Cathedral…I’ll be the one being propped up by my wife, who has prayed for this day since our kids were little. She will be smiling and crying. Me? I’ll have to borrow some of the archbishop’s incense for smelling salts.

Read on. It’s sweet and wonderful.