My brother priests, If you are anything like me, your heart has been in a perpetual state of heartbreak for years now. The crimes of our brothers, the non-criminal & public failures, the relentless condemnations from the crazy left & crazy right… it’s all so very, very much. We kneel by the dying & hold their hand as they say goodbye. We comfort their families, absorb their pain & move on. We sit with those in darkness & try to gently guide them into the light. We wrestle to hear Gods voice amid the shouting of ideological partisans. The expectations can be positively soul crushing. We can get to a point where our inability to be everywhere we are needed is paralyzing. I beg you: do not despair, do not give up. Be holy: The world needs our holiness more than it needs our accomplishments. Be vulnerable: Tell God‘s people when you are hurting or struggling. Ask them to pray for you, ask them to pray with you, ask them to pray over you. Like St. Mary Magdalene, stand at the tomb and weep for the horror of it all. As you weep, prepare to hear the gentle voice of Jesus in the midst of the shouting. He will tell you that he is here, that he has conquered & that all will be well. For whatever it’s worth, I see you. I know. Keep praying. Keep serving. Bleed & die, & you will rise. Esto Vir Fjk