The question Deacon Evan posed to us at our parish retreat is still echoing in my heart. It was the question his dogmatics professor asked his class to ponder and discuss for their final grade: What makes one a successful priest?

Many passionate words were spilled and emotions escalated as each seminarian grappled with the question of what a successful ministry would look like. Each seminarian pridefully thought their response was the best.

The responses varied. "A successful priest is one who prays, one who knows his faith and theology." "A successful priest is one who knows and understands scripture." "A successful priest is a good counselor, he is one who develops good programs and fills his church..."

The professor stopped the class, paused, gently looked into the eyes of each student and commented, "A priest is as successful as he is able to help the parish create a community of love."

The professor reminds us that our main purpose at Holy Apostles is to create a community of love that is centered and anchored in Jesus Christ.

As we celebrate the feast day of the Holy Apostles this month, we are inspired by the examples our patron saints-- the Apostles, who were sent forth by Christ to proclaim the Gospel and build communities of love. They remind us that salvation comes from God. They were able to set their hearts on God's kingdom first, spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ to all while creating communities that prayed together, supported one another and spread the light of Christ into the world.

Becoming a community of love, as Henri Nouwen suggests, "requires that we let go of our complaints, forgive those who loved us poorly, step over our feelings of being rejected, and have the courage to trust that we won't fall into an abyss of nothingness but into the safe embrace of God, whose love will heal all wounds. We must learn to live each day, each hour, yes, each minute as a new beginning, as a unique opportunity to make everything new."

May we look to the wisdom of the Holy Apostles and follow their example. Every Divine Liturgy we are reminded: "Let us commit ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ our God." Fr. Tom