“Know therefore today, and lay it to your heart, that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other.” (Deuteronomy 4:39)
1. How would I hope to be remembered at my Meal of Mercy? 2. What are my top three priorities as a parish priest? 3. Do I have a life-long learning plan? If so, am I working it? If not, why not? Is it a valid excuse? 4. Is my parish council mostly a help or mostly a hindrance? How so? What is my role here? 5. What priestly task(s) do I most struggle to perform or complete well? 6. In terms of appropriate self-care, what should I be doing for myself that I am not presently doing? 7. Have I developed an accepting and trusted network of support which I can meet with or speak with when I am feeling sad or discouraged or want to share a piece of good news? 8. By the grace of God, what aspect of the priesthood do I feel I am doing very well? 9. Do I need professional help with some aspect of my life but am fearful of accessing it because of community perception, judgment or potentially negative consequences with my bishop? 10. Are my wife and children being neglected because I am so rarely at home or even when I am at home I am pre-occupied with parish matters? 11. Has the duty of leading liturgical prayer or the challenge of always maintaining dignified social propriety resulted in a diminished or even lost sense of who I am as a person? 12. Can I list five reasons for gratitude for my life as a priest?