Live, Love, and Serve in the Image of Christ
Fr. Costa: Part Two
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We continue our interview with Fr. Costa. In the first part, Father discussed his impressions of St. Jude and what makes a vibrant parish and a good pastor. In this part, Father discusses the priesthood as well as some things we might like to know about him.
Q: What things do you love most about being a priest?
It is a privilege to celebrate and share the sacraments in the Person of Christ. Looking into the eyes of a baby at baptism. The sacrament of reconciliation, whether the person’s last confession was last week or 40 years ago, seeing how God’s healing is present in that celebration. The opportunity to celebrate Mass every day. There is a sign that many priests have in their sacristy; “celebrate this Mass as if it’s your first Mass, your last Mass, your only Mass.” In that moment, it’s so humbling to be able to hold the bread that becomes the Body of Christ.
Bringing adults into the Church through RCIA – looking into their eyes, welled up with wonder – to look into their eyes at that moment is such a gift. Couples exchanging their consent and looking into their eyes, thinking about all that led up to that moment.
Anointing of the Sick is such a profound experience of God’s healing, the image of Christ on the cross. Such a gift! And when preparing for funerals, people are so open. It’s so humbling to walk with them.
Of course, celebrating the sacraments with my family is a special joy.
Q: Are there any challenges? And how can we help?
We don’t have as many priests as we need. In the next few years, the large classes of priests will be retiring. We need to take seriously and to heart the call to pray for vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
“Time is your scarcest resource.” The biggest challenge is not enough time to do all the things we’d like to do. It requires discernment, because I can only do so many things today. It’s a challenge to be open to what God wants me to do. There’s also an increasing number of administrative responsibilities, so we’re dependent on councils and staff to provide consultation and guidance.
The challenge that is heavy on my heart is the decline in people attending Mass and the desire to draw people back. That’s something priests and people need to work together on. The laity are called to be leaven in the world and need to have the confidence and comfort in sharing the faith. As Catholics, we hesitate to share. But when people see a witness of joy in the midst of challenges, it’s an opportunity to say “this is how my faith is relevant to how I’m living.” We need to work to help people feel confident sharing and giving others the opportunity to respond.
Several decades ago, when about 30% of people registered in a parish were attending Mass regularly, a gentleman who was very active in ministry in the parish gave me this analogy: “If you were having Thanksgiving dinner and 7 out of 10 of your relatives didn’t even show up, how would you get them to come?” Now the percentage is more like 12% in our Archdiocese. So that’s an important question that needs to be answered.
Q: Can you recommend any spiritual practices that you’ve found to help you grow in your relationship with the Lord?
The pillars of the spiritual life are: first and foremost, devotion to the Blessed Sacrament; praying with the Scriptures and meditating on the daily readings of the Mass; learning to listen to God – we are generally good at talking to God, but we often are not comfortable just sitting quietly and listening to His voice, so that’s important to learn; a tender devotion to the Blessed Mother, praying the Rosary and entrusting ourselves to her eternal love for us as her children; regular Confession, to experience God’s mercy and healing; taking time for spiritual reading. Setting aside the same time every day is essential to ensure that you will be faithful to the practice of prayer.
Q: Thank you for that insight, Father. Now for a few personal questions. What are some of your favorite pastimes?
I enjoy being with my friends and family. I meet with seminary classmates most Fridays for dinner. We can’t all make it every time, but we try. I enjoy fishing, though I don’t have much opportunity now. Golfing is fun when playing best ball. I enjoy working out – physical exercise is a complement to spiritual exercise, and it’s also an excellent stress release. I follow local sports teams, and I occasionally like to read a good mystery novel.
Q: Do you have a favorite book or movie?
I enjoy some of the works of Taylor Caldwell and Agatha Christie. One that comes to mind is And Then There Were None. I also enjoyed the movie Field of Dreams.
Q: What would people be surprised to know about you?
Hmm… Well, one of my greatest joys is preaching, but that’s what originally had me hesitating when I felt a call to the priesthood. As an introvert, I couldn’t see myself standing in front of a church full of people. It really made me pause. But it’s interesting that what I initially thought would be a great challenge has become a great joy.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to add?
I’m deeply blessed to have my Mom and Dad. I learned about God’s love for me through the experience of how they loved me. Their example of faith and their willingness to sacrifice for the family is a model of the humble loving service for me to emulate as a priest.
Thank you, Fr. Costa, for taking the time to share with us your thoughts! We look forward to growing with you into the future.
Click here to read Part 1 of the interview
