Dear Father,
I hope you don’t mind this open letter. I know we’ve privately corresponded, but I want the world to know that there are other priests who are proud to stand with you. All the apostles ran away when Jesus was crucified. But at least John came back to stand in the midst of the full onslaught of hell, in solidarity. You’ve discovered first hand how weak we priests can be, how fast we can run, how ready we can be to betray. So…
I want to thank you on behalf of all faithful priests. I want to thank you for being a priest’s priest, showing us priests the way, serving priests in this way, priests who will be falsely accused in time to come, showing them how to do it, how to be faithful to our Lord in the most adverse of circumstances, how to plead not guilty and suffer horrifically for it, how to be one with the priesthood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who was falsely accused before us, going to His death, and for showing us how to do this, as a great hero, for the youngsters who truly have been abused, and who have been doubly raped by those who falsely accuse others, cashing in as they do on the sufferings of the real victims. Thanks for being the hero of the real victims, in perfect solidarity with their great sufferings. Thanks, because of that, for being a hero for all us priests.
I know that Jesus brings good out of even the most diabolical evil so that as many get to heaven as possible. That is my hope for you and all my fellow priests who are suffering in any way. If only we could all recognize that it is such a great privilege to suffer for the sake of Jesus’ Name. If we could only see a bit of the glory veiled by the darkness of Calvary, why… why we might even be envious of you! Why was I passed by? Doesn’t Jesus love me too? I know that some of our fellow priests and bishops will gasp in their shock at such exclamatory questions, but that’s part of the problem, isn’t it? Do they gasp as much at the suffering of Christ when they offer the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass?
When being hit with horrific injustice, when one is facing it so very closely, does one not then know that experience is always a better teacher than conjecture? Is it not in the midst of such chaos that we find ourselves becoming the little children Jesus demands that we be in order to enter into the kingdom of heaven? Is it not in the midst of such hell that the simplicity of a trusting love is purified to the point of not so much putting ourselves forward to pray, but watching with joy as Jesus draws us closer to Himself? Do we not then find real transcendent joy, real beatitude in the ever so paradoxical beatitudes? Even as trusted friends cover their eyes in shame, turning away, Jesus says, “Blessed are you when they speak all sorts of evil against you! Rejoice and exult!” Jesus knows well the friendship in which He holds us.
Father! Thank you for your steadfast fidelity over so many years of adversity. I especially appreciate your faithfulness during those years when you could only long to celebrate the Sacraments, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, to adore Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament, but were deprived of this. I am sure that this was the same longing you felt and continue to feel, desiring to once again be a Father of the Family of Faith in a parish, for love of God and love of neighbor are but one act of love for the Body of Christ.
There can be a perception of being rooted up every time one is moved about in prison, especially if this is done with frequency. Often parish priests can have a similar experience in being moved about from parish to parish, even if this may happen only once every six years or so. As soon as one gets to know a few people, one finds oneself in a different set of circumstances with a different set of people.
But here is where the Fatherliness of Jesus’ good friend, His priest, is manifested. The same steadfast love for Jesus in the Eucharist is provided in a simultaneous act of love for whatever member of the Body of Christ it is that Jesus has placed before one at any given time, whether this be a long time friend or a total stranger. The unfathomable mystery of our Heavenly Father bringing us more, always more into the universality of His Fatherliness cannot but bring us into ongoing, humble thankfulness. Being thankful always and everywhere, in whatever circumstances, is this not a taste of heaven?
I do hope you are well. I do hope you get out soon. I do hope that those who need to learn some lessons in solidarity will learn them.
You have my prayers and blessings. Do send a Fatherly blessing with your prayers for me! What a wonderful family of faith!
May Jesus continue to bless you abundantly according to the perfect intercession of the Immaculate Conception.
Your fellow priest in this Church Militant,
Father George
Accompany me, Father George David Byers, S.S.L., S.T.D., as I begin life as a Catholic Priest-Hermit by choice. Holy Souls Hermitage is dedicated to the sanctification of my fellow priests, bishops & seminarians going through the purgatory of this life or the next. I pray for benefactors daily, offering Holy Mass for their intentions about once a month. You'll have to force me to take your donations, though. Scroll down for an explanation.
What an inspiring letter! Many blessings for Fr. Gordon
Father George, I am gratified that you wrote this letter.
As I was reading it, I saw Jesus, having suffered the scourging, thrown bond into a dark pit..imprisoning him until his execution. Yes…our Lord has suffered greatly in Father Gordon. I could only imagine that the greatest sorrow would be the stripping away of his priestly duties. How many take these privileges for granted? I have witnessed some priests rushing through the celebration of the Mass thinking that blessing the Ladies Tea Party was the paramount duty that day. (Forgive me for being critical because I too have rushed off to the “Tea Parties”.)
Please, let us keep praying for Father Gordon’s release, reinstatement to the priesthood and his healing. Let us also pray that the Church Militant remain united and strong in Jesus against the dark forces that will feel cheated that more souls aren’t lost for all eternity. God bless you all…thank you Father Gordon and Father George for sharing this letter.
God bless our suffering priests!
Fr. George,
It is so good to see one of Fr. Gordon’s brother priests openly support him in this difficult and trying time. I have been following Fr. Gordon’s blog since its beginning. He is a true example of how to live the Passion of Our Lord.
Thank you for sharing this letter with all of us.
May God continue to bless him and you in your priesthoods.
Father George
What a beautiful way to show your solidarity with Fr. MacRae! If only other priests who are falsely accused, especially those who are innocent as Fr. MacRae is, would do what Fr. has done all these years; trust in God, know that God loves you so so much and is there with you always.
I know one of the priests who is falsely accused and I pray for him that his accuser is found out to be (very much like Fr. MacRae’s is) a false accuser. There is a lot of truth out there that some people prefer to discount.
God bless Fr. MacRae I pray for him every day and God bless you Father George for your letter to him.
M.L., a cloistered nun, sent in this comment:
“We continue to pray for Fr MacRae that he will be out soon after so many years in prison. He is a martyr of conscience! What a glorious example this is. He is showing to our wicked world that you cannot imprison the truth. no matter what the truth always wins. Thank you Fr MacRae for this. We are sure you have earned your heaven on earth. Your false accuser is in our prayers as well that he be converted and live. The real victims of abuse we recommended to the Lord and their families. For the false accusers we pray for conversion of their lives. Why accuse innocent people? Money or whatever cannot bring anyone to God.”
Dear Fr. Byers, I think you and your readers know that as a prisoner, I have no on-line access at all. I depend on some wonderful people who are my digital eyes and ears. At tonight’s prison mail call I received a hard copy of your posted “Open Letter.” I took my mail to my cell and sat down on my concrete stump to read it. I had a few nice letters from readers of These Stone Walls, then I came to your “Open Letter.” I have passed through well over 17 years of wrongful imprisonment without ever shedding a tear. Some might consider that to be unnatural, and perhaps it is, but prisoners never cry. I have never seen one cry. However, I was reduced to tears by what I read. For those of us who live on the downside of justice, both in the Church and in the courts, being held up as “a priest’s priest” was the most healing moment I have ever experienced in prison. As I sat there sobbing, Pornchai came into the cell. He stared at me as though I was an alien from another planet. Then I handed him your “Open Letter.” As I left the cell, Pornchai was sitting on his side of the cell with his face in his hands. I thank you for having the courage that only the Holy Spirit could instill in a priest.
Your brother in Christ,
Father Gordon
Oh Praise our Living God..what a wonderful, truthful gift from our Holy Spirit. Lord God…let us live IN You! Thank You for Your gifts….
YAY!! Fr.Byers… and thank You for saying what no one, but a priest, could say to tell our beloved Fr. Gordon what he really is to us!! Bless You.
Helen
Hello Fr George, I just wanted to ask you to consider adding my country (Australia) to your list of countries needing the St Michael prayer, specifically for our priests. The activity of the hairy-legged one ramped up a notch this week with a priest from a local parish choosing the evening news to renounce his priesthood, announcing he had been married for a year and suggesting that the celibate priesthood is a breeding ground for paedophiles. He plans to write a book about what he calls the double life of Catholic clergy. The faithful in this country are reeling, while the disaffected are having a field day.
What’s his name and what parish and location and diocese?
His name is [...]
I’m not giving him air-time on the blog. I offered to help him about 10 years ago but… nothing. I may make a comment if someone sends me his book. I’ll bite my tongue for the moment. Ooops! I can’t sollicite donations!