Sunday, January 24, 2010

Grant Desme and the Higher Calling






Dear Brothers and Sisters: Greetings in the Lord Jesus Christ. I am not a baseball fan, never have been and the likelihood that I will become one is rather slim; however, I came across this story on Fox-online and it is great. The "Year of the Priest" seems to be extending itself. As we see from the second reading for the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time by St. Paul we are all called to take part in the Mystical Body of Christ by using a talents and gifts. No part of humanity is small or insignificant.

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Arizona (ChattahBox) – Grant Desme, a prospect who was named MVP in the Arizona Fall League, has announced that he will be leaving baseball to become a priest.


Desme wowed crowds when he hit 31 home runs and stole 40 bases last season, putting him on the map as the guy to watch.

Oakland Athletics had been planning to invite the young man to train in the spring, and many believed he would quickly rise the ranks.

But Desme says that he will be joining a different kind of training course, and will be going to St. Michael’s Abbey in Silverado, California* where he is dedicating himself as a Roman Catholic priest.

“I love the game, but I’m going to aspire to higher things. I know I have no regrets,” the 23-year-old said.

He also says that his 2008 injuries, which kept him from playing more than two games in the entire season, were a blessing in disguise.

“My injuries, I would say, have been the biggest blessing God’s ever given me. For my entire life, I’ve defined myself as a baseball player, and in a way it’s been an idol. When it was taken, it was an eye-opener. It was a shock.

“Either way, if I played in the big leagues and became a Hall of Famer, it’s still going to end. I really started doing some soul-searching of who I was and who I wanted to be. This is where it has led me.”
* St. Michael's Abbey is a Norbertine Religious Community. Link
Source Arizona Chattabox and a number of other sources.
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Then there is this from Foxnews.com, more info on the Desme retirement.
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Stain glass window from the Norbertine Abbey web site .
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My dear friends, please remember in your prayers all those suffering from HIV/AIDS; remember all our troops fighting for freedom in the Middle East; for a special intention. May the Grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ be with you and yours. Your generous support helps our HIV/AIDS ministry. Francis House, 2825 Concord Ave., Camden, NJ 08105 or phone (856) 541-5000

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