By Susan E. Gorski

A shepherd tends his flocks

He must guard and feed the sheep

His burden is to defend them all

From that which would defeat

The hungry wolf is cunning

He scatters so he may devour

The priest must spot the beast

In all disguise, at every hour

A heavy cross indeed you carry

The vocation of each priest

Yet His Grace is sufficient for you all

That each of you may succeed

You, pastor, are a servant

Given charge of their very souls

You must lead them to our Father

Even through agony untold

Enter this state not lightly though

For the charge is indeed grave

Know you the responsibility

And the penalty if you fail

Lead them to the Father

In Heaven, He reigns with splendor

Much the joy, O happy priest

The reward for your endeavor

A priest must sacrifice himself,

For his flock, in nearly every way

But Who is a member of his flock?

Every person, everywhere, every day

You see, by your examples

You shall help or you shall hinder

You can bring a soul to God, or

You can condemn her to a cinder

It is not a boys' fraternity

That office of priesthood stand

It is dire responsibility

That rests upon the shoulders of a man

Neither does the shepherd wane

No woman should deign to be

God gives equal purpose to our genders

A special plan for our femininity

Man, it is, who gives the seed

Woman need accept to receive and reconcile

While man must bear many other burdens

God deigned woman to conceive and bear a child

Whilst tonsured man is the shepherd of souls,

In God's plan, woman brings new souls to earth

She has great dignity In the sight of God

As she carries a new soul and gives birth

So woman envy not the man

Before God his dire obligation

God has given us other gifts

Surrender this consternation

Priesthood with all its encumbrances

Still gives a man great elation

To know that his spiritual children

Give honor to God and His creation

The dignity of priestly office

No man can ever surpass

No servant is greater than his Master

And there is no greater sacrifice than the Mass

O man, to be called forth and be chosen

Is to become a slave to all

Be fearless in your service of God

And truly you shall answer His call.

In the last 48 hours, my wife Andrea and I have learned that our son Michael Winston (age 10) has a tumor. Michael [pictured below with Randall] is a vivacious and happy boy who loves Jesus, plays the guitar, and loves to play in the woods with his three brothers. Everyone who knows him will confirm that he is a delight.

The tumor is in the bone of his left leg just above the knee. An MRI showed that the tumor has spread to the soft tissue in his leg, as well as the lymph node in that area. He is now on crutches to keep the weight off the area to avoid a fracture. This morning we learned from a CT scan that his kidneys and pancreas each have an abnormality as well. The doctor is concerned with metastasis.

We will get a biopsy this week, to find out what we are dealing with, and what treatment the physicians will pursue. The oncologist has braced us to expect chemo, radiation and surgery.

I do not need to tell you how devastating news of this nature is. Andrea and I are talking with everyone we know in the medical/health world, and contacting every Christian we know to beg their prayers. Michael knows that something is wrong – the MRI, bone scan, and CT scan were an obvious clue. We have told him that we are still trying to figure out what is wrong, and what the doctors are going to need to do.

I am pleading with God for my son. I am begging the saints to intercede for his healing. And I humbly ask you to join us in praying for his health and life. I ask that you make Michael's prayer need known to every prayer chain, prayer meeting, etc., that you know.