The pastor of my home parish, Msgr. George Yontz, died last week.
He had been at St. Peter since 1995, so I had known him as my pastor for a huge chunk of my life.
It's only really hitting me know that Msgr. Yontz was the model of the priesthood for me. And his funeral this morning confirmed that for me.
The church was absolutely packed, and that included the sanctuary where 40 priests from our diocese and elsewhere gathered to honor a brother.
It was a beautiful Mass - the best possible way to celebrate the life of a priest who affected so many people and to pray that he is now seeing the fulfillment of that liturgy in heaven.
The title of this post refers to the way Msgr. Yontz ended all of his homilies. I haven't heard it for a long time, so the end is all I can remember: "that we may be changed for the better." It was a kind of formula that pointed forward; that God was going to work on us in that Mass and afterwards.
What I do know, is that, because of his priesthood - his gift, his self-sacrifice, and his love - all of us really are changed for the better.
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Something like, "May His blessing, that of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, come into our lives, changing us all for the better."
Sometimes he would extend it saying, "come into our lives, our homes, and our schools..."
I couldn't remember it for a while either, but at the end of the homily yesterday, it popped into my head. It was like Msgr, was still there ending the homily :)
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