The Confessional: a lesson in timeliness

Father O’Reilly announced to his flock that the dinner celebrating his 25th anniversary at the parish would also serve as his retirement party. When the night of the final affair came, the festivities were to be opened by the mayor. Unfortunately, city affairs caused the mayor to be late.

Father O’Reilly sensed those gathered for the dinner were becoming impatient for the program to begin, so he decided to take the microphone and share his reminiscences.

“It is hard to believe that it has been 25 years since I first stepped through the doorway of this great House of Worship,” he said. “I still remember the first confession I heard here. It was on the day that I arrived. To this day it remains the most outrageous error of judgment I’ve ever heard.”

“A young man, as I discerned from his voice, was extremely remorseful as he told me about stealing money from his parents so he could have an affair with the neighbor’s daughter. He then used some of the money to get a fake ID and used it to buy alcohol. The liquor left their judgment impaired and sure enough, the night had led to promiscuity. Several weeks had passed and the boy thought he had contracted a venereal disease and needed money to get tested. He got the money by stealing out of his best friend’s till at work, resulting in the friend being fired. To get to the doctor’s office he stole the neighbor’s car in the hopes that his parents would not find out. The car was damaged when he accidentally sideswiped a mailbox leaving scratches on the passenger’s side of the car Since the neighbor rarely walked to that side of the vehicle, the boy did not tell his neighbor about the mishap.

Noticing the arrival of the mayor, the priest concluded. “Since that day I have had many more pleasant memories, for which I thank each and every one of you.”

The mayor, who was also a trustee of the church, took to the microphone to present the parish’s gift for his quarter decade of service.

“Today is a bittersweet day,” the mayor began. “We say goodbye to a wonderful spiritual leader. Although we’ll miss him, it is good to know he will enjoy his retirement.”

What the mayor said next absolutely astonished everyone in attendance, Click here to see.

Communication is more than just what you say. It is also what you say about the comments of others, as the mayor quickly learned by the reaction he received.

Life Lesson: being on time is not just courteous, it saves embarrassment.

About the author

Rick Weaver is a franchise owner and Executive Search Consultant with Patrice & Associates, one of America’s largest Staffing Specialist companies with over 175 offices across the United States. With 30 years of experience successfully placing managers at all levels of an organization, Patrice & Associates sets the Gold Standard of recruiting. Rick has personally worked with thousands of managers and management teams to strengthen their results.