The Parable of the Young Woman and the Young Priest

One day while teaching, Josh was asked, ”Teacher, is it nostalgia that makes me want to go to church during the Christmas season, or is it something else?”

Josh spoke thus:

One morning a young woman walked into a church carrying a candle, went to the statue of Saint Lucia that stood in the cathedral, lit the candle, placed the candle before the Saint and knelt in silent prayer.

A young priest saw the the young woman praying and knelt beside her, joining her in silent prayer.  The young woman continued praying without acknowledging the presence of the young priest.  After a short while, the young woman rose and left the church without a word.  The young priest rose and watched her leave, then went about his business.

The next morning, the young woman walked into the church again, lit a candle to Saint Lucia and knelt in prayer.  The young priest again joined the young woman, and the young woman again prayed and left without acknowledging the priest.

On the third day, the young woman walked into the church again, lit candle to Saint Lucia again, and knelt in prayer.  Again the young priest joined her.  This time, however, when the young woman rose to leave, the young priest rose with her and walked with her to the door.  The young woman did not acknowledge the priest.

On the fourth day, the young priest again walked with the young woman to the door.  This time when she left, she looked at the young priest, but showed no expression.

On the fifth day, the young woman smiled as she left the church.  On the sixth day, she smiled when she entered.  Never did she speak, and never did she acknowledge the young priest during her prayers.

On the seventh day, the young woman did not come to the church.

On the eighth day, the young woman came to the church, but she did not bring a candle and she did not pray before Saint Lucia.  Instead, she went to the confession booth, where she was administered to by one of the older priests of the diocese.

When the young girl had left, the older priest approached the young priest.

“What have you been saying to that young girl?” the older priest asked the young priest.

“I’ve said nothing to her,” the young priest said, “She has been coming here this past week and praying, and I have been praying with her.”

The young priest told the other priest how the young woman had been coming to the church, lighting a candle and praying.  He described how the young woman never spoke and only acknowledged the young priest on the fourth day, and how even then she had merely looked at him.

“What about the fifth, sixth and seventh days?” the older priest asked.

The young priest described how on the fifth day the young woman had smiled as she left, how on the sixth day she had smiled when she came in, and how she had not come to pray at all on the seventh day.

“Why?” the young priest asked, “What has she said about me?”

“She said you gave her the best advice she had ever been given by a priest,” the older priest said.

“But I said nothing!” the young priest asked.

“Exactly,” the older priest said.