When Father Rata walked into the church that morning, he didn’t know that he would become the protagonist of a shocking video that soon turned the congregation against him. And since he didn’t know about the camera filming him, he did something unbelievable to the young girl who was praying in his church by herself.
It was inevitable that Laura and Ricardo’s paths would cross. The new priest had little reason to approach the young girl who often came to the church to pray, but the villagers often talked about Laura, and after a while, he felt like he had known her all his life. She was an orphaned girl who was raised in a nearby convent. After finishing school, everybody expected her to devote her life to the nunnery, but Laura unexpectedly made an exit from her expected destiny. Although she remained very close and involved with the ministry, she needed the freedom of a life outside of the church.
Very few people ever got close to Laura or understood what was going on in her mind. Despite her outgoing personality, she also had a different side to her. Her favorite time of day was in the early morning hours when she would spend some time alone in the church. Depending on the season, she would schedule her alone time with God in such a way that she could bask in the early morning rays of the sun breaking through the stained glass windows of the church. There, she would find the peace and strength to face the day ahead with joy and vibrancy. She never missed a day of this alone devotional time.
Father Ricardo had come to know Laura from afar in his first year in the village. He wouldn’t disturb her alone time, but without her knowing, he would sometimes observe the young woman with a sense of awe. She clearly had a very special spiritual relationship with the Lord, and he almost envied the peace that radiated from her whole being.
One such early morning, Father Ricardo was standing at the back of the church when he saw Laura doing something completely out of the ordinary. One moment, she was sitting still in the front pew, and the next moment, she disappeared. Ricardo did not know what to do; maybe she had fainted, he thought. He was embarrassed that he was observing her from a distance, but at the same time, he was glad to be there in this strange moment. If she needed help, he would provide it immediately. His heart thundered in his chest as he tiptoed to the front of the church.
Father Ricardo was shocked by what he saw. There was Laura lying on the soft carpet with her eyes closed, her breathing peaceful, while the light coming from the stained glass played with intricate patterns on her face. She almost looked like an angel. Ricardo didn’t know what came over him, but without thinking, he did something unbelievable and lay down on the carpet next to this vision of peace with closed eyes. A sense of complete calm and peace fell over Ricardo. This was the first time in a year that he wasn’t overanalyzing his life and his responsibility toward this parish.
Ricardo had always felt the call to ministry, even though he didn’t understand God was calling him until his teenage years. Even as a child, whenever he could slip into a church building with no one present, he was in his happy place. In the silence, he always felt that he could hear most clearly. Then one day, Ricardo felt the call to become a priest. After finishing his studies, devoting his first year as a priest to missionary work, and spending some time in Rome, Ricardo was ready to be released into the wide world. Without hesitation, he indicated that he would go wherever the Lord wanted to send him. With great expectation and excitement, Ricardo boarded the plane that would take him to his first parish. His parents waved their sad goodbye, but he embraced this new chapter in his life with joy and excitement.
However, the initial reception in the small village was lukewarm. Little did Ricardo expect to struggle so much to adapt to a new culture and a completely different way of doing things. He was expected to lead a community with strong convictions and clear notions on how they wanted things to be done. Ricardo knew in his heart that he was sent to present a new way of worshiping and growing in faith, but he had never thought it would be so difficult.
He knew he had to implement baby steps in his mission to bring forth change. Most of the parishioners were in their senior years, while Ricardo was on a mission to get young people back into the church. The church had to become something much more than a Sunday mass service; a life of faith required a lifestyle change where God became incorporated into everyday living.
Initially, there was a lot of resistance from the older people when Father Ricardo started a soccer club. They deemed it completely inappropriate that a priest would dress in ordinary clothing, let alone sport attire, and blend into the world as if he wasn’t a man set aside from the world to serve the Lord. It was only when they saw young children starting to join the services that they saw a little method in the madness. But because of their own pride, they were not ready to admit their mistakes, despite seeing the positive change.
Ricardo had to push his own boundaries with regard to personal interaction. Although he chose a vocation that would require him to work with people daily, he wasn’t at his most comfortable in social settings. His strong suit was preparing sermons, and he enjoyed spending time alone to study the world and draw conclusions. He would often go for a walk in the forest while everyone else slept, and there he would get some clarity about the message he would deliver on Sunday.
Although a small percentage of resistance against this foreign intruder priest remained present in the congregation, very few would argue that his messages were not life-changing. Despite this man not having a very charismatic personality, his sermons were deep and heartwarming. It was as if a different person climbed onto the pew during a Sunday service, leaving behind the shy parishioner who, in essence, preferred to be alone with the Lord than his thoughts.
Still, many older members of the community found countless reasons to criticize the new priest. And when one of them entered the church that morning and saw Father Ricardo lying on the floor next to Laura, the delicate peace he had built in the village over the last year shattered. Neither Laura nor Ricardo noticed the woman at first. Laura wasn’t moving, although the priest could hear her breathing. Despite the situation being a little awkward, Ricardo could not help but just surrender to the moment. Never in a million years had he expected to fall asleep. He dreamt about a heavenly garden with all the animals coexisting in peace, with the most beautiful harp and flute music playing in his dream world. But then, a sudden noise startled him awake.
Without knowing it, Father Ricardo must have reached out his hand to Laura while he dreamt, and the two of them found themselves holding hands on the floor. The woman caught them in this inappropriate and compromising position. Gloria was one of the individuals who were still consistently trying to get something negative to report about Father Ricardo.
She was outraged at the sight, but at the same time, could hardly believe her luck. She was just sorry that she did not catch the two kissing, but that was a story she would immediately start spreading far and wide. According to her, there was an affair going on between the two young lovebirds. She could see the way that they were looking at each other. Although Laura was free to marry, their young father had chosen a different life. He had broken his oath and had to be severely punished.
Although some people wanted to give Father Ricardo the benefit of the doubt, the town gossips wanted to believe the worst and immediately reported his behavior to another man of faith. The parishioner of the nearby village was a well-respected man. He was summoned to come and investigate the inappropriate behavior of their young priest. Nobody gave either Laura or Father Ricardo a chance to explain, so it was only when Father Anthony arrived and interviewed the two individuals first individually, then together, that he was convinced about what had unfolded earlier that day in the church.
To settle the situation, a meeting was called in the late afternoon, and the whole parish was required to attend. By now, the poison had spread throughout the whole town. Even some of the people who were not part of the church wanted to attend the meeting. The two camps seated themselves in the church according to the side of the story they believed. On the left sat the ones who were convinced Father Ricardo was a predator who took advantage of poor Laura; on the right sat the ones who loved Father Ricardo and believed that there was an innocent explanation for the situation.
After all, there was only one eyewitness who was well known for her gossip and malicious intent. But when her story was questioned, Gloria revealed she had a trick up her sleeve. That day, after finding the priest and the girl lying on the church floor, she had hidden behind the column to film the shocking encounter. She hadn’t been able to record them while they lay, but she had managed to capture the moment Father Ricardo helped Laura get back to her feet and ushered her towards the vicarage. She showed the recording to the congregation, and many whispered in outrage at the sight of the priest leading the young girl into another room before shutting the door.
Father Ricardo lowered his head in shame. He had already explained to Father Anthony that he had only invited Laura to his study to discuss her unwavering faith and thank her for the amazing experience she had gifted him that morning. But now he could see that his actions could be misinterpreted. Next to him, Laura was blushing while she watched the video. She had been wearing a short floral dress that morning, and the thought of her own parishioners believing she was dressed like that to seduce the priest was overwhelming.
When Father Anthony cleared his throat, complete silence fell on the congregation. Gloria retrieved her phone and cast a smug glance towards Father Ricardo. The tension in the room could be cut with a blunt knife. Then Father Anthony spoke.
“What happened today here is nothing short of tragic. It is a sad day when we mistrust our fellow human beings to the point of jumping to conclusions by a single observation. Fortunately, this matter can be put to rest today as physical evidence of what unfolded that day has come to light.”
Father Ricardo and Laura looked at him in confusion. What physical evidence, they wondered? Had someone else recorded them behind their backs? Father Anthony then produced his own phone, and another video started playing on the device. A camera that had been fitted inside the vicarage for safety reasons had recorded Father Ricardo and Laura entering the room, sitting down at the priest’s desk, and having a nice conversation. Their encounter had ended with a firm handshake, and Laura had left the vicarage with a sweet smile on her face.
Father Ricardo was shocked. He didn’t know there was a camera inside the vicarage. His predecessor must have forgotten to tell him about it. But despite the fact that he didn’t know he was being recorded, he had still acted like a man of honor and good manners, never showing anything but complete respect to Laura. Gloria and many of the parishioners who had accused him were now red with embarrassment.
Father Anthony smiled at Ricardo, then turned back to the congregation with a frown. “The lesson we should all learn is not to jump to conclusions that easily, Sister Gloria. It goes without saying that you owe both Father Ricardo and Laura a huge apology. I hope every person who participated in this gossip and also helped to spread this malicious rumor is present here today, for you are equally guilty. I’m happy to say that this matter is now concluded, except for the ones who have to make it right with Father Ricardo and Laura.”
Several parishioners immediately jumped to their feet and apologized profusely to the priest and the young girl they had unjustly accused. Laura was still bitter about the whole ordeal, but Father Ricardo simply smiled at the congregation and forgave them all. Yes, they had been looking for ways to send them away for months, but in this instance, they had also been looking out for one of their own, trying to protect Laura in their own twisted way. And for this, he would not hold a grudge towards any of them, not even Gloria.
What an embarrassing turn of events for Gloria and the other gossipers. Are you prone to jumping to conclusions without having all the facts?
