The Anti-Gospel of Jesus Christ

by Miko Bartek

My father gave me this chalice as a gift for my ordination. But I cannot accept this, for so many reasons. Not the least of which was the cost. $8460? Are you kidding me? I wasn’t sure what he would do today. He could be so disrespectful. It would not have surprised me if he gave me nothing at all. But this? He can certainly go out of his way to make a impression when it is important to him.

It is traditional for the parents of a newly ordained priest to gift him a chalice with which to celebrate Mass. But my dad is a lifelong Catholic with a good understanding of the Jesuit ethos. I took a vow of poverty, for God’s sake. Why would he give me a chalice befitting a king? What would people think?

Crafted from silver, then plated with gold. Except for the angels wrapping the stem. The silver really made them pop. If I kept this, I would have to polish these angels. I will be a slave to God, but not to a fancy cup. Jewels. This even has rubies. Unbelievable! I placed it back into the box it came with.

Daiya convinced me to do this as the party wound down in the church basement. The place was absolutely packed an hour earlier. Everyone calling me Father Miko. Stuffed cabbages and peppers had been prepared for an army, by the volunteers in the kitchen.

Most people were leaving. Daiya and I didn’t even get a chance to speak until now. We climbed the stairs together and went out to the parking lot to speak privately. Just the two of us, strolling around. I was still in shock. Mom and Dad are very devoted to the church. They are not made of money.

“I still don’t get why Dad would do this.”

It was night. But the moon was out. We finally stopped walking at the basketball hoop at the edge of the parking lot.

“I don’t try to make sense out of Dad anymore.”

“What am I supposed to do? I can’t keep it. Oh my gosh! Why would he do this?”

At the party I tried to get a sense of how Mom felt. But she didn’t have much to say. She told me she loved me and was proud of me. She even hugged and kissed me. However, she wouldn’t talk about the chalice at all.

“Do you know where Dad bought this? Maybe you could return it. Sneak the money back to Mom.”

But would she take it?