Young Father O’Reilly, newly…

Young Father O’Reilly, newly ordained, was to hear his first confessions. Anxious to get his ministry off on the right foot, he asked the experienced Father McMartin to sit in and critique his handling of the assignment. At the end of the day the two clergymen sat in the rectory and reviewed O’Reilly’s performance. “Not bad,” McMartin said, with a catch in his voice. Weighing his words with care, he went on, “But there is one thing. In the future, I think you should make an effort to say ‘I understand’ instead of ‘Oh, wow!’”