The Reluctant Saint Page #3

St. Luke.

St. Luke?

Yes.

This is the kind of young man

we need in our order.

A true son of St. Francis.

Good work, my son.

And let it be a lesson to all of us.

First things come first.

And l see Brother Giuseppe

is quite busy here.

Help him to clean up the stable.

l love the smell of manure.

When l was a boy,

we were very poor

but we had a little farm.

There were two donkeys,

a cow, and a little horse...

lf we accept the traditional

and the scriptural dictates

of the decalogue

of the supremacy of the Father,

then we must ask ourselves -

does the glorification

of the son for his Father

prove inequality in our consideration

of the Blessed Trinity?

And we must further ask ourselves -

is this a supererogation

of the Holy Ghost

or the answer to these seeming

paradoxes of the Blessed Trinity?

Let us consult the Bishop of Hippo,

St. Augustine himself,

who says...

''Truly let them beware, lest the Holy

Spirit be thought greater than both,

because he glorifies the Son,

whom the Father glorifies.

While it is not written that he himself

is glorified either by

the Father or the Son...''

Beautiful.

Very beautiful, Giuseppe.

l used to sing that song in Calabria.

Very pleasant here now.

May l join you?

Yes. l get you a stool.

Oh, no, no. No ceremony.

Here.

Thank you.

Sit down.

Sit down.

Give me a chestnut.

They are hot, Your Excellency.

How are the lambs?

They are sleeping.

l gave them names.

Oh?

One is called Geronimo,

and the other one Bartolomeo.

Beautiful night.

Look at those stars.

Have you ever noticed...

the longer you look,

the more stars come out.

Yes, l wonder why.

Brother Orlando would certainly

have an explanation.

Oh, yes.

Brother Orlando, he knows everything.

l just heard him

try to explain the Trinity.

Now it's more of a mystery than ever.

Always troubled me, the Trinity.

Giuseppe, l could never

really understand it.

Just took it on faith.

How about you?

Does it trouble you?

No.

There are three persons in one God.

Father, Son, and Holy Ghost

all in one.

Yes, but that's for a child.

But it's small comfort to a Bishop

who's supposed to know theology.

l'm a peasant, Giuseppe,

just like you -

a practical man.

So l understand only what l feel,

not what l see.

Look.

One blanket...

and one, two, three folds.

Three folds in one blanket.

Three persons in one God,

like the Trinity.

Brilliant, Giuseppe.

Simply brilliant.

Sit down. Let's talk some more.

- Are you cold?

- Oh, no. Thank you.

You know, it seems to me,

the more you study,

the less you know.

Because when l was

young like you

everything was so clear, so simple.

But now...

things you understand

in your heart and soul

are so, so difficult to explain.

The Trinity, free will, first cause.

Maybe you can help me.

Me?

You, probably more than anyone.

You mind my being here, Giuseppe?

Oh, no, no.

Well, then let's have

some chestnuts and talk.

And one night

when my parents were sleeping,

l took my father's tape measure

and put the donkey

right in the middle

of the two stacks of hay.

And did the donkey starve to death?

No! Nino ate both of them.

Oh, heavens, l'd better

get back to my room

before Father Raspi

comes looking for me.

Well, Giuseppe,

l don't know about you,

but it's been a most

enjoyable night for me.

Oh, for me it was too.

l'm afraid l talked too much.

We both did...

Like two nuns in the kitchen.

But l feel better now.

Have you ever thought

of the priesthood, Giuseppe?

No.

l'm too...

l can hardly read and write.

Reading and writing -

any fool can do that.

The sacred calling

is for a favored few.

lt comes from God.

Think about it.

Oh, thank you for the chestnuts.

Thank you.

l'm sure the Minister General in Rome

will be very happy

with my report on Martina.

- God Bless you, Your Excellency.

- Brother Orlando!

Yes, Your Excellency.

Congratulations on your brilliant analysis

of the Trinity last night.

Thank you, Your Excellency.

With your permission,

l'd like to send you

a new thesis l'm writing -

an interpretation

of the Arian Heresies.

By all means, of course.

And now, Brother Orlando,

l'd like you to do

something for me.

lt would be an honor, Your Excellency.

You know Brother Giuseppe?

The stable boy.

He is a brilliant young man.

What do you wish me to do?

- Tutor him.

- Tutor him?

- For what?

- The priesthood.

But Your Excellency, l don't think--

Then don't.

Simply do as l say.

Giuseppe deserves a chance.

See that he gets it.

And l charge you

with the responsibility.

Goodbye, my brothers!

Recite the 14th chapter,

our First Epistle to the Corinthians.

What man of you,

having 100 sheep

and losing one them--

No! Look again!

l said Corinthians.

There is more to scripture

than the Gospel of St. Luke.

But l like St. Luke.

That's beside the point!

You have got to know

the entire Bible.

Now, the 1 4th chapter

of the First Epistle to the Corinthians.

St. John. Chapter 5, verse 1 4.

What man of you, having 100 sheep

and losing one of them,

does not leave

the 99 in the desert--

No!

No! Not Luke again!

Don't you listen?

l said John! John! John!

John? l wasn't--

Of course you weren't!

You are stupid, hopeless!

lt is a waste of time.

l have done

everything humanly possible -

even neglected my own studies.

l have to pass an examination too.

lt's not easy, is it, Giuseppe?

Poor Brother Orlando.

The New Testament...

What's difficult about this?

lt's not difficult, it's...

l forget it as soon as l hear it.

You know, Brother Giuseppe,

this is only an examination

for the subdiaconate.

lf you pass this hurdle,

then after a year of intense study

you will be examined

again for the priesthood.

Oh, it's a long and difficult road.

But if you must fail,

then fail like a man.

Bishop Durso says

you will become a priest,

and we must respect his intuition.

But it's not the failing--

Then what?

l...

l don't want to leave here.

l'd like to stay

with the animals in the stable.

There will always be

a place for you here, Giuseppe.

- Even if l fail?

- Even if you fail.

Giuseppe!

Giuseppe!

Bishop Nicola is ready

to begin the examinations

for the subdiaconates.

Your names will be called

in alphabetical order.

Brother Victorio Archangelo.

Brother Giuseppe Desa.

Giuseppe, l'll say a prayer for you.

Don't waste a prayer on me;

say one for yourself.

Brother Giuseppe...

The knowledge of the Four Gospels

is the keystone of our faith.

As a candidate for this subdiaconate

you are expected

to know them thoroughly.

Recite then, if you please...

the 1 5th chapter of St. Luke.

- St. Luke?

- St. Luke.

The 1 5th chapter?

Don't you know it, Brother Giuseppe?

Yes, yes.

Recite it, please.

Now the publicans and sinners

were drawing near

to him to listen to him.

And the Pharisees

and the scribes murmured, saying,

''This man welcomes sinners

and eats with them.''

But he spoke to them

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