The Record Of Barton's Fantastical Events

Chapter 146: Chapter 15 Priest

“Father.” The older man supported by Matthew approached the priest who appeared in the crowd after the people in the crowd dispersed; Matthew’s heartbeat speeded up inexplicably. Although Alpha and the vampire only told him that ‘There’s nothing to worry about’, Matthew always couldn’t face the calm man.

The content of today’s sermon was the “Ten Commandments”, which was very normal content; but this also made the young wolf very confused.

Matthew’s father performed a standard gesture of holy blessing first, “Father, I’ve been thinking about some questions, I don’t know if I can get some answers from Father.”

“Oh, Joseph, of course.” The priest’s gaze only swept across Matthew’s body, and he looked at the person with the real questions. His hand was placed on Matthew’s father’s arm. “You should rest at home to recover your injury.”

“Thank you Father for your concern.” Matthew’s father looked at the priest gratefully, with a trace of guilt on his face, “I have too much time to rest.” Matthew frowned. He understood what his father meant ‘he doesn’t have a job’.

“Joseph, please sit down.” Matthew’s father, led by the priest, sat down and said, “It’s not a bad thing to rest, your old wounds need time to recuperate. I heard that Matthew’s new job is very good, and he should be able to share a lot of the family’s burden.”

With a relieved smile on Joseph’s face, he looked at his son. Matthew was not a believer. The commoners who were not rich would not have much time to come to the church to pray. So Joseph was like the crowd leaving the gospel church after the prayer was over; most of them didn’t need or couldn’t work.

Matthew rarely came to accompany him to pray. After the gospel church reopened this time, Joseph could feel that his son was worried about him so he had taken leave and came to accompany him.

“He is my pride.” Joseph smiled and patted the young man who had already lowered his head, feeling that his son seemed to be a lot sturdier.

Joseph did not dare to take up too much of the priest’s time and looked at the priest again. The round collar seemed to be higher than usual. The robes used in the sermons were smoothly attached to the priest’s broad shoulders. The cross embroidered with silver thread reflected the misty light under the sunlight through the colored windows.

Perhaps because of the first service after the reopening, the priest presided over today’s service by himself.

“I have some thoughts on one of the Ten Commandments.” Joseph’s expression was hesitant.

“Joseph.” The priest looked at this man who was a dozen years older than him with kind eyes, and patted Joseph’s hands holding together, “I don’t think you will be related to deception and pickpocketing, these things. You are a kind and respectable man.”

Joseph nodded comfortingly, but his eyes were still a little guilty, “Father, what I want to ask is about the Sabbath.”

The Sabbath, which was today, which was also Sunday, was the day that the holy church specified that everyone should rest.

“Oh? Joseph, do you have any questions?” The priest looked intently at the man who was protected by his son. He was tall, and the priest could see that he was once very strong, a man who made people feel safe. But his body was always slightly huddled, and his face was always haggard. The strength that he once had weakened due to neglect of exercise. But the main reason was still the hidden illness left by the back injury he had in the past.

Joseph lowered his head, as if hesitated, he turned his head slightly to look at his son, Matthew. He knew that what he said next would surely make this proud child of his, angry, “Father, every day, I am resting.”

There was a trace of realization on the priest’s face, and he nodded. He took Joseph’s broad palm and used his eyes to signal Matthew, who was just about to say something, not to worry.

“Joseph, tell me, why is it called the ‘ten commandments’?”

Joseph thought for a while, looking at the priest’s encouraging eyes, “The holy Lord told the Egyptian slaves he had rescued to believe in the holy Lord and not to violate the ten commandments.

It is the rules set by the Holy Lord for his followers.”

The priest nodded with a smile, “Yes, Joseph.” The believers listened carefully to his sermons and clarified the distinction between ‘can and cannot’, the priest or ‘Father’ was very pleased, “But Joseph, do you think that you believe in the holy Lord just to get his blessing?”

Joseph was a little nervous, and shook his head quickly, how could faith be mixed with the desire to get the blessing.

“No it’s not. Believing in the Holy Lord is for…” Joseph shook his head, and the honest man couldn’t find a word for a while.

The priest patted Joseph on the back of his hand comfortingly, and smiled without embarrassing him, “For a better life. Joseph, it doesn’t matter, everything that lives wants a better life, there is nothing wrong with it.”

Joseph nodded in distress. This was an extremely realistic answer. If there was no faith, he was just a man whose daily range of activities was only a hundred meters away from his home. He really didn’t know how to continue his life.

“Then Father should understand what I mean.” Joseph looked at the priest expectantly, “I don’t have a job. Every week, praying is the only activity I do. The Holy Lord allows us to work hard for life in the other six days, and rest on this day to commemorate the Holy Lord. But for me, all this is the opposite.”

The priest was breathing slowly, and it was his job to listen to and answer the strange questions of believers. He looked at the church gradually emptied, and understood why Joseph waited until the end. Although it was ironic, Joseph was less than fifty years old. Compared with other people that came to the gospel church, he was the youngest. So no one would have the same questions as Joseph.

The priest seemed to have organized the language, and looked at a frowning Matthew on the side, “Matthew Joseph, I heard that you work at [Grande Funeral Home], right?”

Matthew was slightly surprised that the other party would mention him suddenly, and nodded hesitantly. He didn’t know where this conversation would lead to.

“How is your work? What do you usually do?” The priest asked with a smile, seemingly casual.

“Just, just ordinary things.” Matthew also replied ‘casually’, “Yesterday we made a new shelf for the warehouse.”

“Really?” The priest smiled, and only Matthew could accept the brief emotional transition. Grande’s warehouse was destroyed by the demon, and Matthew was emboldening himself. The priest did not go deeper. He was fulfilling his duties as a priest to relieve the worries of the believers. The look in his eyes was full of guidance. He looked at Matthew, “Who taught you woodworking?”

The honest Matthew wanted to say it was Old Hank, but he felt his father’s brows slightly loosened. Then he remembered that his father who, although not as skilled as Old Hank, had laid the foundation for him since his childhood.

“Then are you still adjusting to the new environment, are you getting along with your new work partner?” The priest nodded and continued to ask.

“Very well, they treat me very well.” Matthew relaxed a little.

“Because you grew up to be a kind, honest guy, everyone will like you.” The priest smiled, “Can I ask, who brought you up to be a kind, honest young man?”

“My father.” Matthew’s arms wrapped around his father.

The priest looked at Joseph whose brows smoothed out, “There are other things, Joseph. You are a husband and a father. You are already doing your job and doing it very well.”

Joseph nodded bitterly and shook his head again. Although it was comforting to be reminded by the priest that he was a good person, he has already gotten the answer that he could get in the church. But the cruel reality still existed. What he needed was not only to be a husband and a father, but also to increase income for the family.

The priest patted Joseph comfortingly. After all, faith was something in the soul, and it couldn’t bring any change to the material. If so, please refer to Papa Midnight, it was a cult!

“But, Joseph, if you want to come out more often.” The priest’s eyes swept across Matthew’s suddenly tense face, “You can consider joining the church. Although the Gospel Church has reopened, this time the church attaches great importance to safety issues and maintenance needs more people…”

“Can I?” Joseph couldn’t wait.

This was a great surprise, the priest has started to recruit people!

The priest ignored the rapid breathing of the young wolf, smiled and focused his eyes on Joseph, shook his head kindly, “Joseph, you are too impatient, this is not good.”

Joseph nodded honestly and looked at Matthew. Of course, he thought Matthew’s undulating chest was excited for him. Obviously, this was not the case. Two things that Matthew didn’t want – his father going back to work and getting involved with the demon, now they all happened at the same time!

“Now the church is still planning this matter.” The priest explained with a smile, “It should be announced next week, and the application form will be distributed at that time. But, Joseph, don’t expect too much. The salaries of the church will not be too high, but the work will not be too heavy.”

Even the dull people would notice that the priest’s words seem to have confirmed that Joseph would definitely apply and pass it!

Joseph was very excited! He took Matthew’s hand, “It’s okay! Matthew, did you hear that!” Joseph didn’t care about the money the church paid would not be a lot. He was already grateful enough that he could find a job in his physical condition.

The priest seemed to be affected by Joseph’s emotions and looked at Matthew, “You must be happy for your father too. Hehe.”

Hehe.

“Now, let us pray.” The priest stretched out his hand, held Joseph’s trembling hand because of his excitement, and took the hand of Matthew who obviously didn’t want to touch him. He smiled and waited for Joseph to take a deep breath and calm down. He nodded slightly, closed his eyes, and lowered his head, and began to pray.

“The Holy Lord gave us life, gave us soul, gave us…”

The prayer continued, but two of the three who shook hands and prayed raised their heads. The priest looked at Matthew who had a watchful face, black spread out in his blinking eyes. The priest smiled slightly and the black shrank back inside his pupils.

The priest closed his eyes again, lowered his head, and finished the prayer.

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