Epilogue: Six Months Later

It was an early Monday morning when Clark Kent walked into St. John's Church once again. He smiled and adjusted his glasses has he looked around to take in the beautiful architecture and artwork that composed the building. The stained glass windows in particular were truly a sight to behold, you just didn't see buildings like this very often anymore. The people who had built this church truly loved the work they were doing.

Clark brought his attention down from the lofty ceilings and windows to find that the morning Mass was just ending. He waited for the priest to process to the back of the church and then waited some more as the man shook hands and exchanged a few heartfelt words with the members of his flock.

Clark smiled at the apparent ease with which the priest was able to love his people, but he knew better. Clark knew that the reason the priest was able to love with such devotion, with such limitless strength was because underneath the happy exterior was a man with a wounded heart, a heart that truly understood what it meant to take up its cross and follow the Master to Calvary. A priestly heart.

Clark put a hand to his own chest to feel the slow rhythmic beat within, to feel the pain of a wound that he knew would never truly heal. But that wound had become perhaps his greatest strength. He now understood the sacrifice that love required because of his wounded heart. It was a wound that helped him not merely sympathize with others, but to empathize with them; to know and understand the depths of their suffering, to enter into it with them in order to bring them love and consolation. In six short months, a wounded Superman had been able to do more good than he would have ever thought possible; he was no longer just physically helping people, he was also showing them the love that they so desperately craved.

As the priest finished greeting the last few stragglers, he looked up to see a tall, dark-haired man who was wearing a pair of think, horn-rimmed glasses standing off to the side of the church. The priest walked over to Clark, and extended his hand in greeting.

"Welcome to St. John's. I don't think I've seen you around here before, are you new in town?"

"No," Clark responded, "I've been living in this city for quite some time now."

"Well, was there something I could help you with?" the priest asked with a smile.

"Actually there is," Clark responded with a smile of his own, "A friend of mine mentioned you, and I was hoping that we could just talk for a bit."

"Absolutely. Luckily, I happen to have the morning free, so why don't we head over to the rectory and see what's on your mind…"