The answer unfolds in the stories he tells in this book--vivid tales of the way the youngest son of a North Side Chicago grocer has been privileged to witness the workings of God's grace and love in the lives of the people he serves.

In each of these tales, Fr. Grassi paits a candid portrait of the joys and difficulties of priestly life. But, as he explains, the joys always outweigh the heartache. "I am just an ordinary person who still finds incredible joy, profound awe, silencing mystery, and overwhelming peace as a priest," he writes. These too-uncommon qualities--joy, awe, mystery, and peace--are abundant in his stories. They are the convincing answers to the question Why are you a priest? They are the reasons why Catholics can rejoice that God still calls men like Dominic Grassi by name.

"...(a) candid, searching, and often poignant retrospective..." --Publishers Weekly

"Fr. Grassi is clearly that most fortunate of men: one who truly loves his calling. His book shows us why he is happy to be a priest in a time that has proven challenging for all priests. (This book) is frank, thoughtful, and frequently funny."--Michael Raleigh, author of In the Castle of the Flynns and The Blue Moon Circus

"If you've every wondered what it's like to be a priest--a really good priest--sti back and enjoy Fr. Dominic Grassi's stories. Dom comes at life with a big, open, loving heart."--Tom McGrath, editorial director of Prepare the Word: Homilies from the Heart That Hit Home.

Dominc Grassi, a lifelong Chicagoan, was ordained in 1973 and has been a pastor, an educator, a counselor, a coach, a retreat and vocation director, an inspirational speaker, an editor, and a writer. He is the autor of Bumping into God and Bumping into God Again.