Florida Catholic | Six New Priests Begin ‘Journey’

Six new priests begin ‘journey’

Following is Archbishop Favalora’s homily during the May 10 ordination ceremony for six new archdiocesan priests.

Published: 05.16.08

To journey with Jesus closely is to follow him to Jerusalem and to the Mount of Calvary.”

My dear friends,

In today’s Gospel, Jesus says to Peter, “You follow me.”

Today, here at St. Mary Cathedral, we will all witness a beautiful ceremony in which six good men from the Archdiocese of Miami will commit themselves to follow Jesus as priests of the New Covenant.

The Scriptures presented for reflection today are from the final verses of St. Luke’s second book, the Acts of the Apostles, and from the final words of St. John’s Gospel. Both writings have a journey narrative as their centerpiece. St. John’s Gospel theme is Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem and Calvary where he celebrates his hour of glorification on the cross.

St. Luke, in Acts, centers his history of the early church on the journeys of St. Paul, which began on the road to Damascus and ended in the city of Rome, where all roads lead. There he was chained, imprisoned and ultimately shed his blood confessing faith in the name and power of Jesus crucified and glorified.

Anyone who listens to Jesus’ words to Peter, “You follow me,” must necessarily make the journey that ultimately involves the cross. Each of these deacons today began his journey to Jerusalem and Rome, the new Jerusalem, long ago. I had the good fortune of hearing each of their vocation stories this week as we taped interviews for Radio Peace.

Like Jesus, like Peter, like Paul, each of the six has a unique journey with its own struggles and consolations, with its own details as designed by the Holy Spirit. In a sense, today part of their journey ends with their ordination as priests. But really it is only beginning.

The last words of St. John’s Gospel today tell us: “There are also many other things that Jesus did not record in this book, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would be able to contain the books that would be written.”

Today, César, Lazarus, Alejandro, Richard, David, Craig, your journey does not end. Today you begin the most exciting part of your journey. As priests, you will be consecrated in the image of Jesus and anointed to continue the mission Jesus began on earth and left to us to complete when he ascended to the Father.

Peter took up that mission, as did Paul. And today, on the eve of the great feast of Pentecost, the feast of the coming of the Lord’s promised Spirit, the feast of the birth of the church, that same Holy Spirit who radically changed Peter and the apostles, who dramatically blinded Paul and personally selected him to be apostle to the gentiles, that same Spirit will send you forth on your journey to Jerusalem. There is much, much more to be written of your journey with the Lord.

This part of your journal begins as the church is about to initiate a special year of concentrated attention on the life of St. Paul, as we commemorate the bi-millennium of his birth. Take Paul as the model for your life and ministry. Emptying himself, Paul boasted that “It is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me.”

Paul understood that if the priest is another Christ, he no longer is the one who acts, but the Christ who lives in him. Can anyone boast of any greater calling in life than that? All the good that you men did before, all of the dreams you had, now pale into insignificance when compared to what you will bring to the world if you remember it is not your life, but the life of the Christ within you that you share with others.

Paul was the great preacher. His letters and the Acts chronicle his inspired words meant to instruct, guide, comfort, correct, chide and always to unite. In his own words, he teaches the homiletic norm for every priest-preacher. He says, “I preach Jesus Christ and him crucified.”

Paul never preached himself, never spoke of the mundane; he constantly and continually called his flock to conversion in and through Jesus, and by that conversion to reconciliation, unity and harmony. His preaching called others to Christ, not to himself. Perhaps you would do well to take as your personal motto St. Paul’s words which retired Auxiliary Bishop Agustín Román selected as his episcopal motto: “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel.”

Paul’s many journeys demonstrated his fiery zeal and determination. He gave it his all so that before he died, he could say, “I have fought the good fight, I have run the good race.” How that fire and energy drawn from his total and complete love of Christ must have moved his people.

Yet, despite all of that, some left him as they did Jesus. That is why to journey with Jesus closely is to follow him to Jerusalem and to the Mount of Calvary. In Peter and Paul’s case, Calvary was in Rome. In your case and my case, Calvary and the cross is wherever your journey takes you.

Yes, my dear brothers, your journey continues and the Lord will lead you where he will. If you, too, keep your heart burning with love for Jesus, as Paul did, you will teach and preach Jesus in season and out of season, when it is welcome and when it is not, when it makes you popular and when it makes enemies for you.

During this Pauline Year, your first year of priesthood, I suggest that you reflect daily on the Acts of the Apostles and St. Paul’s writings. You can do no greater service to the Archdiocese of Miami in our golden jubilee year than to become known as the Pauline class – not just because of the coincidence of your ordination date, but because of the Pauline-like ministry you will exemplify on your personal journey to Rome and to the new heavenly Jerusalem.

Six new priests begin ‘journey’

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