Florida Catholic | Bishop Barbarito’s Column

The pope’s most-treasured words

Homily at the April 4 priesthood ordination of Father Andrew Brierley.

Published: 04.18.08

Bishop Barbarito lays hands upon the head of Father Andrew Brierley. JASON COLLINS | FC

This past week a very interesting news analysis regarding the upcoming visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the United States appeared in the New York Times. It was insightful as it observed that much of the media will attempt to deal with the pope’s visit through the misunderstanding of categories used for celebrities and politicians, and for a religious leader these are quite feeble. Pope Benedict’s words and actions will be carefully scrutinized for all kinds of possible meanings and agendas, as happens with all public figures. However, in a very powerful and significant statement, the analysis said of the pope, “Of all the words he speaks during his trip here, the ones that will probably go least examined are no doubt the ones he treasures most, the words of the Mass.”

The Holy Father is coming to us as a shepherd and as the universal pastor of the church. He will proclaim the Gospel through the action central to the church, the celebration of the Eucharist. The words of the Eucharist are indeed the ones the pope treasures the most, and all other words, indeed all of the other sacraments, hinge on these.

My brother, Andrew, today you will be ordained a priest and we all rejoice with you and your family on this happy occasion. You have studied, prayed and prepared very seriously for many years to come to this day. By being ordained a priest you will be configured to Christ, the High Priest, in a unique manner, and that configuration will enable you to speak in his person the words he treasures most — those of his giving of himself to us which is celebrated in the Mass. This is a great gift for you as it is for the church.

During this Easter season, we celebrate in a heightened manner the death and resurrection of Christ. His becoming one of us, his suffering and dying for us, and his rising from the dead are the assurance of God’s love for us and the ultimate meaning of our existence. This action of Christ is celebrated and actually takes place again in the Mass. People need to know more than anything else that they are beloved by God who gives himself to them as no one else can. The action of Christ in the Mass is not only a reminder of this reality, it is the reality itself.

The Scripture readings which Andrew chose for his ordination Mass testify to the basic Gospel message of Easter, which is celebrated in the Mass. The Acts of the Apostles tells us that “they put him (Jesus) to death by hanging him on a tree. This man God raised on the third day.” In the Gospel of St. John, Jesus tells us, “No one has greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” And Peter echoes the words of the Gospel when he says, “Above all, let your love for one another be intense.” Indeed the passion, death and resurrection of Christ are revealed in supreme love in the action of the Eucharist which the priest is privileged to celebrate.

In his homily for the chrism Mass this year, our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, put this reality in the context of the service which the Acts of the Apostles, the First Letter of St. Peter and the Gospel of St. John so succinctly state today. The pope tells us that, “What the priest does … in the eucharistic celebration is to serve, to fulfill a service to God and a service to humanity. The cult that Christ rendered to the Father was the giving of himself to the end to humanity. Into this cult, this service, the priest must insert himself.” He does this most fully in the sacrifice of the Eucharist.

Andrew, as you begin your priesthood today, you will celebrate the action of the Mass for the first time. This action is one that you will repeat every day of your priestly life. All that you will do will flow to and from this action and these treasured words. From your visiting the sick, your teaching and preaching, your forgiving of sins in the sacrament of reconciliation to your taking care of the many simple activities of daily life as a priest, all takes its meaning from the Eucharist. Never let anything stand in the way of your giving yourself totally to this action each day. What you celebrate is perhaps not well understood in our modern society and, unfortunately, we, as priests, can sometimes lose the perspective that the most important thing we do each day is to celebrate the Eucharist. If you celebrate the Eucharist completely and devotedly, you will do all else well and with significance perhaps not even perceived by ourselves.

In his apostolic exhortation on the Eucharist, “Sacramentum Cantatits,” Pope Benedict gives us some powerful words about the words of the Mass he so much treasures above all else. He tells us, “The substantial conversion of bread and wine into his (Christ’s) body and blood introduces within creation the principal of a radical change, a sort of ‘nuclear fusion,’ to use an image familiar to us today, which penetrates to the heart of all being, a change meant to set off a process which transforms reality, a process leading ultimately to the transfiguration of the entire world, to the point where God will be all in all” (1 Cor 15:28). Andrew, keep this spiritual and physical reality before you when you celebrate Mass and it will help you to realize the consequences of this action in all you do. This will bring you the joy the Lord speaks about today.

Perhaps the significance of these treasured words of the Mass for your life is best summed up in the rite of ordination. As I said at our chrism Mass, the Holy Spirit enables us to carry our ministry and is an intimate part of it. The chrism, consecrated at this cathedral a little more than two weeks ago, was used last evening to consecrate your chalice and paten. You will receive them this day with the following words: “Receive the oblation of the holy people, to be offered to God. Understand what you do, imitate what you celebrate, and conform your life to the mystery of the Lord’s cross.” Your hands will be anointed with chrism representing the special task you carry out, especially of celebrating the Mass. They will be anointed with the following words: “The Lord Jesus Christ, whom the Father anointed with the Holy Spirit and power, guard and preserve you that you may sanctify the Christian people and offer the sacrifice to God.”

When our Holy Father comes to visit us, the most-treasured words he will utter are those of the Mass. Andrew, the most treasured words you will utter for the rest of your life are the same. Live them and you will find great joy. May the Lord now continue to bring to fulfillment the good work he has begun in you.

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