To a newly ordained priest

ASKED to give the homily at the Thanksgiving Mass of a

newly ordained priest, I was wondering what to say to a person who I

know must have received a deep and thorough formation for the

priesthood. It’s like preaching to the choir, talking to someone who

is already in the same league.

  

            I immediately thought that what I should do is just to

give him some simple but basic reminders and to encourage him to be

most faithful and generous in his ministry, as well as to encourage

those attending the Mass to pray for the fidelity of the young priest.

  

            We cannot deny that the priesthood is a great divine gift

for the Church and for the people. It enables the presence and the

redemptive action of Christ to continue in our midst. With and through

the priest, Christ becomes alive again. With and through him, Christ

continues to teach, sanctify and guide the people toward their

ultimate end—that is, heaven.

  

            It is no joke to be a priest. With all the baggage of

weaknesses and human miseries that all of us carry, the priest has to

learn to be everything to all men and women, just like what St. Paul

said:

  

            “Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself

a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became

like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one

under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win

those under the law.

  

            “To those not having the law I became like one not having

the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s

law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I became

weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that

by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of

the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” (1 Cor 9,19-23)

  

            The priest therefore always has to remember that he is

Christ the priest. He has to have the same sentiments and desires of

Christ. In all his actuations, he has to make sure that it is Christ

who is manifested and glorified, nor just himself.

  

            He has to be ready to have the same fate or destiny as

Christ. He has to be prepared to stay the course even if he is

misunderstood, insulted, mocked, humiliated, crucified.

  

            Like Christ, it has to be clear and firm in his mind and

heart to have the attitude of wanting only to serve and not to be

served, going all the way to washing and kissing the feet of the

people. He has to live all the virtues—poverty and detachment,

humility and the art of passing unnoticed, fortitude and patience, and

above all, charity, the mother of all the virtues.

  

            Like Christ, he has to be a man of prayer, of tangible

sanctity such that with his mere presence, people would get inspired.

Yes, he has to be identified with the people without compromising his

identity with Christ. And the secret for this is simply to follow

closely the example of Christ.

   

            With Christ, the priest would know how to be immersed in

the world without being swallowed by the world. He would know how to

pursue his eminently spiritual and supernatural mission, how to carry

out his redemptive and sanctifying work without getting entangled in

politics or business and other temporal affairs.

  

            The priest should study and take care of his ongoing and

never-ending formation with the view of becoming more and more like

Christ. A priest can never say he is already fully like Christ. He can

still be more like Christ till his last breath.