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Recently ordained priest reflects on
his vocation
The Easter season is a time for celebrating the
Resurrection of Christ. Additionally in many places in the Catholic
world, the Easter Season is the time when celebrations of Ordinations
often occur. In fact, on the fourth Sunday of Easter, on 3 May, the Holy
Father ordained 19 men as priests for the Diocese of Rome. Three days
earlier, on Thursday, 30 April, in Sydney, Australia, Archbishop of
Sydney Cardinal George Pell ordained four men to the Priesthood of Jesus
Christ, the largest Ordination for Sydney since 1988.
This was particularly
significant for me as I returned home to Sydney from Rome, where I am
currently studying, to be ordained as one of the four. The Ordination
was a magnificent celebration of the presence of the Catholic Church in
Australia, with over 3,000 in attendance at Sydney's St Mary's
Cathedral.
As a 27-year-old recently
ordained priest, I am greatly consoled by the fact that throughout the
world, the number of men ordained every year is continuing to rise, as
is the number of men who are entering seminaries. The priesthood is a
unique vocation, and it is unlike any career or profession.
When I answered the call to enter into formation for the
priesthood, I was studying History and Politics at the University of
Sydney. It was in the context of a secular public university that I
heard the call to serve God, the Church and our world as a priest.
Since the Ordination, I
have been delighted by the love, joy and support that the faithful have
shown towards me and it is clear to me that Catholics value the
vocation, witness and ministry of priests. However, I was most
pleasantly surprised by the support shown by many in our society,
especially by people who are not Catholics. Often in Australia, as in
other places, faith is incorrectly described as a personal or private
concern. The presence at the Ordination in Sydney of over 30 politicians
from all forms of government in Australia, including the Governor of the
State, and more than 40 judges and many people involved in public life,
was a sign that the ministry of the Church and the priesthood is a
public concern and public support and recognition is appropriate.
Furthermore, the large number of representatives of different Ecclesial
communities and other faiths was another sign of the desire for unity in
our world. The priesthood is not of this world, but the priesthood is in
this world and it affects our world in a variety of ways.
Pope Benedict XVI, in his
Homily for the Presbyteral Ordinations in Rome earlier this month,
commented that the priest is in the world, but "we run the risk of also
being 'of the world'.
I was drawn towards the
priesthood not only because of the priest's role in the Church, but
because of the important contribution which priests make to our world,
through serving our society and helping to make our communities, with
the grace of God, into a more perfect reflection of the Heavenly
Kingdom.
Catholic priests appear to
spend most of their days serving Catholics, but the role and mission of
the priest includes the service of all of humanity. Through translating
our faith and belief into a language that is accessible to all in our
society, the priest dialogues and expresses the truth of God, which
nourishes the human consciousness with the fullness of life, which can
only be reached through Christ. Through preaching the fullness of life
in Christ, the priest is called to be a peaceful, uniting and joyful
presence among Christians and all people of good-will. And in living the
mission of Christ, the priest participates and serves in Christ's
three-fold work as Priest, Prophet and King.
The Church is about to
commence the Year for Priests, a year to celebrate and to pray for
priests. Through the generosity of the Holy Father, special graces are
available, particularly on the first Thursday of every month, where the
faithful are encouraged to attend Holy Mass and to offer prayers to
"Jesus Christ, supreme and eternal Priest, for the priests of the
Church" both living and dead. If the faithful are unable to attend Mass,
they are encouraged to "perform any good work to sanctify and mould"
priests to the Heart of the Sacred Heart. Pope Benedict XVI reminded us
that "God is love" and that the priest is truly called to participate
and share in God's love and life.
The priest, in a unique and
sacramental way, participates in the mission of Christ, in persona
Christi, and this incorporates the mission of the Trinitarian God.
The priest, through a relationship with God as Father, becomes a
spiritual father of all in our world. Through a relationship with
Christ, the priest becomes the pastor, servant and shepherd, who
gathers, teaches and leads the flock towards the Kingdom of God, of
which the priest is a sign. Through the Sacraments, the Work of God, the
priest enters into the sacrifice of God and pours out the graces of God
to our world. And through a relationship with the Holy Spirit, a priest
helps to sanctify the faithful and bring them into a relationship with
God, so that "they may have life, and have it to the full" (Jn 10:10).
As a young child, I often
thought about the possibility that God was calling me to be a priest.
When I was preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation at the age
of 10, I was introduced to the story of St Maximilian Kolbe and I was
deeply inspired by his life. I read many of his writings on his life of
sanctity and creativity in preaching the Gospel using different forms of
media, often borne out of necessity in opposing the Nazis and preaching
in Japan. His heroic death in the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz
truly inspired me to consider the priesthood as a legitimate option to
serve God, the Church and our world.
The witness and example of
Pope John Paul II also inspired me to seriously consider the priesthood.
When I entered into seminary formation, I knew of only one Pope and the
life and witness of Pope John Paul II showed me that the priesthood was
not boring or irrelevant, but that the service and contribution of
priests was needed more today than ever. He showed me that a commitment
to faith and to preaching the Gospel means working towards unity, peace
and the fullness of life, not only for Catholics, but for all within our
society. I was privileged to be in St Peter's Square when Pope John Paul
II died and I was greatly honoured to be able to sing in one of the
choirs at his funeral. I owe a great deal to the hope that Pope John
Paul II gave, and continues to give, to me and to
our world.
I have often heard it
remarked that the ministry of the Holy Father of the time impacts upon
the approach and vision of those ordained in that Pontificate. I am
truly blessed to be ordained in the Pontificate and era of Pope Benedict
. He is one of the great giants of theology and every day I am learning
more and more from Our Holy Father. As a student studying theology,
firstly at the Pontifical Gregorian University, and now at the
Pontifical University of St Thomas Aquinas (the
Angelicum),
I have been given many opportunities to
study and reflect on the writings of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger and now
Pope Benedict XVI. His love for tradition and his humble approach which
highlights, among other things, the importance of a theological
continuity, has inspired me to study the early Church Fathers and the
Councils of the Church. In the name of "modernity", many today encourage
widespread relativism and true liberalism, which deforms our
understanding of God and the human person. Our Holy Father has inspired
me to seek the Truth about all the great questions of life, not only for
myself, but for the good of our entire world.
Since 2004, I have been in
seminary formation at the Pontifical North American College, which is
the seminary for the U.S. in Rome. In 2004, the College first accepted
Australian seminarians and we currently have nine men in formation at
the College. Despite a few sporting and colloquial differences, there
are many similarities between American culture and Australian culture,
and the countries are the closest of allies. The friendships I have made
in Rome have helped me to further realise that the Church is truly
universal and I can now say that I have experienced the universality of
the Church first-hand. The formation I received at the College has
further highlighted the joyful role of the Catholic priest in our Church
and society. I believe that I have been equipped with the resources
required to come to know the People of God in a specific place, to
preach the Gospel and give the Sacraments to the faithful in such a way
that all of humanity will be drawn ever more closely into the life of
Christ.
As I begin my life as a
priest I am overjoyed that most of my first year as a priest will be in
the Year for Priests. Knowing that the faithful will be praying
regularly for me and for all priests, that we will be holy, loving and
truly good pastors and fathers after the Heart of Christ, is an
affirming sign that the Priesthood is an important, necessary and worthy
vocation and ministry in our world today.
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