You are here: home >> archbishops >> archbishop john f. donoghue

Dear Friends in Christ,

St. Paul joyfully tells us, in his second letter to the Corinthians:

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, The old order has passed away; now all is new!

Today, we celebrate this newness in Christ, in a number of ways, and our joy wears many robes, as we prepare to receive into our midst, the wonderful gift God gives us Ð the gift of three new priests for His Church, and especially, for our Church here in North Georgia.

All of us, in a real way, are made new by what happens here today.

For the friends and relatives of the three men who have been called to the priesthood, it is as if a new life is about to enter their midst. It has been one thing to say, ÒThere is my son Ð there is my brother Ð there is my friend.Ó But now, to be able to say, ÒThere is my son, the priest Ð my brother, my friend, the priestÓ Ð anyone who has known this special gift will tell you that it brings a new thrill into life, and it brings a new dimension to a love that has already existed Ð and it brings, for these families and friends, a new closeness to the Church, and the sacred work of the Church.

The Church, always aware of the generosity of her members, for it is a fruit of that same Holy Spirit who always watches over the Church Ð the Church turns first today to these mothers and fathers, these sisters and brothers and friends, and says, ÒThank you Ð thank you for standing by these men, for supporting them in all their needs, in all the difficulties and challenges they have faced Ð thank you for helping them to come steadily to this day Ð and thank you, for your part in what they will now give to us.Ó And so the Church expresses her joy in what St. Paul, and what we know, is a new order, and a new creation, because of the love these families have shared with us, in preparation for this day.

For these men themselves, the old order truly passes today, and the new order begins. For with the passing of power from my hands into them Ð the power given by Christ to His Apostles Ð the power given by those same Apostles to an unbroken generation of bishops Ð the power to forgive sins and to consecrate the bread and wine, and bring the Body and Blood of our Lord to the Faithful. With the passing of that power into these men, they will be changed, in a way more profound than any change since the day of their Baptism. For on that day, they were cleansed of the death of Original Sin, and brought into the new creation of ChristÕs redemption.

And who is to know Ð perhaps on that same day, God, who sees all the future, also planted into these men the seed of what has grown into full maturity today Ð the seed of their vocation. With this new power, the power of being ordained priests, they will now become a very special order of reality within the new reality of the Church Ð the order of priests: who have the power to offer sacrifice on our behalf Ð who have the power to absolve us of our sins Ð who have the power to bring upon the altar, through words repeated of Jesus Christ, the living Word, and true Presence of Jesus Christ. Yes - the change that will occur today in these men, will make them new creations Ð and though they will look the same, though they will bear the same name, they will also, in the truest sense, now share their being, in a most intimate way, with the person of Jesus Christ Ð especially when they stand at the altar, and lead the people of God in prayer and supplication.

To them, the Church turns as well, on this day of joy, and thanks them for being honest to their vocation, and for having the generosity of character, to give up so much of themselves, and to take up so much of Jesus Christ, for our sake. The new order began at the Last Supper, when Christ commanded ÒDo this in memory of me,Ó and the new order begins anew in the birth of these priests, who will live to serve that command.

St. Paul began our reading by saying that Christ Òdied for all so that those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for him who died for their sakes and was raised up.Ó

When the priest prays, he sees in Christ, those whom Christ has called - His children, His sheep; and when the Faithful pray for the priest, they see in him, the embodiment of sacrifice, the living example of someone who loves them so much, he has given up the normal life, for a life dedicated totally to others.

Dear friends, in the spirit of this mutual prayer, as I now instruct these men one last time before they accept the power and the responsibility of the holy priesthood of Jesus Christ, I ask you to begin at this moment, to pray for them, to see in them, men who have given up everything for your sake Ð men who in every way, now desire to live the life that Christ lived, so that others may see, and follow, and find, peace and the knowledge of salvation.

Dear brothers in Christ,

As you accept today, the anointing and the laying on of my hands, and the power which comes through me to you, from Christ through the Apostles, turn your minds, your hearts, your souls, away from all that leads in any direction but towards the Person, and I mean, the Body of Jesus Christ.

Let poverty, keep you on the road to Christ Ð let chastity keep your eyes fastened on the vision of Christ Ð let obedience keep you a servant to the Truth of Christ Ð let these three pillars of priestly strength be your constant exercise, as they were our LordÕs, when He lived among us. And let the Faithful, the people you are consecrated to love and to care for Ð let them be led by the light of your example Ð by the light of your fidelity to these three counsels of the Gospel.

But most of all, let these disciplines bring you ever closer to the Presence of Jesus Christ -Ðwho is your Father, your Brother, and your Guardian Spirit. Form your lives around daily contact wit the Body of Christ. Heed the profound words of our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II. In his recent encyclical, The Church of the Eucharist, he writes with the ardor of a young man, but with the free expression of one wizened by age, of the vital necessity of the priesthood. Recalling the many places he has celebrated the Eucharist, from the loftiest basilicas and cathedrals to most humble chapels hidden in the countryside, he says:

"This varied scenario of celebrations...has given me a powerful experience of [the EucharistÕs] universal and...cosmic character. Yes, cosmic! Because even when it is celebrated on the humble altar of a country church, the Eucharist is always in some way celebrated on the altar of the world. It united heaven and earth. It embraces and permeates all creation. The Son of God...the eternal high priest who by the blood of his cross entered the eternal sanctuary, thus gives back to the Creator and Father all creation redeemed...[and] he does so through the priestly ministry of the church..."

Brothers, this is the same celebration which you will enact every day, and by it, Christ will live in you, and bring His health, the health of His Holy Spirit to the Faithful - in what you do, in how you do it, and in the product of your priestly actions Ð the teaching of the Word, the forgiveness of sins, and the transubstantiation of bread and wine into His Most Precious Body and Blood.

But this too, Ð for your sake, for your own well-being, He will bring you the health of His Spirit, and protect you from those things which might lead astray. The Holy Father adds these words of advice and caution:

"...how important it is, for the spiritual life of the priest, as well as for the good of the church and the world, that priests...celebrate the Eucharist daily...in this way, priests will be able to counteract the daily tensions which lead to a lack of focus, and they will find in the eucharistic sacrifice Ð the true center of their lives and ministry Ð the spiritual strength needed to deal with their different pastoral responsibilities. Their daily activity will thus become, truly eucharistic."

Dear brothers, and dear friends,

This is the essence of what St. Paul writes, when he declares Òthe end of the old order, and the beginning of the new.Ó The new order of being is Òeucharistic being.Ó It is the life of Jesus Christ in us Ð because He has left His life with us Ð because He brings His life before us daily, through the actions of priests - and because He shares Himself with us, by the power of their consecrated hands.

Let us fall on our knees before such miraculous love, that does not weaken, but remains as strong as the day when Christ brought it into being Ð as selfless as the day that same love died upon the Cross for our weakness Ð as triumphant as the day, when love broke the bonds of death, and rose up to embrace with healing life, all the wounds of creation - wounds inflicted by us, His wayward children Ð children now made new, created new by that strong, selfless, and triumphant Love.

And finally, on this joyful day of Ordination, let us thank God for His Eucharistic Being, His Òbeing with usÓ - and for the priests, who by His call, ever make it so.

Return to Archbishop's section.
Return to Home Page of the Archdiocese of Atlanta.