From Archbishop Donoghue

Ordination of Priests
June 1, 1996
Holy Spirit Church
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[See Georgia Bulletin account]

Dear Friends in Christ,

Today we celebrate the richness of God's mercy, and the fullness of His generosity, as we prepare now to ordain these five men, our brothers, to the priesthood of the Holy Catholic Church.

In our busy day-to-day lives, in shouldering all the cares and responsibilities that inevitably form such a large part of our lives, it is easy to fall into a way of thinking that says, well, if I take care of my responsibilities, if I remain sober and optimistic, then everything will work out OK, and nobody will be able to say that I failed to do my part.

That is why every contact we make with the Church - whether it is a simple and unobserved visit to our Lord in His tabernacle, or whether it is a grand and glorious occasion like today - every contact we make with the Church is of vital concern to the health of our souls. For it is on such occasions that we are reminded of our true place in the scheme of things - we are reminded of the helplessness of our condition before unforeseen circumstances - and that we are reminded of that most important fact of all - that without the mercy of God and the goodness of God, life is meaningless, no matter how well-ordered it might be.

But God loves us - every instance of Christ's life makes this first premise clearly visible - every hardship He endured, from His homeless birth to His

painful, and I emphasize, His painful death, Christ's life is the steadied, conscientious unfolding of God's pure desire to love the most favored of all His creations, to love mankind.

And the pure love of God the Father, linked with the human experience of God the Son, is made clear to us by the Holy Spirit - by the gifts we receive from the Holy Spirit. For we truly believe that from the days of the New Testament until now, until this very day and hour, the Holy Spirit has produced many miracles and many blessings for us, each one pointing to the mercy of God who knows our sorrow and our weakness, and to the bounty of that same God, who desires to lift us up from our sorrow, and draw us out of our weakness. This is the meaning of salvation, the receiving of God's love and His goodness into our lives.

And the plan of God for our salvation was unfolded completely on the last peaceful night our Lord spent on earth, when He sat down to dinner with His Apostles, His best friends, and His first priests. We know, we think of, we ponder the events of that Last Meal often, and sometimes at great length, and true to the mystery of what happened that night, we can never figure it out - or better to say, we can never stop figuring it out.

For clothed by the mystery of this night are many clear statements and directions - and just as from the enigma of a burning bush, God gave Moses the direct and compelling laws by which His people should live, so now, on this night, Jesus, the Lord, at this mystical banquet of bread and wine become Body and Blood, gives new and clear laws - commandments not just of life, but of love. "This is my body. . . take and eat; this is my blood. . . take and drink.'

And when He said, "Do this in memory of me," it was as if He had said, "Alright. This is the plan. Now take it and put it into action."

Since that night, this plan, the plan for salvation, has been in operation without interruption. Persisting through periods of intense persecution, maintained in the midst of apathy and even corruption, the plan goes forward, and operates smoothly, securely, and triumphantly. It triumphs on a day such as today, when these five men, are, like Christ, solemnly presenting their lives, across the altar of our sacrifice, to the service of God through the service of His people. It triumphs when the people of God, drawn to the Eucharist, and knowing the necessity for priests, give their affection, their support, and their prayers to men like these, our brothers - our brothers, who will soon serve as our Lord served, who will soon, loyal to the commandment Do This In Memory of Me, offer the bread and wine of the people, that the Body and Blood of God will once more come down from heaven to refresh our thirsting souls.

And finally, this plan, the plan for salvation, triumphs when it calls us all to that original awareness - our awareness of the mercy of God, and of His bountiful goodness. We are aware - our presence here - our humble presence - makes this clear, and our actions today, actions of thanksgiving and obedience, confirm our belief that God has saved us - that God is saving us.

My final words this morning are for the five men who now present themselves before the Church to seek ordination, and whom I will presently, by the power that comes to me from Christ through the Apostles, consecrate as priests of the Lord and of His Church.

My beloved sons, for such has the Holy Spirit made you to me, I offer you these simple instructions, not of my own device, but from the ancient wisdom of Holy Mother Church. You are now to be advanced to the order of the presbyterate. You must apply your energies to the duty of teaching in the name of Christ, the chief Teacher. Share with all mankind the word of God you have received with joy. Meditate on the law of God, believe what you read, teach what you believe, and put into practice what you teach; never forsake the guidance, the wisdom, and the protection of our Holy Church.

Celebrate the sacraments with the mind of Christ - baptize with faith, reconcile with fair mercy, and feed the souls of the faithful knowing that what passes from your hands into their being is the true Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, and the source of all salvation. Lead the faithful into the ways of life exemplified and blessed by the Lord, and when death comes, be by their side to steady their entrance into eternal life.

Do your part in the work of Christ the Priest with genuine joy and love, and attend to the concerns of Christ before your own.

And now, trusting your souls to the care of our Blessed Mother Mary, who welcomed Christ into her own body, and who served Him and loved Him perfectly throughout her entire life, I call you forward, to make clear before this holy assembly of God's people, and before His priests and Bishop, your intentions.

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This homily was delivered at the ordination of Fathers Daniel J. Fleming, Thomas J. Hennessy, John T. Howren, Carlos Alberto Rocha and Peter Duc Ngoc Vu on June 1, 1996 at Holy Spirit Church.