From Archbishop Donoghue

Ordinations
June 29, 1996
Cathedral of Christ the King
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[See Georgia Bulletin account]

Dear Friends in Christ,

Whenever people of Faith gather, as we do today, it always remains true that our first duty and greatest joy is being able to thank God for the many blessings He has given us. "Bless the Lord, my soul, and never forget the gifts of God," declares the Psalm

And in the minds of many, we would say, perhaps the finest of God's blessings is the chance to be happy. No one is happy all the time - it just isn't possible. Jesus Christ Himself knew sorrow and tribulation as the Scriptures say, and we must never believe that the Son of God came to take away sorrow.

"Take up your Cross. . . come, follow me," He said. And if we are true to Him, we will indeed follow Him, helping Him to bear the weight of human sorrow.

Nevertheless, there is no one, or at least, no one I know, who would not choose happiness in place of sorrow - we all love to be happy, and I truly believe that happiness brings forth from us the deepest feelings we can ever know - the feelings I have mentioned, of being able to express gratitude to God, and to have peace within our own hearts - of being able to know that in our gratitude, we have done the right thing, we have acknowledged the proper order of existence - we have placed God first, and we have proclaimed, by our trust, that our God is a God of love.

And so, it is a sure thing, a given, that when the people of Christ's Church have the chance to be happy, they will seize the moment, and turn it into something as fine as humanly possible. They will summon their strength, they will dress in their finest clothes, they will go forth to the Church and lift their voices in praise and song, and everyone will put aside their differences, and become true friends, in Christ, and before God the Father in heaven.

Today, my brothers and sisters, is one of these precious occasions for happiness - and happiness for a number of reasons:

• for these men about to be ordained, who have searched so long and so patiently within their own souls, to establish the fact of their vocation - and to know that they can now come before God, certain of what they do, confident in what they offer;
• happiness for their families and close friends, who have treasured within their own hearts, good wishes and prayers for these men, and who have remained steadfast in their love and support;
• and happiness for the Church, who knows like a good mother, that because of what these men give today, new life will enter the Body of Christ, and the family of the Faithful will be made even stronger than before.

Nevertheless, as we bask in the joy of this day, we must also be thinking about the future - for we will leave this Church at the end of our celebration - we will go back to our homes and to our work - and there, in the face of the trials we must face, we will ask ourselves, "How may I keep the happiness I have found? How may I preserve my joy?"

One answer is that we will each work to keep the word of Christ active in our lives. When we read the beatitudes, for example, we hear Him telling us what He wants us to do. Those beautiful thoughts are often translated - "Blessed are the merciful, Blessed the peacemakers," and so forth. But an equally accurate translation would render it, "Happy the one who is merciful, Happy the one who is a peacemaker, happy they who mourn, who are pure in heart, who suffer injustice for my sake," and so forth. A sure way, then, to keep the happiness of salvation in our lives is to hear, and to obey the word of Christ.

Another way to keep ahold of this blessed happiness, is by clinging to the wisdom and the comfort of the Church. And in order to do this, according to the will of Christ, we need priests.

We need men who will dedicate their lives not just to the happy ideals of the ministry - but to the realities of the ministry - men who will rise early to offer Mass - who will stay up late to advise and to consult with parishioners - men who will not hesitate when the call comes from someone's death bed - men whose ability to listen will make the difference in the lives of those who seek to confess their sins, to mend their lives, and to be restored to the state of grace.

When we think about it, then, we see that priests are, for the most part, agents of happiness to the people of God. For the Church, and for the world, this is a great blessing - a great service, in an age when selfless careers are neither extolled or even much advertised. And we are relieved that Christ has thought of us, has instituted the priesthood, and has called these men to be our priests.

But for our brothers so chosen, this is a step forward, not into ease, but into a hard, exacting, exhausting way of life - a way of life that certainly has its rewards, but a way of life that is always at the service of someone else. Today, therefore, the most precious thing we can do for these men is to promise, as their friends and supporters, and as those who most need their ministry - to promise to pray for them from now on - to not forget their names and faces, as daily, we ask God to bring strength and to grant mercy to us all. Many things we can do for our priests, but prayer is the best of all.

My final words this morning are for the three 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 John Anderson, Craig David and William Williams on June 29, 1996 at the Cathedral of Christ the King.