From Archbishop Donoghue

Ordination of Priests
June, 1998
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[See Georgia Bulletin accounts one, two]

My dear friends,

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

And I speak of the mercy and generosity of the Father as especially meaningful on this occasion for this reason. In our busy day-to-day lives, in shouldering all the cares and responsibilities that we have, it is easy enough to fall into a way of thinking that says, "Well, if I take care of my responsibilities, if I remain sober and optimistic, if I plan far enough ahead, then everything will work out OK for me and mine, 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 and to the peace of our minds. For it is on such occasions that we are reminded of our true place in the scheme of things - we are reminded of our smallness in the immensity of creation - and most important of all, we are reminded of the inescapable truth - that without the mercy and the goodness of God, life is meaningless and empty, no matter how well-ordered we have labored to make it be.

But God loves us - every action, every word of Christ's life makes this first truth absolutely clear. Every hardship Christ endured, from His birth to His painful death, proves the Father's desire, to love, and to save, the most favored of all His creations, mankind.

This infinite love of God the Father, brought to us most closely by the human life of His Son our Lord, is made ongoing, and present 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 made miracles and blessings for us without number, and each one pointing to the mercy of God - the Father, who knows our sorrow and our weakness, who desires to lift from us the veil of sorrow, and the burden of weakness. This is the meaning of salvation, the receiving of God's love and His goodness into our lives, so that we may be strong, and love Him in return.

The plan of God for our salvation was revealed 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 very well, and ponder often, the events of that Last Meal, and though we may spend a life time contemplating what our Lord did and said at the Last Supper, we can never understand it completely - the mystery is too bright, and even though we feel its Light and are illumined by its Light, we cannot really get into the Light - we must wait, for the rays of this Light to come down and penetrate our minds and hearts.

Nevertheless, the mystery of this night, and of this Last Supper, does reveal to us many 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 miraculous Banquet, where bread and wine become Body and Blood, gives new and clear laws by which we must live - 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, my friends. This is the plan. This is the Way to salvation. Now take it, teach it, and make it happen for all."

Since that night, this plan, the plan for salvation, has been working 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 men, are, in the Spirit of Christ, solemnly presenting their lives 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 these men, 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, so the Body and Blood of God, without ceasing, may flow out of heaven, into our open and thirsting souls.

Finally, dear friends, this plan, the plan for our 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.

So, with St. Peter, our first Holy Father, we can pray:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy gave us a new birth, (a birth) to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead - to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading - . . . to a salvation that will be revealed in the final time.

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

My beloved sons - for such does the Holy Spirit make you to me - I offer you these simple instructions, from the ancient wisdom of our Holy Mother the 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. You must share with all mankind the word of God you have received with joy. You must meditate on the law of God, believe what you read, teach what you believe, and put into practice what you teach; you must never - never - forsake the guidance, the wisdom, and the protection of our Holy Church.

As it now becomes your sacred duty, celebrate the Sacraments with the mind of Christ - baptize with faith, forgive and absolve 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 - the ways of poverty, of chastity, of obedience - and when death comes, be by their side to steady and ease 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, remembering the words of St. Paul:

I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Now, dear sons and brothers, 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, according to the Father's will, 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 Jaime Barona, Raphael Castaño, Victor Galier and Richard Tibbetts on June 6, 1998 at the Cathedral of Christ the King.

It was delivered again at the ordination of Fathers Liam Coyne, Kevin Peek, and Pedro Poloche-Rodriguez on June 13, 1998 at Holy Spirit Church in Atlanta.