The following is the homily of Archbishop José H. Gomez at the Chrism Mass held at San Fernando Cathedral on March 22.
The entrance antiphon of today’s Mass reminds us of one of the reasons for this eucharistic celebration: “Jesus Christ has made us a kingdom of priests to serve his God and Father: glory and kingship be his for ever and ever.”
This Mass which the bishop concelebrates with his presbyterium and at which the oils are blessed, manifests the communion of the priests with their bishop.
Every year we come to concelebrate as one presbyterate. This is my first at this Mass and it is a special moment of joy for me. We had a thoughtful reflection on the priesthood this afternoon, so I just want to make a brief reflection on today’s readings.
Today we are reminded that our priesthood is the priesthood of Jesus Christ.
The first reading tells us who we are, as ordained priests, we are instruments of the Lord: prophets, healers, liberators, comforters, crowners of the elect, encouragers. These are actions that imply lives lived for someone else, not for ourselves.
The priesthood is not a life for the weak, or the comfortable, or the selfish. It is not a life for a man who just wants to do something good for the world; the price is too high in humility and personal failure.
But the priesthood is not either a call to be superhuman or absolutely perfect. The priesthood is a call to follow Christ in a total self-giving, to the point that, if we succeed in our work, it is Christ who succeeds, not us.
None of our priestly deeds is a “profession” or a “job.” They are marks of a deeper identity — 24 hours a day, just as spouses are married 24 hours a day. The priesthood, like a good marriage or a deep friendship, is all or nothing.
It is not what we “do;” it is who we are. It is an “unreasonable” life because heroism is unreasonable; joy is unreasonable; generosity is unreasonable. On the other hand, the world is “reasonable.” We are in the world but not of the world. Most importantly, love is not reasonable.
The language of Isaiah challenges each of us. “You yourselves shall be named priests of the Lord, ministers of our God shall you be called.” So, we should ask ourselves today, “What are the liberty and release we preach? The glad tidings and the healing?” We know that what the world means by these ideas and what we mean are two different things.
Then, at the same time, let’s ask ourselves, “Do we have the passionate faith that Isaiah had? Do we really believe in what we cannot see or taste, as Isaiah did?” Precisely because we talk about God all day long, we, priests, always run the risk of getting accustomed to the divine, the risk of externalizing religion and not cultivating our own interior faith. What we don’t have ourselves, in faith and hope and love, we can’t give to our people.
I really think that we need to begin the challenging work Isaiah describes in today’s first reading by being better brothers to each other — sources of hope and support of each other’s faith.
The second reading tells us who we serve. The answer is simple: We serve Jesus Christ and his people. But let’s not forget that Jesus is not just another holy man, or a great teacher, or one powerful way to find God among several paths. He is the king of history, the alpha and the omega, the meaning and center of creation. He is the only way to God, the only way to salvation, whether people know him by name or not.
Let’s don’t forget either that he came to redeem all of humanity. He is inclusionary of all who are sinners; but he is exclusionary of any other answer, any other way to his Father. He is radical in his love, and equally radical in his demands.
I think that the central crisis of our age is unbelief camouflaged as good will, naïve, superficial sincerity and personal skepticism about God, about the church and Scripture — not just among our people, but among our priests. If we cannot give our mind and heart in passionate faith in the literal truth of this reading, we are no better than hirelings and false shepherds. This passage is not just apocalyptic poetry with an interesting historical context. It is the Word of God, the reliable truth of what is and is to come — and if we do not believe that, we are deceivers.
The third reading, the Gospel reading, tells us what we (as priests) must do. The marks of Jesus in this passage are serenity, confidence in his mission; trust in his Father; and courage in the face of those who will be shocked and angered by his claim. We must live with the same spirit; we must become what we are: “in persona Christi,” the hands and hearts of Jesus in the world, so that people see and have his presence, through our lives and our ministry. We must not be afraid of the world, nor impressed by it. We were ordained to change and convert it — totally.
I have to say that the people of the Archdiocese of San Antonio love their priests. In my visits to the deaneries these past weeks, I have been a witness of the love of the people for their bishops and priests. I know that the people understand that you, each one of you, is a blessing for them and for the world. I want to thank you for your love of God and your dedication to the people of the Archdiocese of San Antonio. De todo corazón, y en nombre de todos, ¡muchas gracias! Thank you.
There is one sacred action that feeds and fulfills our priesthood: the Eucharist. In the words of the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, in his letter to priests of this year: “If the whole church draws life from the Eucharist, all the more then must the life of a priest be ‘shaped’ by the Eucharist. So for us, the words of institution must be more than a formula of consecration: they must be a ‘formula of life.’”
Jesus was God’s “Word made flesh.” We must strive to conform our lives to Jesus Christ, so that our lives will help God’s Word become flesh in all those we influence.
If there is a moment in which we can do it, it is the celebration of the Eucharist. “We priests are the celebrants, but also the guardians of this most sacred mystery. It is our relationship to the Eucharist that most clearly challenges us to lead a ‘sacred’ life. This must shine forth from our whole way of being, but above all from the way we celebrate.” (Pope John Paul II, Letter to Priests, 2005, 6)
Let us ask Mary, mother of priests, to be with us as we start this new time in our priestly life. She has been present at every single moment of the evangelization and in our own personal lives. She will also be present as we renew our commitment to priestly service today and always. Amen.