Vatican City, 26 April 2015 (VIS) –
On the 52nd World Day of Prayer for Vocations, Pope Francis conferred
priestly ordination to nineteen deacons: thirteen from the Roman
diocesan seminaries (Pontifical Roman Major Seminary, “Redemptoris
Mater” Diocesan College, Seminary of Our Lady of Divine Love) and
six from other colleges. The Mass was concelebrated by the Holy
Father and Cardinal Agostino Vallini, vicar general for the diocese
of Rome, Archbishop Filippo Iannone, vicegerent, the auxiliary
bishops, the superiors of the seminaries involved, and the deacons'
parish priests.
During the liturgy of ordination, the
Pope pronounced the homily for this rite, improvising some
paragraphs. “These sons of ours are called to the order of the
presbytery. It is good for us to reflect a little on the ministry to
which they will be elevated within the Church. As you well know, the
Lord Jesus is the sole Supreme Priest of the New Testament, but in
Him also all the holy people of God is constituted as a priestly
people. All of us! Nonetheless, among all His disciples, Jesus wishes
to choose some in particular to publicly exercise priestly office on
behalf of all mankind, thus continuing His personal mission as
teacher, priest and pastor. … They have reflected on this, their
vocation, and now they are to receive the ordination to the
priesthood. And the bishop risks – risks! - and chooses them, just
as the Father risked for each one of us”.
“And to you, who are about to be
raised to the order of the presbytery, consider that by exercising
the ministry of the Holy Doctrine you will participate in the mission
of Christ, the sole master. Dispense to all that Word of God, that
you yourselves have received with joy. Read and meditate diligently
on the Word of the Lord so as to believe in what you have read, to
teach what you have learnt in faith, to live what you have taught.
And may this be the nourishment of the People of God; may your
homilies never be dull; may your homilies arrive straight to the
heart of the people as they come from your heart: what you say to
them is what you have in your heart. In this way one offers the Word
of the Lord, and in this way your doctrine will be joy and sustenance
to Christ's faithful; the aroma of your life will be witness, as
example edifies, whereas words without example are empty. They are
ideas that never reach the heart and may even do harm; they do not do
good”.
“When you celebrate Mass, acknowledge
then what you are doing. Do not be hasty! Imitate what you celebrate
– it is not an artificial rite. … With Baptism, you will add new
faithful to the People of God. You must never refuse Baptism to those
who ask for it. With the Sacrament of Penance you will forgive sins
in the name of Christ and of the Church. And I, in the name of the
Jesus Christ, the Lord, and His spouse, the Holy Church, I ask you
never to tire of being merciful. You will be in the confessional to
forgive, not to condemn! Imitate the Father, Who never tires of
forgiving. With the holy oils you will bring relief to the sick. By
celebrating the holy rites and raise at the different times of the
day the prayers of praise and supplication, you will become the voice
of the People of God and of the whole of humanity. Aware of having
been chosen among men and constituted for their benefit to attend to
matters of God, exercise Christ's priestly work with joy and sincere
charity, intent solely on pleasing God and not yourselves. A priest
who lives to please himself, who acts like a peacock, is unpleasant”.
“Finally, participating in Christ's
mission as Head and Pastor in filial communion with your bishop, make
efforts to unite the faithful in a single family – you are
ministers of unity in the Church and in the family – to lead them
to God the Father by means of Christ in the Holy Spirit”, he
concluded, adding. “and always keep before your eyes the example of
the Good Shepherd, Who did not come to be served, but to serve; not
to remain in comfort, but to reach out to seek and save what was
lost”.
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