Tending God’s flock

Editor’s note: The following is Bishop Lucia’s homily from the May 30 Ordination to the Priesthood for Father Cornelius Deep at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Syracuse.

 

“Keep watch over yourselves and over the whole flock of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers, in which you tend the Church of God.”               (Acts 20:28)

Dear Sisters and Brothers in the Lord:

Today, Cornelius Peter Deep, is to be ordained to the Priesthood in the Order of the Presbyterate and offer his life as an outward and consecratory sign – in service of Christ and His Church – in order to preach the Gospel, shepherd God’s people, and celebrate divine worship, especially in the Lord’s Sacrifice – the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.  He is being appointed an “overseer” using the word found in our second reading from the Acts of the Apostles.  What is an overseer?

Well, as some know, one of my favorite books is a dictionary! So, in looking up the word of the day, “overseer,” I did have to chuckle when I came across a definition that says, “a person whose job is to make sure that other workers do their work.” Another definition I found was, “a person with supervisory responsibilities.” A third one read,“a person who watches and directs the work of other people in order to be sure that a job is done correctly.”

Now, I don’t think that any of these definitions get to the true meaning of our Scripture reference.

So where can we turn? I would suggest that the qualifier in the sentence is the word, “tend.” In fact, a definition given for this word states: “to apply oneself to the care of : watch over.” This corresponds to what the 1994 Directory for the Life and Ministry of Priests expresses: “Thus, the ministerial priesthood renders tangible the actual work of Christ, the Head, and gives witness to the fact that Christ has not separated Himself from his Church; rather He continues to vivify her through his everlasting priesthood. For this reason, the Church considers the ministerial priesthood a gift given to Her through the ministry of some of her faithful.”

Another dimension of “watching over self and over the whole flock” is found in the simple phrase of “touching the holy.” Again, in the same directory just mentioned, one reads: “If it is true that each Christian, by means of Baptism, is in communion with God, One and Triune, it is equally true that by the power of the consecration received with the Sacrament of Holy Orders, the priest is placed in a particular and specific relationship with the Father, with the Son, and with the Holy Spirit. In fact, ‘Our identity has its ultimate source in the charity of the Father. He sent the Son, High Priest and Good Shepherd, and we are united sacramentally with the ministerial priesthood through the action of the Holy Spirit. The life and the ministry of the priest are a continuation of the life and the action of the same Christ. This is our identity, our true dignity, the fountain of our joy, the certainty of our life.’”

This understanding of the ministerial priesthood is further summed up by Pope Benedict XVI with the phrase, “Bridges to God.” In explaining it, His Holiness says, “No man on his own, relying on his own power, can put another in touch with God. An essential part of the priest’s grace is the gift, the task of creating this contact…It is Christ himself who makes us holy…who draws us into God’s sphere. However, as an act of his infinite mercy, he calls some ‘to be’ with him and to become, through the Sacrament of Orders, despite their human poverty, sharers in his own priesthood, ministers of this sanctification, stewards of his mysteries, “bridges” to the encounter with him and of his mediation between God and humanity and between humanity and God.”

     Cornelius, this is where you come in, in an actual way, along with those whom you will call your brother priests.  It is the heart of the priestly vocation to be “in persona Christi capitis” – “in the person of Christ the head.”  To quote the Prophet Jeremiah, “Say not, I am too young” (Jer. 1:7), but heeding the Gospel call, remember who chose you and has called you to be a living and active sign of His love in the world! This is the missionary identity of priests in the Church! As Pope Leo stated, in his ordination homily for the Diocese of Rome on the Fourth Sunday of Easter: “Today more than ever, especially when statistics seem to indicate a divide between people and the Church, keep the door open! Let people in, and be prepared to go out…Be a reflection of [the Lord’s] patience and tenderness. You belong to everyone and are for everyone! Let this be the fundamental purpose of your mission: to keep the threshold open and direct others to it, without using too many words.”

     Cornelius, remember then when you gather men and women into the People of God through Baptism and, in the name of Christ and the Church, forgive sins in the Sacrament of Penance; when you celebrate the sacred mysteries and unite yourself and the assembly to the sacrifice of Christ; when you comfort the sick with holy oil and celebrate sacred rites, when you offer praise and thanksgiving through the hours of the day and pray not only for the People of God but for the whole world: always remember that you have been taken among the people and appointed on their behalf in those things that pertain to God. Fulfill, therefore, the ministry of Christ the Priest with abiding joy and genuine love. Seeking not your own concerns but those of Jesus Christ.

     Cornelius, let the holiness of your life be a pleasing fragrance for Christ’s faithful and living gospel for all people to hear. Strive to gather the faithful into one flock, so that you may lead them to God the Father, through Christ, and in the Holy Spirit. Keep always before your eyes the example of the one who chose you and who as the Good Shepherd did not come to be served but to serve and who came to seek and save what is lost.

     Finally, my son and brother, my prayer for you this day and throughout your priesthood is one attributed to the Jesuit Father General, Pedro Arrupe:

Nothing is more practical than finding God,

that is, than falling in love in a quite absolute final way.

What you are in love with,

what seizes your imagination,

will affect everything.

It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning,

what you do with your evenings,

how you spend your weekend,

what you read, who you know,

what breaks your heart,

and what amazes you with joy and gratitude.

Fall in love,

stay in love,

and it will decide everything.   

Amen.