Friday, March 26, 2010

This is the first day of the rest of my priestly life...





















Yesterday the priests of the Diocese of Cheyenne gathered with our new Bishop Paul Etienne for our day of reflection and Chrism mass. Bishop Etienne led the priests and deacons in two sessions followed by prayer. In each session he spoke of the call to deeper intimacy with God and to integrate at a deeper level the insights of St. Paul's letter to the Ephesians 1:1-5. This was a privileged time for the priests and our new bishop. I have always held this day as particularly close to my heart because priests renew their priestly promises and are encouraged as a group with their bishop to grow in fraternal love and support. I truly stood in awe and wonder as I sat and visited with my brother priests during the day. After nearly 16 years as a priest I find myself in the "middle aged" group of priests. Many of my heroes are nearing retirement. Joyfully there is a good sized group of younger priests. What is impressive and humbling is that we are all very different and none of us is worthy of the tremendous gift and responsibility entrusted to us. What is truly awe inspiring is that Jesus knows this and in love called us to this ministry anyway! The Chrism mass is usually celebrated on Holy Thursday to illustrate the integral relationship between the institution of the Eucharist and the birth of the Priesthood in the Church. We celebrate it the Thursday prior to Holy Week because of the great distances priests have to travel in our diocese.
I've been pondering the promises that I renewed yesterday, "Bishop: My brothers today we celebrate the memory of the first Eucharist, at which our Lord Jesus Christ shared with his apostles and with us his call to the priestly service of his Church. Now in the presence of your bishop and God's holy people are you ready to renew your own dedication to Christ as priests of his new covenant? Priests: I am. Bishop: At your ordination you accepted the responsibilities of the priesthood out of love for the Lord Jesus and his Church. Are you resolved to unite yourself more closely to Christ and to try to become more like him by joyfully sacrificing your own pleasure and ambition to bring his peace and love to your brothers and sisters? Priests: I am. Bishop: Are you resolved to be faithful ministers of the mysteries of God, to celebrate the Eucharist and the other liturgical services with sincere devotion? Are you resolved to imitate Jesus Christ, the head and shepherd of the Church, by teaching the Christian faith without thinking of your own profit, solely for the well-being of the people you were sent to serve? Priests: I am. All the bold and italics are mine. What powerful promises made out of an increasingly total love in my heart and in the heart of every priest and our bishop! To give my life away in service to the one I love is truly an honor, a gift, and at times a profound challenge. It has been almost 16 years since I first made those promises. They are still as evocative now as they were then. I try to be aware of them every day as I go about my living of the awesome gift of the priesthood! This was brought home to me after the 150 mile drive back to Laramie. I had just sat down to dinner when my phone rang and I was asked to spend time with a man and his family as he was dying. I celebrated with them the Sacrament of the Sick and the Commendation of the Dying. It was an immediate reminder to me of the power and hope that I get to represent as an ordained priest! Not because of anything that I am or have done, but all for the glory of God and the holiness of each member of the Church and everyone on Earth!