BISHOP PETER ODETOYINBO'S HOMILY OF CHRISM MASS 2019 AT SS PETER AND PAUL CATHEDRAL, ITESI, ABEOKUTA, 18TH APRIL, 2019
John 15:16: You did not choose me, I chose you; and I commissioned you to go bear fruit, fruit that will last”. This can only be achieved if received, accepted and done in gratitude and thanksgiving by Priests. Therefore Priests be grateful
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The Priestly life lived like that of Christ must be lived in humility, simplicity, obedience, poverty, charity, total dedication to ministry, self sacrifice, pastoral care of the people of God and accountability all in gratitude and thanksgiving to God. The Priesthood is a gift, hence all ordained ministers are considered precious and they in turn consider themselves unworthy in the sight of God and men, for no one takes this honour upon himself. “To shame what is strong, God has chosen what the world counts weakness. He has chosen things low and contemptible, mere nothing, to overthrow the existing order. And so there is no place for human pride in the presence of God. You are in Christ Jesus – indeed his priests – by God’s act, for God has made Jesus our wisdom – and High Priest – he is our righteousness, in him we are consecrated – as Priests and set free” (1 Cor 1:27-19). Truly beloved Priests God is too good to you. Hence you must thank him and be grateful. The Holy Thursday Chrism mass and that of the Lord’s supper confirm this personal choice of Priests by God and he makes them worthy to share in the priesthood, so that they may lead, guide and sanctify the people of God as shepherds after his own heart in worthy celebration of the Sacraments and in the things that pertain to God. Priests therefore need to be grateful for this and be committed to protect, preserve and cherish this precious gift and defend it always. The essence of our gathering in this Cathedral Church today as Priests and faithful of God is to thank God for all He has done, for the gift of the Priesthood in the Church, for those chosen and ordained as Priests, for the grace of the Sacraments of salvation placed in the hands of priests. We are here to give God his due which is thanksgiving and adoration especially by the Priests. May God accept our gratitude and thanksgiving offering at this Mass, the sacrifice of His only Son Jesus Christ, whose body and Blood we offer and share.
The Priesthood, who understands it? To understand it is to be fully united and engrossed in the mystery of the Incarnation of Jesus the only son of God. He is the Eternal High Priest, who has offered once and for all the sacrifice that has taken away the sins of the world. Hence, he is the savior, the Lord, the King and Redeemer of the world. The Catholic Priesthood is therefore rooted in this mystery of the pure victim, the spotless victim, the holy victim, in the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus, all that pertains to Christ’s universal sacrifice and the salvation preached in his name. The choice of the Priest and the prophet has always being in God, from God and with God, and by God through the Church hence all who are called and consecrated find fulfillment in the ministry only in their union with God. This is the call of Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI in his recent letter in response to clerical abuse in the church.
Therefore, having come to this realization, I admonish you Priests in these words of St. Peter, be the shepherds of the flock of God that is entrusted to you, watch over it, not simply as a duty, but gladly, because God wants it, not for sordid money, but because you are eager to do it. Never be a dictator over any group that you are put in charge, but be an example that the whole flock can follow (I Peter 5:1-4). Words full of meanings, demands, calling for responsibility, joyful living, faithfulness, obedience and life of gratitude and thanksgiving for priests. Taking an in depth look into the life and ministry of Priests, one must add to the list in the reflection thanksgiving. God does wonders in your lives as priests and these are real from personal experiences and even from the faithful you minister to. The testimonies they give serve for me one of the reasons to go ahead that there is a God that listen to them. Priests may or may not have testimonies to give but why not in their own personal lives, of course they should be grateful. Therefore as priests, learn always to thank God, to be grateful and not just demand for rights and sit and wait always for it. Priests, thank the Church for supporting you through the people of God. It is the Church that gives you identity, provides for your needs and in turn with grateful hearts commit yourselves to the ministry especially as you renew your vows today. Are we to talk of your hands that impart blessings on the people all the time, your lips that proclaim the good news to them, cleansed and washed clean by the Eucharist, your time and dedication that challenge the world of materialism and consumerism, your vows, obedience, chastity and poverty, that make the world wonder when lived well the type of people you are, the respect and honour accorded you to the point of substituting some priests for Jesus himself, the consoling and compassionate love of Jesus for you as priests, in spite of your daily falls and weaknesses, your presumptions, assumptions, neglect, unaccountable lives and ministry, what is really the total package to satisfy the life of the priests, if not God alone that fills all priests with blessings and graces. Decide today to change your attitudes from request and demand to that of thanksgiving and appreciation of God and the church in all that you do, say and for you all to live for rather than on complains, dissatisfaction, regret, frustration for lack of unnecessary material needs and the struggle for recognition and positions.
The social status given to priests in the society and a host of others are all part of the graces and dignity of priesthood. Brothers are these not part of what you should be grateful for? The best things of life are usually reserved for you – places of honour at banquets, being greeted obsequiously in the streets and market places, respect even from your parents and elder brothers and sisters, gifts given to you because you are a priest of God, I admonish you recollect and reflect and thank God for choosing and blessing you, indeed and truly no one takes this honour on himself.
However, let us also face it. Priests could be so ungrateful at times or worse still all the time, hence the quest for power, position, money, wealth, with greed and desperation etc. if priests do really have sober reflections, I know they would be more appreciative and thank God for all good gifts around them are sent from heaven above then thank the Lord O thank the Lord for all his love, gifts and blessings. Let us learn to complain less and do the work God asks us to do. I know that he has taken care of all your needs through the Church, the faithful and friends but all you need is to be patient, reflect, be better committed with sincerity of purpose and honesty with him and one another. Indeed strong Lions suffer want and go hungry but those who seek the Lord lack no blessing. Priests not only seek but serve the Lord and are even called and chosen by Him. Henceforth less worries and stop going after things too great or marvels beyond you to forestall falling into different kinds and shapes of temptation, abuses and ambition.
Each of you should ask himself why he is ungrateful. When have you ever been grateful, what would make you to be grateful for the gifts and blessings of the Priesthood which are not granted to many people that are not called to the priestly life and ministry? The answers to these and many others are necessary so that you van go back fulfilled and renewed to work for God and be happy with Jesus in thanksgiving and love. I exhort you return to your communities with grateful heats for your calling, for the church, the people you serve, for one another, for your families, your friends and relatives who look up to you and all his priests. Do celebrate the mysteries, the Mass, other sacraments with gratitude and thanksgiving to God even for the little that comes out of all the pastoral cares like stipends and stole fees, let God’s blessings be sufficient for you at all times. Hymn O yes in the presence of the Lord, I will bring my gifts in thanksgiving and love, there is joy in my heart it is flowing like a river, I will praise the Lord in thanksgiving and love. We invite our Blessed Mother of priests to pray for you all.
The second reading office of Sunday wk 6 ordinary time from the commentary of St. Ephraim on the Diatessaron says “be grateful for what you have received and do not grumble about the abundance left behind”. What you have received and what you have reached is your share, what remains is your heritage. What, at one time you are not able to receive because of your weakness, you will be, you will be able to receive at other time if you persevere. Do not have the presumption to try and take in one draught what cannot be taken in one draught and do not abandon out of laziness what you may only consume little by little. I also seize this celebration to call your attention to the current issues on abuses in the Church. Pope Benedict XVI’s letter and response to abuses especially clerical sexual abuses in the Church states that, abuses are caused by those who question the faith of the Church, Priests and Laity, the call for sexual freedom, the lowering of moral standards, wrong approach to Catholic Moral Theology and hence no more absolute but relative good is applied to all things even priestly life and ministry, family values etc. To the Pontiff Emeritus it seems the power of evil has been allowed because we have failed to love God a life without God and priestly and family life without God is all without meaning, thus a meaningless life in the priesthood, religious life and family life. He advocated, exhorts and catechizes that to overcome all these, is to once again to place God at the center of our thoughts, words and actions and for priests at the centre of your life and ministry, your desires, ambition and aspirations; he advocates for the need to be renewed and mastered by faith rather than be masters of faith which has been the temptation and practice in the life of priests. He states that a return to the focus of Vatican II, on returning to the real presence of Christ as the centre of Christian and priestly life rather than the attitudes that destroys the greatness of the Mystery. This has resulted in the declining participation in the Mass, the devaluation of the Eucharist to a ceremonial gesture and the gesture of Holy Communion simply as a matter of course. Often times, your solitary life and busy pastoral commitments, troubles, worries, anxieties etc distract from appreciating God and even tempt you to abandon and go inside yourselves. However St. Columbanus in the second reading of the office of the reading of Wednesday of the 21st week of ordinary time talks about the drinking and thirsting always for the fountain. This to him sustains and solidifies one in life. He reflects our God Jesus Christ is the fountain of life, and so he calls us to himself the fountain, that we may drink from him. He who loves to drink of him, he drink who is satisfied by the word of God, who sufficiently adores, who longs sufficiently, he drinks who burns with love of wisdom. Columbanus continues, the Lord is lovely and pleasant; though we eat and drink of him, yet let us ever hunger and thirst, since our food and drink can never be consumed and drained entire, for though he is eaten he is not consumed, though he is drunk he is not lessened, since our bread is eternal and our fountain is perennial, our fountain is sweet. Hence we sing, come to the spring of living water flowing from the heart of God. Do not give room to too much dryness and overwork because there will be no room for gratitude and thanksgiving but often to abuses of all kinds especially sexual abuse of children and vulnerable women. We pray this will not happen in this Diocese and in Nigeria. Priests be wary of this and join the Church to protect minors and the vulnerable and denounce any form of abuses of minors in families and the society. Today the church equally denounces all forms of abuse of minors in families by parents and adults and charges all her children to follow suit in denouncing same wherever they are found or occur. Beloved priests I exhort you go to drink with joy and gladness, in thanksgiving and love in the Blessed Sacrament. Jesus awaits to restore your strength and accept your gratitude. You are not a master of faith Benedict XVI affirms but allow yourselves to be mastered by faith for ‘you did not choose me but I choose you…..’
Finally one thought only have we as we journey on, this your soul’s salvation, that and that alone, lets seeking heaven alone doing our duties with gratitude and thanksgiving surely there will be joy in your hearts, apostolate and among the people of god. Wish to remind you of heaven and seeking heaven alone bringing true happiness, since you have found the way to heaven may you get there and make sure you show the way to others, hence the calling to the priesthood.
OUR FATHER…… HAIL MARY …. GLORY BE….
Ad multos Annos
John 15:16: You did not choose me, I chose you; and I commissioned you to go bear fruit, fruit that will last”. This can only be achieved if received, accepted and done in gratitude and thanksgiving by Priests. Therefore Priests be grateful
The Priestly life lived like that of Christ must be lived in humility, simplicity, obedience, poverty, charity, total dedication to ministry, self sacrifice, pastoral care of the people of God and accountability all in gratitude and thanksgiving to God. The Priesthood is a gift, hence all ordained ministers are considered precious and they in turn consider themselves unworthy in the sight of God and men, for no one takes this honour upon himself. “To shame what is strong, God has chosen what the world counts weakness. He has chosen things low and contemptible, mere nothing, to overthrow the existing order. And so there is no place for human pride in the presence of God. You are in Christ Jesus – indeed his priests – by God’s act, for God has made Jesus our wisdom – and High Priest – he is our righteousness, in him we are consecrated – as Priests and set free” (1 Cor 1:27-19). Truly beloved Priests God is too good to you. Hence you must thank him and be grateful. The Holy Thursday Chrism mass and that of the Lord’s supper confirm this personal choice of Priests by God and he makes them worthy to share in the priesthood, so that they may lead, guide and sanctify the people of God as shepherds after his own heart in worthy celebration of the Sacraments and in the things that pertain to God. Priests therefore need to be grateful for this and be committed to protect, preserve and cherish this precious gift and defend it always. The essence of our gathering in this Cathedral Church today as Priests and faithful of God is to thank God for all He has done, for the gift of the Priesthood in the Church, for those chosen and ordained as Priests, for the grace of the Sacraments of salvation placed in the hands of priests. We are here to give God his due which is thanksgiving and adoration especially by the Priests. May God accept our gratitude and thanksgiving offering at this Mass, the sacrifice of His only Son Jesus Christ, whose body and Blood we offer and share.
The Priesthood, who understands it? To understand it is to be fully united and engrossed in the mystery of the Incarnation of Jesus the only son of God. He is the Eternal High Priest, who has offered once and for all the sacrifice that has taken away the sins of the world. Hence, he is the savior, the Lord, the King and Redeemer of the world. The Catholic Priesthood is therefore rooted in this mystery of the pure victim, the spotless victim, the holy victim, in the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus, all that pertains to Christ’s universal sacrifice and the salvation preached in his name. The choice of the Priest and the prophet has always being in God, from God and with God, and by God through the Church hence all who are called and consecrated find fulfillment in the ministry only in their union with God. This is the call of Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI in his recent letter in response to clerical abuse in the church.
Therefore, having come to this realization, I admonish you Priests in these words of St. Peter, be the shepherds of the flock of God that is entrusted to you, watch over it, not simply as a duty, but gladly, because God wants it, not for sordid money, but because you are eager to do it. Never be a dictator over any group that you are put in charge, but be an example that the whole flock can follow (I Peter 5:1-4). Words full of meanings, demands, calling for responsibility, joyful living, faithfulness, obedience and life of gratitude and thanksgiving for priests. Taking an in depth look into the life and ministry of Priests, one must add to the list in the reflection thanksgiving. God does wonders in your lives as priests and these are real from personal experiences and even from the faithful you minister to. The testimonies they give serve for me one of the reasons to go ahead that there is a God that listen to them. Priests may or may not have testimonies to give but why not in their own personal lives, of course they should be grateful. Therefore as priests, learn always to thank God, to be grateful and not just demand for rights and sit and wait always for it. Priests, thank the Church for supporting you through the people of God. It is the Church that gives you identity, provides for your needs and in turn with grateful hearts commit yourselves to the ministry especially as you renew your vows today. Are we to talk of your hands that impart blessings on the people all the time, your lips that proclaim the good news to them, cleansed and washed clean by the Eucharist, your time and dedication that challenge the world of materialism and consumerism, your vows, obedience, chastity and poverty, that make the world wonder when lived well the type of people you are, the respect and honour accorded you to the point of substituting some priests for Jesus himself, the consoling and compassionate love of Jesus for you as priests, in spite of your daily falls and weaknesses, your presumptions, assumptions, neglect, unaccountable lives and ministry, what is really the total package to satisfy the life of the priests, if not God alone that fills all priests with blessings and graces. Decide today to change your attitudes from request and demand to that of thanksgiving and appreciation of God and the church in all that you do, say and for you all to live for rather than on complains, dissatisfaction, regret, frustration for lack of unnecessary material needs and the struggle for recognition and positions.
The social status given to priests in the society and a host of others are all part of the graces and dignity of priesthood. Brothers are these not part of what you should be grateful for? The best things of life are usually reserved for you – places of honour at banquets, being greeted obsequiously in the streets and market places, respect even from your parents and elder brothers and sisters, gifts given to you because you are a priest of God, I admonish you recollect and reflect and thank God for choosing and blessing you, indeed and truly no one takes this honour on himself.
However, let us also face it. Priests could be so ungrateful at times or worse still all the time, hence the quest for power, position, money, wealth, with greed and desperation etc. if priests do really have sober reflections, I know they would be more appreciative and thank God for all good gifts around them are sent from heaven above then thank the Lord O thank the Lord for all his love, gifts and blessings. Let us learn to complain less and do the work God asks us to do. I know that he has taken care of all your needs through the Church, the faithful and friends but all you need is to be patient, reflect, be better committed with sincerity of purpose and honesty with him and one another. Indeed strong Lions suffer want and go hungry but those who seek the Lord lack no blessing. Priests not only seek but serve the Lord and are even called and chosen by Him. Henceforth less worries and stop going after things too great or marvels beyond you to forestall falling into different kinds and shapes of temptation, abuses and ambition.
Each of you should ask himself why he is ungrateful. When have you ever been grateful, what would make you to be grateful for the gifts and blessings of the Priesthood which are not granted to many people that are not called to the priestly life and ministry? The answers to these and many others are necessary so that you van go back fulfilled and renewed to work for God and be happy with Jesus in thanksgiving and love. I exhort you return to your communities with grateful heats for your calling, for the church, the people you serve, for one another, for your families, your friends and relatives who look up to you and all his priests. Do celebrate the mysteries, the Mass, other sacraments with gratitude and thanksgiving to God even for the little that comes out of all the pastoral cares like stipends and stole fees, let God’s blessings be sufficient for you at all times. Hymn O yes in the presence of the Lord, I will bring my gifts in thanksgiving and love, there is joy in my heart it is flowing like a river, I will praise the Lord in thanksgiving and love. We invite our Blessed Mother of priests to pray for you all.
The second reading office of Sunday wk 6 ordinary time from the commentary of St. Ephraim on the Diatessaron says “be grateful for what you have received and do not grumble about the abundance left behind”. What you have received and what you have reached is your share, what remains is your heritage. What, at one time you are not able to receive because of your weakness, you will be, you will be able to receive at other time if you persevere. Do not have the presumption to try and take in one draught what cannot be taken in one draught and do not abandon out of laziness what you may only consume little by little. I also seize this celebration to call your attention to the current issues on abuses in the Church. Pope Benedict XVI’s letter and response to abuses especially clerical sexual abuses in the Church states that, abuses are caused by those who question the faith of the Church, Priests and Laity, the call for sexual freedom, the lowering of moral standards, wrong approach to Catholic Moral Theology and hence no more absolute but relative good is applied to all things even priestly life and ministry, family values etc. To the Pontiff Emeritus it seems the power of evil has been allowed because we have failed to love God a life without God and priestly and family life without God is all without meaning, thus a meaningless life in the priesthood, religious life and family life. He advocated, exhorts and catechizes that to overcome all these, is to once again to place God at the center of our thoughts, words and actions and for priests at the centre of your life and ministry, your desires, ambition and aspirations; he advocates for the need to be renewed and mastered by faith rather than be masters of faith which has been the temptation and practice in the life of priests. He states that a return to the focus of Vatican II, on returning to the real presence of Christ as the centre of Christian and priestly life rather than the attitudes that destroys the greatness of the Mystery. This has resulted in the declining participation in the Mass, the devaluation of the Eucharist to a ceremonial gesture and the gesture of Holy Communion simply as a matter of course. Often times, your solitary life and busy pastoral commitments, troubles, worries, anxieties etc distract from appreciating God and even tempt you to abandon and go inside yourselves. However St. Columbanus in the second reading of the office of the reading of Wednesday of the 21st week of ordinary time talks about the drinking and thirsting always for the fountain. This to him sustains and solidifies one in life. He reflects our God Jesus Christ is the fountain of life, and so he calls us to himself the fountain, that we may drink from him. He who loves to drink of him, he drink who is satisfied by the word of God, who sufficiently adores, who longs sufficiently, he drinks who burns with love of wisdom. Columbanus continues, the Lord is lovely and pleasant; though we eat and drink of him, yet let us ever hunger and thirst, since our food and drink can never be consumed and drained entire, for though he is eaten he is not consumed, though he is drunk he is not lessened, since our bread is eternal and our fountain is perennial, our fountain is sweet. Hence we sing, come to the spring of living water flowing from the heart of God. Do not give room to too much dryness and overwork because there will be no room for gratitude and thanksgiving but often to abuses of all kinds especially sexual abuse of children and vulnerable women. We pray this will not happen in this Diocese and in Nigeria. Priests be wary of this and join the Church to protect minors and the vulnerable and denounce any form of abuses of minors in families and the society. Today the church equally denounces all forms of abuse of minors in families by parents and adults and charges all her children to follow suit in denouncing same wherever they are found or occur. Beloved priests I exhort you go to drink with joy and gladness, in thanksgiving and love in the Blessed Sacrament. Jesus awaits to restore your strength and accept your gratitude. You are not a master of faith Benedict XVI affirms but allow yourselves to be mastered by faith for ‘you did not choose me but I choose you…..’
Finally one thought only have we as we journey on, this your soul’s salvation, that and that alone, lets seeking heaven alone doing our duties with gratitude and thanksgiving surely there will be joy in your hearts, apostolate and among the people of god. Wish to remind you of heaven and seeking heaven alone bringing true happiness, since you have found the way to heaven may you get there and make sure you show the way to others, hence the calling to the priesthood.
OUR FATHER…… HAIL MARY …. GLORY BE….
Ad multos Annos
This is a work of our contemporary church father with a touch of modern homiletic style
ReplyDeleteThis is not only for Priest, bit also for the entire Family of God, But emphasis was laid on the Priest, because the Holy Thursday, Chrism Mass is there Call to Service, The Anniversary of the Priesthood, in short, the Birthday so to say of Calling to Service in Priesthood..May God Bless our Hearts as we Savour this Juicy and long Homily from, the Bishops Desk, and Shearing the Letter of the Pope with us.. Thanks Fr. Ogundipe for Shearing this..Be a Saint.. Anthony R. B. Lawal..
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