HOMILY PREACHED AT THE 5TH PRIESTLY ANNIVERSARY OF REV FRS CHRISTIAN UZIFOR AND MATHIAS OLUTAN
BY REV FR LAWRENCE OGUNDIPE SDV
PRIESTLY PERFECTION AS AWARENESS
Dear brothers and sisters we have gathered this morning not for a funeral, not for a marriage we have gathered in thanksgiving to God for the gift of catholic priesthood in the lives of these holy men of God; Fr Christian and Fr Mathias. It a celebration of five years of Joy, of Pains, of success, of sorrows yes of priestly ordination, many souls have been baptized, and many have also been buried by their sacred hands. The beaut[piful hands of these priests have absolved many souls and saved them from damnation of hell oh thank you God thank you dear Fathers for accepting the call. A song came to mind while I was preparing this homily, thus count your blessings name them one by one…….
Are you aware brothers and sisters that the Catholic priesthood is a vocation? Being a vocation, it is a sublime gift of God. It is also a gift of God’s love to his sinful humanity. One can say that the Catholic priesthood is a vocation or a call to exercise among God and his people, the following functions; priestly, kingly and prophetic characters of Christ within the chosen priest.
Pope Innocent III, speaking of the priest and of his office, says that the priest is placed between God and man, beneath God, but above man. He cannot be called God but neither can be called God nor can be called a mere man. In other words, the priest is called by God and is a mediator between God and man. The Catholic priesthood can be seen as the priesthood of Jesus Christ since the priesthood emanated from Jesus Christ himself. He instituted the priesthood Himself as the eternal High priest whose priesthood tally with the order of Melchizedek – without the beginning or end (cf. Heb 5: 1 ff Christ the Lord, high priest taken from among men (cf. Heb. 5:1-3), made the new people “a kingdom of priests to God his father” (Apoc. 1:6, 5:9-10).
The sacerdotal dignity says St Alphonsus Liguory is the most noble of all the dignities in this world. Nothing says St Ambrose, “is more excellent in this world, It is transcendent says St Bernard, all the dignities of kings, of emperors and of Angels. According to St Ambrose the dignity of the priest far exceeds that of kings, as the value of Gold surpasses that of lead. The reason is because the power of the kings is temporal and to the bodies of men. But the power of the priest extends to spiritual goods and to the human souls. Hence says St Clement, as much as the soul is more noble than the body, so much is the priesthood more excellent than royalty. The priestly office my dear brothers surpasses that of the Angels who likewise show their veneration the priesthood says St Gregory Nazianzen. All the angels in Heaven cannot absolve from a single sin.
The chief role of priests is to offer sacrifice. In the Eucharistic sacrifice, you act in the person of Christ and thus joined the offerings of the faithful to the sacrifice of Christ their head... and in the sacrifice of the mass you make present again and apply... the unique sacrifice... of Christ himself once and for all a spotless victim to the father. By virtue of the sacrament of orders, in the image of Christ the supreme and eternal HIGH priest, dear fathers you are consecrated to preach the gospel and shepherd to the faithful, as well as to celebrate divine worship as true priest of the New Testament. It implies that a priest like Christ is first of all a teacher, an announcer of divine truth. The word of God is placed upon his lips. So, a Catholic priest is called to be a mediator between God and men.
Dear Fathers this sublime ministry is not without challenges. How do we respond to this challenge? The society today is against the truth hence they are against the avengers of truth the response had engulfed many of our catholic priests today to run into identity crisis whereby a catholic priest acts and behave like Pentecostal pastor in other to meet the demands of influx of Pentecostalism. For me, one of the many ways is priestly perfection awareness
It was Stephen Rossetti who said, “My brothers in the Priesthood, our life is not easy... Priesthood is difficult.” Hence, it is a known fact that there is no life without its challenges and Catholic priesthood as a specific vocation for ministry of service in the world is no exception. The success or failure of any life depends on the way the challenges are encountered. Hence, it is an undeniable fact that the Catholic priests of today are confronted with many problems in their life and ministry. The changes and emerging trends of the world, whether good or bad, influence the life of a priest. Walter Kasper while emphasizing on this says,
“This has created inner conflict of many priests, young in particular confronting them with the difficult task of separating the essential, indispensable elements of former notion of ecclesiastical office from the older forms and working them up into new, contemporary outlook.”
For Sebastian however, “The priests have lost their innocence and the trust that for so long was simply taken for granted.” Thus, what St. Paul wrote about his apostolate has relevance for the priests today: “We have become like the rubbish of the world, the dregs of all things, to this very day” (1 Cor. 4:13).
Furthermore, it is a common belief among the people that Catholic priests should have special qualities. This is because of the assertions and traditions that the priests are set apart as extraordinary people. They often forget the fact that priests are ordinary men like themselves. For them, if a priest is to be a leader in the church, he has to be another Christ. If he is to call others to holiness, he has to be holy himself. Often, priests are perceived by people in non-human terms. So also if there is anyone who is denied the right to have personal problems and difficulties, that person is priest. The modern outlook towards priest, his status and identity is different from the past. Commenting on this, Nubiola says, “the world has changed and it is still changing very fast. And in this changed and changing world, the way of life of a priest and his ways of apostolate have to be adapted, have to change.
Consequently, it is a fact that today there is a diminishing spirit of prayer in the life of priests either for lack of time or because they contrast it with work. According to Podimattom, “prayer and ministry are two sides of the same coin and inseparable in the life of a priest.” However, priests of today must be someone who can pray in a personal way, and not only officially carrying out the liturgy or reading his breviary. He must go beyond these duties. The only possible and right way for a priest to confront and oppose the perverted precepts of the world is prayer. Through prayer he gets the power to reproach whatever is against the justice of God and humans. Above all through prayer he finds the strength to stand firm in his vocation and love his vocation.
More so, priests are called to lead community in service but our today’s priests are facing the challenge of taking a risk or being committed. Priests are supposed to be the people who have left everything for the service of God through the service of humans. This idea is challenged when it comes to the question of commitment, witness and risk taking by the priests. Therefore, like Ezekiel, the priests are challenged to go directly and radically to the essential message of Gospel. The world is tired of words and statements; rather it needs deeds and witness of life. The Gospel of today demands of a priest who is committed to Christ and his work of redemption.
Consequently, the issue of celibacy as a sine qua non requirement for priesthood is a challenge. Sexuality is the area where a priest should have the prudence of a serpent. Sexual misconducts of priests have very much tarnished the image of the church. It has also led to the deterioration of the confidence of the people in priest. Sexual misconducts like homosexuality, paedophilia, molestation, etc. create a negative attitude towards priesthood both among Christians and non-Christians alike.
To stand out is to become perfect as Jesus said in Mt 5:48, 1peter 1; 16; to be perfect is to be aware; what is this awareness? My sanctified friends, awareness are holistic attentions to God who is always there. Awareness is seeing God in all things and that is contemplation for everything that exist has its trace in God. Any priest who wants to be happy must be aware of God around him.
Dear fathers are you aware of the modern world reality? That your phone can put you on a hot spot? Are you aware that women believe they are safe to have sex with priest than lay faithful? Protect yourself therefore with priestly prudence, prayers, fasting. My brothers are you aware that everything you do with your phone is saved somewhere? Awareness is the key word for you today the more you are aware, the closer you are to priestly perfection. Be aware of your prayer life, ministry, finances, intellect, and your relationship, especially with minor and opposite sex.
Dear Fathers never mistake your gift as holiness be aware that holiness is holistic.
Happy celebrations
Be Aware
Be Perfect
Be a priest
Be a Saint
BY REV FR LAWRENCE OGUNDIPE SDV
PRIESTLY PERFECTION AS AWARENESS
Are you aware brothers and sisters that the Catholic priesthood is a vocation? Being a vocation, it is a sublime gift of God. It is also a gift of God’s love to his sinful humanity. One can say that the Catholic priesthood is a vocation or a call to exercise among God and his people, the following functions; priestly, kingly and prophetic characters of Christ within the chosen priest.
Pope Innocent III, speaking of the priest and of his office, says that the priest is placed between God and man, beneath God, but above man. He cannot be called God but neither can be called God nor can be called a mere man. In other words, the priest is called by God and is a mediator between God and man. The Catholic priesthood can be seen as the priesthood of Jesus Christ since the priesthood emanated from Jesus Christ himself. He instituted the priesthood Himself as the eternal High priest whose priesthood tally with the order of Melchizedek – without the beginning or end (cf. Heb 5: 1 ff Christ the Lord, high priest taken from among men (cf. Heb. 5:1-3), made the new people “a kingdom of priests to God his father” (Apoc. 1:6, 5:9-10).
The sacerdotal dignity says St Alphonsus Liguory is the most noble of all the dignities in this world. Nothing says St Ambrose, “is more excellent in this world, It is transcendent says St Bernard, all the dignities of kings, of emperors and of Angels. According to St Ambrose the dignity of the priest far exceeds that of kings, as the value of Gold surpasses that of lead. The reason is because the power of the kings is temporal and to the bodies of men. But the power of the priest extends to spiritual goods and to the human souls. Hence says St Clement, as much as the soul is more noble than the body, so much is the priesthood more excellent than royalty. The priestly office my dear brothers surpasses that of the Angels who likewise show their veneration the priesthood says St Gregory Nazianzen. All the angels in Heaven cannot absolve from a single sin.
The chief role of priests is to offer sacrifice. In the Eucharistic sacrifice, you act in the person of Christ and thus joined the offerings of the faithful to the sacrifice of Christ their head... and in the sacrifice of the mass you make present again and apply... the unique sacrifice... of Christ himself once and for all a spotless victim to the father. By virtue of the sacrament of orders, in the image of Christ the supreme and eternal HIGH priest, dear fathers you are consecrated to preach the gospel and shepherd to the faithful, as well as to celebrate divine worship as true priest of the New Testament. It implies that a priest like Christ is first of all a teacher, an announcer of divine truth. The word of God is placed upon his lips. So, a Catholic priest is called to be a mediator between God and men.
Dear Fathers this sublime ministry is not without challenges. How do we respond to this challenge? The society today is against the truth hence they are against the avengers of truth the response had engulfed many of our catholic priests today to run into identity crisis whereby a catholic priest acts and behave like Pentecostal pastor in other to meet the demands of influx of Pentecostalism. For me, one of the many ways is priestly perfection awareness
It was Stephen Rossetti who said, “My brothers in the Priesthood, our life is not easy... Priesthood is difficult.” Hence, it is a known fact that there is no life without its challenges and Catholic priesthood as a specific vocation for ministry of service in the world is no exception. The success or failure of any life depends on the way the challenges are encountered. Hence, it is an undeniable fact that the Catholic priests of today are confronted with many problems in their life and ministry. The changes and emerging trends of the world, whether good or bad, influence the life of a priest. Walter Kasper while emphasizing on this says,
“This has created inner conflict of many priests, young in particular confronting them with the difficult task of separating the essential, indispensable elements of former notion of ecclesiastical office from the older forms and working them up into new, contemporary outlook.”
For Sebastian however, “The priests have lost their innocence and the trust that for so long was simply taken for granted.” Thus, what St. Paul wrote about his apostolate has relevance for the priests today: “We have become like the rubbish of the world, the dregs of all things, to this very day” (1 Cor. 4:13).
Furthermore, it is a common belief among the people that Catholic priests should have special qualities. This is because of the assertions and traditions that the priests are set apart as extraordinary people. They often forget the fact that priests are ordinary men like themselves. For them, if a priest is to be a leader in the church, he has to be another Christ. If he is to call others to holiness, he has to be holy himself. Often, priests are perceived by people in non-human terms. So also if there is anyone who is denied the right to have personal problems and difficulties, that person is priest. The modern outlook towards priest, his status and identity is different from the past. Commenting on this, Nubiola says, “the world has changed and it is still changing very fast. And in this changed and changing world, the way of life of a priest and his ways of apostolate have to be adapted, have to change.
Consequently, it is a fact that today there is a diminishing spirit of prayer in the life of priests either for lack of time or because they contrast it with work. According to Podimattom, “prayer and ministry are two sides of the same coin and inseparable in the life of a priest.” However, priests of today must be someone who can pray in a personal way, and not only officially carrying out the liturgy or reading his breviary. He must go beyond these duties. The only possible and right way for a priest to confront and oppose the perverted precepts of the world is prayer. Through prayer he gets the power to reproach whatever is against the justice of God and humans. Above all through prayer he finds the strength to stand firm in his vocation and love his vocation.
More so, priests are called to lead community in service but our today’s priests are facing the challenge of taking a risk or being committed. Priests are supposed to be the people who have left everything for the service of God through the service of humans. This idea is challenged when it comes to the question of commitment, witness and risk taking by the priests. Therefore, like Ezekiel, the priests are challenged to go directly and radically to the essential message of Gospel. The world is tired of words and statements; rather it needs deeds and witness of life. The Gospel of today demands of a priest who is committed to Christ and his work of redemption.
Consequently, the issue of celibacy as a sine qua non requirement for priesthood is a challenge. Sexuality is the area where a priest should have the prudence of a serpent. Sexual misconducts of priests have very much tarnished the image of the church. It has also led to the deterioration of the confidence of the people in priest. Sexual misconducts like homosexuality, paedophilia, molestation, etc. create a negative attitude towards priesthood both among Christians and non-Christians alike.
To stand out is to become perfect as Jesus said in Mt 5:48, 1peter 1; 16; to be perfect is to be aware; what is this awareness? My sanctified friends, awareness are holistic attentions to God who is always there. Awareness is seeing God in all things and that is contemplation for everything that exist has its trace in God. Any priest who wants to be happy must be aware of God around him.
Dear fathers are you aware of the modern world reality? That your phone can put you on a hot spot? Are you aware that women believe they are safe to have sex with priest than lay faithful? Protect yourself therefore with priestly prudence, prayers, fasting. My brothers are you aware that everything you do with your phone is saved somewhere? Awareness is the key word for you today the more you are aware, the closer you are to priestly perfection. Be aware of your prayer life, ministry, finances, intellect, and your relationship, especially with minor and opposite sex.
Dear Fathers never mistake your gift as holiness be aware that holiness is holistic.
Happy celebrations
Be Aware
Be Perfect
Be a priest
Be a Saint
Always on point fr.
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