Ordination to the Priesthood 2016

Most Reverend José H. Gomez
Archbishop of Los Angeles

Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels
June 4, 2016

My brothers and sisters in Christ,¹

Today is a day of joy for all of us in the family of God here in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles! Today our brothers will enter into the order of priests!

Jeffery, Joshua, Luis, Paolo, Anthony, Gregorio, Matthew, Ethan, Albert, Anthony. Today Jesus calls each of you, by name.

When I think about your stories — who you are and where you came from — it reminds me of Jesus calling his first apostles. He has called you from many different places and many backgrounds.

But, you did not choose Jesus Christ. He has chosen you and today he says to you, as he said to his first apostles: “I have called you friends.”

So my brothers, I want to just say a few words to you before you enter into this new order of friendship with Our Lord Jesus Christ.

In the Gospel today Jesus ask the Apostles to “ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest” because “at the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.”

Jesus is calling you and sending you to be his face and his heart to His people, the people of God!

So, for me the best advice you truly need for your priesthood is: Stay close to Jesus. Know that he loves you. Remain in his love. Grow in his love. Serve in his love.

Stay close to Jesus. Not only for yourselves. Because the ministry of the priest is a ministry for others. Our priesthood is not about us.

We live from Jesus and we live for Jesus. To know the love of Jesus and his friendship and to bring others to know his love and friendship, too. 

And really, there is only one true joy in life — and that is to know Jesus and to bring others to this beautiful encounter of friendship with him.

So this is the path you are taking today, my brothers. It’s a path of joy — the path of following the call of Jesus in loving and serving God and his people.

This is the reason for your priesthood! And this is what will bring you joy every day in your ministry.

Every day you have to make a decision to do what is necessary to grow deeper in the relationship that Jesus wants with you. Stay close to Jesus in prayer, in listening and reflecting on his Word, in offering the sacred mysteries, the sacrifice of his Body and Blood.

The priest is the face of Christ and the heart of Christ. We can never forget that in our priesthood.

We love a God who showed himself to us with a human face, who loved us with a human heart. We love a God who goes in search of the lost. This is the responsibility and privilege of the priest — to show the face of Jesus, to seek out the lost with his loving heart.

In our times brothers, I think we have a special duty to go out after the ones who are missing, the ones who have stopped going to church — for whatever reason. We have to call them and welcome them home — with love, with tenderness.

You are being ordained in the Year of Mercy. This is something special — and I pray that your ministry always shows this quality of mercy.

In your priesthood, be men of mercy — calling God’s children home, back to the Father and his mercy — which is wider than any ocean, greater than any power under heaven.

So my brothers, we are all praying for you today and please — pray for us.

My dear brothers and sisters, thank you for being here today to pray for our new priests. Let’s all of us keep praying for vocations and keep supporting our priests by praying for them every day and trying to live our faith and to grow in holiness and mercy. Let us always show others the mercy that God shows to us.

My brothers, I entrust you and your ministry to the tender love of Our Blessed Mother Mary, Mother of Priests, as we celebrate today the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, may she help you every day to stay close to Jesus, and remain in his love.