For an ordination or a new priest's first celebration
“You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last.” John 15:16
A priest does not choose himself; Christ chooses and the Church calls through the bishop.
“Every high priest chosen from among mortals is put in charge of things pertaining to God on their behalf” (Hebrews 5:1). He remains one of us and is given for us.
At the altar and in the confessional, the priest acts in the person of Christ the Head. The gift is greater than the man.
Thank the parents who gave a son; pray for vocations from this parish.
Dear brothers and sisters, today is a day of great joy for this parish and this family. One of our own stands at the altar as a priest of Jesus Christ. Jesus says to him: “You did not choose me but I chose you.”
A priest is taken from among the people and given back to the people. He is not an angel; he is a son of this soil, with his own weaknesses. That is exactly why God's choice is so moving. Through his hands bread and wine will become the Body and Blood of Christ; through his words sins will be forgiven. The gift is far greater than the man.
Dear new priest, Jesus appointed you “to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last.” The fruit that lasts is not buildings or popularity; it is souls brought to God. Stay close to the Lord in prayer, love the poor, and never be ashamed to ask for forgiveness.
Dear parents, thank you for giving your son to God. Dear parish, pray for him every day, and pray that more of your sons and daughters will hear the call. Amen.
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you (Jeremiah 1:5): the call comes from God.
Jeremiah's fear was real; God's answer was presence (Jeremiah 1:6–8).
The Lord touched his mouth (Jeremiah 1:9): a priest speaks God's word, not his own.
Jeremiah suffered for his mission; the priest too shares the cross.
Dear Father N., dear family, dear brothers and sisters, today we listen to the call of the prophet Jeremiah. God tells him that before He formed him in the womb He knew him, and before he was born He consecrated him (Jeremiah 1:5). A vocation does not begin with our decision. It begins in the heart of God.
Jeremiah's first answer was fear: I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy (Jeremiah 1:6). Every honest priest has felt this. The task is too big. People will expect wisdom, holiness, patience, energy. God does not answer Jeremiah by saying that he is strong enough. He answers: do not be afraid, for I am with you (Jeremiah 1:8). A priest does not rely on his talents, but on the presence of the One who sent him.
Then the Lord touched Jeremiah's mouth and said: I have put my words in your mouth (Jeremiah 1:9). Father, from today your words carry a weight that is not yours. You will say: this is my Body. You will say: I absolve you from your sins. These are the words of Christ in your mouth. Never let your own opinions crowd them out. Preach the Gospel, not yourself.
Jeremiah's life was not easy. He was mocked, imprisoned and misunderstood. Priesthood too is not a career; it is a share in the cross. There will be lonely evenings, criticism and fatigue. In those moments go back to the altar, to the tabernacle, to your breviary, to your confessor and to your brother priests.
Dear family, thank you for the gift of this son. Dear people, pray for him every day; a priest is carried by the prayers of his people. And dear Father N., may you celebrate this first Holy Mass / Holy Qurbana with the same wonder with which you will celebrate your last. The God who knew you before you were born will not abandon you.
Christ is the one High Priest; the ministerial priesthood is a participation in His (Hebrews 5:1–10; CCC 1545).
The ordained priest acts in persona Christi Capitis (CCC 1548).
To teach, to sanctify and to govern, in communion with the bishop (CCC 1592).
Holy Orders, like Baptism and Confirmation, is conferred once for all (CCC 1582).
Dear Father N., dear family and friends, today we thank God for a new priest. It is a good moment to remember what the Church believes about the priesthood.
There is only one priest in the full sense: Jesus Christ. The Letter to the Hebrews says that every high priest is taken from among men and appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins, and that Christ did not glorify Himself but was called by the Father (Hebrews 5:1–5). He offered Himself once for all on the Cross. All the baptised share in His priesthood by offering their lives; the ordained priest shares in it in a different way, by sacramental ordination, for the service of the whole people (CCC 1545, 1547).
When the priest celebrates the sacraments, he acts in the person of Christ the Head (CCC 1548). It is Christ who baptises, Christ who forgives, Christ who offers the Holy Mass / Holy Qurbana. This is why the Church can say that the sacraments are valid even when the minister is weak: their power does not come from his holiness but from Christ. And this is also why the priest must strive to be holy, so that his life does not contradict the words he speaks.
The priest receives a threefold mission: to teach the Word of God faithfully, to sanctify the people through the sacraments, and to guide the community as a shepherd, always in communion with his bishop (CCC 1592). He is not the owner of the parish but its servant.
Holy Orders marks the soul with an indelible character; it is received once for all (CCC 1582). Father, you will be a priest for ever. Dear people, love your priests, pray for them, correct them gently when needed, and encourage vocations in your families. And let us all ask the Lord of the harvest to send more labourers into His harvest.
Lord Jesus, eternal High Priest, you have chosen this servant for your altar. Keep him holy, humble and joyful; make his priesthood bear fruit that will last, and raise up many more labourers for your harvest. Amen.