Homily given by Bishop Anthony Randazzo
Bishop of Broken Bay
Admission as Candidates for Sacred Orders Shayne D’Cunha, Tân Nguyen, Huy Tran
15 February 2025
Today is a day of great joy and deep significance as we gather to celebrate the admission of Shayne, Tân, and Huy as Candidates for Sacred Orders here in the Diocese of Broken Bay. It is a day of hope and anticipation, and it invites us all to reflect on the nature of our Christian journey, a journey that calls us to walk in the footsteps of the Lord, looking always toward the fulfillment of the promise of eternal life.
In our readings today, we are confronted with two powerful truths that speak to the heart of our Christian faith and vocation.
From Saint Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, we hear of the centrality of the resurrection: “If Christ has not been raised, you are still in your sins.” But then, in the most triumphant of declarations, The Apostle assures us: “But Christ has in fact been raised from the dead, the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor 15:17).
This is the bedrock of our Christian hope, the resurrection of Christ, which is the guarantee of our own resurrection and eternal life. This promise of eternal life is what defines Christian hope, it is not a vague or passive waiting, but a firm and active anticipation of God’s fulfillment of His promises. It is a hope that has been set before us by Christ, who has shown us the way to the Father. And it is in this context of hope that we find the invitation given today to our brothers Shayne, Tân, and Huy.
Our Gospel reading from the Evangelist Luke places before us a vision of the Kingdom of God, both a promise and a challenge. The Beatitudes are often seen as a paradox, where the values of the world are turned upside down. Those who are poor, who hunger, who weep, who are persecuted are blessed. The world may not recognize them, but God’s kingdom turns this on its head, promising blessings to those who suffer in this life, because they will be fully satisfied in the life to come. The Beatitudes speak to us not only of the future, but also of how we must live in the present, to make this future, this Kingdom, a reality here and now.
My dear sons, Shayne, Tân, and Huy, these words should resonate deeply for you, as you continue your pilgrimage toward Sacred Orders. You are being called to a ministry of service and leadership that mirrors the paradoxes of the Beatitudes: to serve the poor in spirit, to comfort those who mourn, to bring peace to the broken-hearted, and to proclaim the Good News to the oppressed. In doing so, you will be not only proclaimers of the hope of the Kingdom, but living signs of it, witnesses to the world of a hope that is not bound by the circumstances of this life; but rooted in the eternal life promised by Christ.
This is where the phrase Pelegrinantes in spem, or “Pilgrims Into Hope,” becomes so important for all of us, but especially for you, as Candidates preparing for Sacred Orders. Pelegrinantes in spem is not about setting out on a journey with a sense that you already possess hope. It is about recognizing that hope is something you are still learning, something you are actively seeking, and something that you are called to discover more fully as you continue your journey.
You are pilgrims into hope, not pilgrims in hope. You are pilgrims who, by embracing the vocation of priesthood, will be called to discover hope in a new and deeper way every day. As you walk this path toward ordination, you will come to realize that hope is not a static thing, it is dynamic, ever-expanding, and it is something you will discover through your service to others.
You will discover hope in the sacraments you administer, in the prayers you offer, in the lives of the people you encounter. You will also discover that hope is often born out of suffering, just as Christ’s resurrection came only after His death. There will be moments when you feel overwhelmed, when you question your ability to serve, and when the demands of ministry seem too great. But it is precisely in these moments that hope will become most real. It will be through your willingness to give of yourselves in love and sacrifice that you will enter more deeply into the mystery of hope.
And so, my dear brothers, as you step forward today as Candidates for Sacred Orders, know that you are not only being called to serve the people of God, but you are also being invited into a deeper relationship with the hope that Christ offers us.
You are invited to live as pilgrims into hope, journeying alongside those who suffer, those who yearn for meaning, and those who long for the Kingdom of God to be revealed. It is not just an abstract hope, but a hope that is lived, shared, and made tangible through your ministry.
May you walk this pilgrimage with humility, with a heart open to God’s grace, and with a deep trust in the promise that, as Saint Paul affirms, Christ is risen, and in Him we, too, will rise. As you prepare for this sacred journey, may you discover that the hope you seek is always found in the very heart of God, where all our longings are fulfilled.
And for all of us here today, let us remember that we, too, are pilgrims, pilgrims into hope. Our journey, like yours, is not about having all the answers, but about learning to trust more deeply in the One who is the source of all hope, who has promised us eternal life.
May Jesus the Lord bless you, Shayne, Tân, and Huy, as you continue on this pilgrimage, and may He grant all of us the grace to journey into hope, ever closer to His Sacred Heart. Amen.