Homily given by Bishop Anthony Randazzo
Bishop of Broken Bay
Ordination to the Priesthood
Rev Paul Tran Van Duong SDS
Saint Patrick’s Church, Gosford – 16 April 2020
On the morning of 1 November 1946, Karol Wojtyła, the sole candidate for Ordination that
day, made his way to the Archbishop of Kraków’s private chapel, which was no larger than a
sacristy (cf.www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-John-Paul-II). In 1945, the Soviets supplanted the Germans as
occupiers of Poland. The world was in crisis as the Cold War replaced the horrors of World
War II.
Karol Wojtyła was one of many young men in those turbulent years who responded to God’s
call to priestly service and leadership in the Church. Throughout his life, as layman and priest,
as Bishop and Pope, Karol or Saint John Paul II as we know him, sought to hand over
completely all worldly security to the merciful will of God.
As a young man, he was introduced to the writings of Saint John of the Cross. This sixteenth
century Spanish mystic and Doctor of the Church is perhaps most famously known for his
spiritual work titled The Dark Night of the Soul. In it, John of the Cross articulates a spirituality
of abandonment. The dark night speaks of the purification of the soul which makes
communion with God possible. Through the dark night, one learns to put away any hope of
reward and to be drawn ever more deeply by the grace of God into God’s own divine life. In
sum, it is complete self-surrender, which is ultimately an act of perfect love. Over time, this
spirituality would become the defining characteristic of discipleship for Saint John Paul II (cf.
George Weigel, Witness to Hope, page 61)
.
Deacon Paul, today as you are called and presented for Ordination to the Priesthood, I offer
you the example of Karol Wojtyła, to inspire you, to encourage you, and to accompany you
in your priestly life and ministry.
First and foremost, you must abandon yourself to the merciful will of God. To do this will
require faith, which is a gift from God. Believing takes but a moment in time. Living that faith
and bringing others to faith in Christ Jesus will be the great adventure of your life. It will
require of you, your life. In return, you will see others come to eternal life. This is the reward
of the priesthood. Saint Peter attests to this when he gives witness to the resurrection of
Jesus in the Temple. “I have neither silver nor gold… but I will give you what I have… Jesus Christ”
(Acts 3:6)
. Not only does he announce the resurrection of Jesus, he also calls others “to repent
and turn to God… so that sins may be wiped out.” (Acts 3:19)
My brother, this is the priestly work to which you are called. It is a privileged work entrusted
to you on behalf of the community of the Church. However, be attentive, the priestly office
to which you are called must be grounded in humility. As Saint Paul reminds us in the letter
to the Romans, which you have chosen for this Mass, we priests must never think of ourselves
more highly than others(cf. Romans 12:3).
It is through Baptism that Christians are incorporated into Christ’s Body. In the Sacrament
of Baptism, we are given the dignity of being brothers and sisters of Christ. In Baptism, we
are all equal; however, we are not the same. Saint Paul gives each member of the community
of the Church cause for thought. “For as in one body, we have many parts, and all the parts do
not have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually parts of one
another.” (Romans 12:4-5)
My dear brother, through the Sacrament of holy Orders, you will be configured to Christ the
Priest, who offered his life for the salvation of the world on the altar of the Cross. We priests,
even more than others, have to understand that configuration to Christ means being lifted up
on the pedestal of the Cross. To use Saint Paul’s words, priests and people together make a
unity in the work of service, to build up the Body of Christ. However, we priests, more than
others, must be willing to abandon ourselves to the will of God, so as to be completely at the
service of God’s people.
Deacon Paul, none of what I am saying will come as a surprise to you. It is from the deposit
of faith, revealed in Scripture and Tradition. It is also consistent with the Salvatorian charism
“as long as God is not everywhere glorified, you dare not allow yourself a moment’s rest” (cf. Fr Francis
Jordan, Founder of the Salvatorians).
The obligations you assume through sacred Ordination today are part of your living out of
the Paschal mystery. Your generous response to God’s call at this time in history, is a sign
that God’s Holy Spirit does not abandon us.
As you now put on the priesthood of Christ, you declare yourself ready to follow Him through
Calvary to glory. May the Spirit of God keep you strong in faith and generous in love, for the
glory of God and for the sake of God’s holy people.