Thursday, April 2 @ 10:00 AM
St. Augustine Cathedral

My dear friends,

You may recall that when we were children and teenagers, to be selected for an honor—or something we deeply desired—was always a thrilling moment. To be acknowledged, to be recognized, to be rewarded. Perhaps it was the last place on a team we desperately wanted to be part of, or a scholarship we applied for—and when the letter came, we were accepted. Or some other honor or recognition—whatever it may have been—it was thrilling.

And then reality set in. Because being selected for the team meant training and hard work. The scholarship meant we had to continue our studies to retain it. It is a lesson we relive over and over again in life. As we grow older, we are selected for things far more important, with responsibilities and expectations far greater.

For example, for those among us who are married, when your spouse chose you to be a lifelong companion on the journey to heaven—think of how awesome and thrilling that was, and the responsibilities that have come since. For even your body was no longer your own when you said, “I do.”

And for those of you, my brothers in sacred orders—brother deacons and my brother priests—entering into the mystery of that vocation, being chosen by the Lord Himself: sobering, exciting, awesome. There is not a day that goes by when I am sure you and I do not look in the mirror and say, “Lord, You meant me?”

And He does—every day—choosing you and me again and again and again.

Today, my friends, is the festival—the feast—of being selected by Christ.

We come here to rejoice in His mercy and overwhelming love, for every single one of us in this church was chosen on the day of our baptism to enter into the mystery of His life. On that day, when you and I were washed in the cleansing waters of His death and resurrection, and chrismated on the crown of our heads, the Lord chose us for a gift we are not worthy of: to enter into His life and grace, and one day, if we are faithful, to enter into everlasting glory.

He chose us before we ever chose Him. And He dwells in all of us, because He chose us to be grafted into His living Body. All of us are called to respond in holiness—the most sublime call we share.

And as we rejoice in the fact that we have been chosen by the Lord, today is also a day to take account of how we have answered.

For every word we speak, every action we take, every decision we make should reflect who it is that chose us and walks with us—whose Spirit lives in your heart and mine. There should never be a moment when someone encounters us and does not recognize to whom we belong.

And if you are sitting there, as I stand here, wondering whether that has always been the case—then tomorrow we have much to speak to the Lord about when we stand before Him, who died for you and me.

And brothers, for those of us in Holy Orders: you, my brother deacons, have been called into the sacrament of charity and service. And my brothers in the priesthood, you and I share the great and awesome mystery of entering into the sacrament of self-sacrifice.

We have been chosen by the Lord—though none of us has earned it, deserves it, or is worthy of it.

We find our priesthood in its fullest and most sublime expression here at the altar—when we become the instrument through which grace is given to all the baptized, entering into the mystery of the one, enduring, divine, everlasting, unrepeatable salvific sacrifice of God made man.

We are most His priests here at the altar.

And it is from the grace we receive here that we are able, in a self-sacrificing way, to preach the truth—even when those who know us best do not want to hear it, or when we preach in a world that prefers we remain silent.

We are called to be instruments of sanctification—to help those entrusted to us, and each other as brothers, to grow in holiness—so that the gift of the Spirit in your heart and mine may become a bonfire of charity, a light in the darkness.

A darkness that may seem overwhelming at times—but a darkness that has already been defeated.

And of course, we are called to self-sacrifice in service. We do not seek honor—we cannot. We do not seek glory—it is not ours to give. But we lead God’s people.

You lead God’s people in countless ways, my brothers—often in ways that go unnoticed—selflessly, generously, faithfully.

And today, on behalf of all God’s people, I thank you for your fidelity to the vocation God has given you. I pray for you every day, because God has abundantly blessed you—and the fruits of your lives show that.

And today, are we not all, my friends, grateful for our brothers who have said yes to being chosen and who live their lives in sacrifice for you and me?

But allow me, as your spiritual father, to remind you of one fundamental lesson—and I say it for my sake as much as for yours.

You and I were chosen not simply to do priestly things, but first and foremost to be His priests.

And we do that every moment of every day—by a simple smile, by an act of charity, by kindness, by a word spoken—and sometimes by a word held back.

There is not a moment when you and I are not His priests.

And what we do, to the best of our abilities and always powered by His grace, gives glory and honor to Him—because He has chosen us.

And there is never a moment when He has stopped choosing you.

Thank you for all that you do—and more importantly, for the men, the priests, that you are.

In a few moments, I will ask you to stand and renew your promises. And my friends, I will ask all of us to commit ourselves to pray for our brothers in the priesthood.

Take that commitment seriously. Pray not only today, but every day—so that we may all journey together, chosen by Christ, toward the glory of eternal life.

Today, my friends, is the festival that reminds us that in our vocations, in the baptism we share, and for those in the sacred priesthood, Christ has chosen, is choosing, and will forever choose us.

The question we must reflect upon is this:

Every moment of every day—will we also choose Him?