These are some of the most honest, humbling words I’ve read about priesthood in scripture. In our first reading from the Letter to the Hebrews it is written:
“Every high priest is taken from among men and made their representative before God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He is able to deal patiently with the ignorant and erring, because he himself is beset by weakness” (Hebrews 5:1-2).
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He himself is beset by weakness.
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Before a priest is ordained, he makes three promises: prayer, celibacy, and obedience.
Some also make the promise of life-long poverty.
Why don’t priests promise something easily achievable? Or something that requires less sacrifice?
These promises are sown into fields of human weakness.
And that’s precisely the point.
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One of the first lessons learned in the spiritual life is that we cannot become holy – or pleasing to God – on our own. We must depend entirely upon the Lord.
But with God’s grace, every priest can live out his promises faithfully, even joyfully.
And by extension, every Christian can live a joyful life pleasing to God. We can live as devoted spouses, generous servants, faithful friends, and holy intercessors, even though we are beset by weakness.
Faith is not trusting in what we can do on our own; faith is trusting that we can do all things, even what seems impossible, through Christ who strengthens us.
This is the transformation Jesus is talking about in the Gospels – taking old wineskins and transforming them into something new.
So, where am I weak? Or, where do I need to be transformed by the Lord?
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With God’s grace, the newly ordained priest can become a saint by the end of his life. The newly wedded couple will pray together and stay together. The person beset by grief will find peace. The friend whose trust has been lost will learn to trust again.
With the Lord, all things are possible. May this Eucharist – or our own private time spent in prayer – strengthen us to continue loving and serving the Lord.
John was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said, “Behold, the Lamb of God.” The two disciples heard what he said and followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following him and said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” — which translated means Teacher —, “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come, and you will see.” So they went and saw where Jesus was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about four in the afternoon. Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two who heard John and followed Jesus. He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah” — which is translated Christ —. Then he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Cephas” — which is translated Peter.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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I’m pretty certain that most of you have pictures hanging on your walls at home.
In my brother’s kitchen, there’s a small espresso colored sign hanging by his coffee maker with the words, “Every day is a good day if you start it the right way!”
There’s nothing like a hot cup of coffee in the morning, especially when you have two young kids!
So, what decorates your walls?
Perhaps it’s a painting of a seascape, a family photo from vacation, or a celebration with friends in the days before COVID.
Being a priest, my favorite wall décor is unsurprisingly a framed picture of Jesus in my living room. It’s the first thing I see when I walk through the front door.
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Pictures tastefully decorate our walls. They inspire us and remind us of beautiful moments in life.
But, have you ever considered the nail behind the frame?
Without nails, our pictures would fall to the ground, shattering the glass. Yet as essential as they are, nails are often taken for granted, going unnoticed by the viewer.
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Nails serve two purposes: they bring two separate objects together – in this case, they attach a picture to a wall.
And they provide enduringsupport for the frame.
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In today’s Gospel, we hear about Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter.
Think of Andrew like a nail. He brings two objects together. In this case, he brings people to Jesus, then offers his devoted support.
In fact, Andrew introduces more people to Jesus than any other disciple in the Gospels. Today is the first example when he brings his brother, Simon Peter, to Christ.
Later, Andrew introduces a young boy carrying five loaves and two fish to the Lord.
Jesus takes this boy’s bread, blesses it, and shares it with a crowd of five thousand people, a miracle known as the multiplication of the loaves.
A few chapters later, Andrew connects a curious crowd of people with the Lord. They were soul searching – and Andrew knew exactly whom they should meet.
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One might think because of Andrew’s zeal and relationship building skills that he would’ve been part of Jesus’ tight inner circle.
But he wasn’t.
In fact, during some of Jesus’ most intimate moments in ministry, Andrew wasn’t invited along.
When Jesus went up the Mount of Transfiguration, the place where he spoke with his Father and prophets from the Old Testament, where his body glowed and became dazzling white, Andrew was absent.
Jesus only invited Peter, James, and John. Not Andrew.
Or when Jesus went off to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane during his final night on earth, he brought the same trio of men to keep him company – Peter, James, and John.
Not Andrew.
Perhaps most surprising of all, Jesus chooses Peter, not his brother Andrew, to be the rock upon whom he’ll build his church.
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Like any brother, Andrew could’ve been resentful. He wasn’t the center of attention, he wasn’t the rock of the Church, and he wasn’t present during some of Jesus’ most intimate moments in ministry.
But Andrew didn’t seem to mind at all.
He was perfectly content with going unnoticed, much like the nail behind your favorite picture frame. He was delighted just to know Jesus and to share him with others.
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That’s how I see my mission as a Christian, as a priest, and most especially as the pastor here at Saint Pius X – to introduce people to Jesus and to bolster that relationship, much like a nail supports a picture frame.
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We’re all aware that church attendance has declined steadily over the years, not only here at Saint Pius X, but also within the Church at large.
Our mission is to bring them back. It’s what we’re all called to do as Christians.
Can you think of one person whom you might invite to Mass?
Use the words of Jesus in today’s Gospel, “Come and see!”
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Once COVID clears, we’ll offer different opportunities to introduce people to the Lord.
Daily and Sunday Mass are ideal, but we also need to explore adult faith formation, engaging activities for children, and community builders – things that bring people together.
As Jesus says, “Wherever two or three people are gathered in my name, I am there in the midst of them.”
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Saint Andrew was like the sturdy nail behind your favorite picture frame. He brought two objects together. In this case, he brought people to Jesus; he offered enduring support; and he didn’t mind going unnoticed.
In his humility and zeal for Christ, he provides a model for every Christian to follow.
A leper came to Jesus and kneeling down begged him and said, “If you wish, you can make me clean.” Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand, touched the leper, and said to him, “I do will it. Be made clean.” The leprosy left him immediately, and he was made clean. Then, warning him sternly, Jesus dismissed him at once. Then he said to him, “See that you tell no one anything, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses prescribed; that will be proof for them.” The man went away and began to publicize the whole matter. He spread the report abroad so that it was impossible for Jesus to enter a town openly. He remained outside in deserted places, and people kept coming to him from everywhere.
The Gospel of the Lord.
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One of the best days of my life was the day I was ordained a priest.
I remember people taking hundreds of pictures with their iPhones. It was a special occasion everyone wanted to share.
I felt like you may have felt on your wedding day, the day you held your first child, got into college, or landed your dream job.
When exciting things happen, it’s natural to want to share that experience with others.
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That’s how the leper feels about Jesus in today’s Gospel.
It’s the best day of his life; Jesus has cured his leprosy – and by extension the terrible isolation that came along with it.
Although Jesus tells him not to say anything, this man can’t help but shout the name of Jesus from his rooftop!
He tells so many people that Jesus can’t enter another town without being bombarded by the sick, the lame, and the possessed.
Everyone wants to experience the joy that Jesus Christ can bring.
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Have I had an encounter like that with the Lord?
Maybe he answered a long-awaited prayer; maybe he’s put pep in my step; or, like this leper, maybe the Lord has changed my life entirely.
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These experiences lead to an undeniable Christian trait: joy.
How can we not be joyful once we’ve met Jesus?
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Joyful news must be shared. It’s only natural.
There’s no better news than this: we have a God who loves us, who heals us, who’s given himself for us, and who’s leading us to everlasting life.
