A priestly heart

The World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests is celebrated each year on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in June. It is on this day in the Diocese of Calgary that we ordain candidates to the priesthood. This year we will celebrate the ordination of Deacon Santiago Torres.  

Called by God, chosen by the Church, the one to be ordained accepts in humility to receive the sacrament of orders, which transforms him to act in persona Christi capitis. Through his life of service and ministry in the priesthood he will be called upon to develop a heart which is sacramentally marked by the priestly identity and pastoral charity of Christ. This enduring mark of grace, sets the priest apart for service, in preaching the Word, the celebration of the Sacraments, and in the pastoral care of all people.

The priesthood is a sacred ministry that continues God’s salvation through Christ to be offered to humanity: it is the priest's essential mission. As a sacred minister he is empowered to carry out this mission because, chosen by God, he lives with Christ and for Christ. If in a priest’s life this focus is lost then there is the risk that the entire basis of his pastoral action can collapse into excess activism or fragmentation and thus, he loses the ultimate meaning or purpose of his pastoral service which is found in Christ’s loving gaze. It is those who have learned "to stay with Christ" who are truly ready to be "sent out to preach" authoritatively by him (cf. Mk 3: 14). The divine mystery of a priest’s convincing proclamation of Christ through his life and ministry is sustained through his passionate love for Christ. This is ultimately demonstrated in times of trial, of generous service and in the sacrifices that he makes on a daily basis.

​As a bishop I have been privileged to celebrate the funeral mass of many dedicated priests and to hear the stories of how God impacted the lives of people through the witness of their priestly life and ministry. One might refer to these as the narratives of sanctification and how the gift of priestly ministry in the Church continues to bring healing, courage and strength to the faithful.  In fact, I have often stated that it is important for those aspiring to the priesthood to hear such stories of pastoral charity which must mark the heart and mission of the priest in every age.    

In celebrating the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Church invites all believers to look with the gaze of faith "on him whom they have pierced" (Jn 19: 37) and on the Heart of Christ, a living sign of the invincible love of God and an inexhaustible source of grace. The priest is called to encounter Christ in daily prayer, to know and love him by choosing the way of the Cross, which is must be the source of his self-sacrificing charity.
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A priest knows from experience that “to remain in his love” is a daily challenge to grow in holiness. It is not based totally on our efforts but rather in allowing Christ to act in us, by making his attitudes, his thoughts and his behaviour our own. The mark of holiness for every priest is the extent to which Christ’s presence is in each of them, such that they strive to model their lives on him, through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. 

In the face of historical scandals, clerical abuse, priestly entitlement and clericalism, this World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests promotes among the Catholic faithful the need to pray for the priests whom God has called to serve in the Church. It can also bring about a spirit of repentance, renewal and confirmation in the heart of every priest that they have been consecrated and sent forth to make present the salvific mission of Christ. The Church prays that the heart of every priest may be drawn into the Sacred Heart of Christ through the holiness of his priestly life and in the exercise of his sacred ministry.
 
As a local Church we also pray for Deacon Santiago Torres as he prepares for ordination to the priesthood.

With the laying on of hands by the bishop and priests he will become a priest through the action of the Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Sprit. In the ordination ceremony there is the further symbol of the ministry which will be entrusted to him through the anointing of his hands with sacred chrism and the following instruction from the bishop: “May the Lord Jesus Christ, whom the Father anointed with the Holy Spirit and power, guard and preserve you, that you may sanctify the Christian people and offer sacrifice to God”. He then receives in his consecrated hands the paten holding the bread and the chalice containing the wine for the celebration of the Eucharist with the following exhortation from the bishop: “Receive the oblation of the holy people to be offered to God. Understand what you will do, imitate what you handle and conform your life to the mystery of the Lord’s Cross.”

As outlined in the ordination rite the holiness of a priest’s life and the sanctification of his ministry is found in his being conformed to the mystery of the Lord’s Cross and in a priestly heart that truly reflects the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

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Written by Most Rev. William T. McGrattan, Bishop of Calgary
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June 11, 2023