Ordinations The Priestly Fraternity of the Missionaries of St. Charles Borromeo

“The Work Is Man’s but the Blessing Is God’s”
In the Basilica of St. Mary Major, in Rome, on June 24th, Cardinal Péter Erdö, Archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, ordained eight priests and three deacons of the Priestly Fraternity of the Missionaries of St. Charles Borromeo. We publish here some extracts from his homily

Today’s Gospel recounts a great miracle worked by Jesus. It is not simply a miracle like the others, but one of a particular nature, the calming of the storm on Lake Gennesaret. […] Miracles are signs for us; for us they are the proof of the presence and action of God. […] These facts may not always be significant for an outside observer, but for us they are a source of persuasion and emotion.
Yes, because God is in dialogue with us, and precisely in this dialogue these actions find their specific context. The calming of the storm is a miracle of this kind. […] When they see the sign, the disciples ask themselves, “Who is this man?” […] Today’s Gospel therefore speaks of Jesus’ divinity and of His saving presence in His people.
This boat tossed about by the waves is the image of the Church. Many times in history the Church has felt herself at the mercy of external forces, unable to escape from them by her own strength and her own abilities. Many times she has been surrounded by wicked accusations and stormy persecutions but, after all this, thanks to God’s provident foresight for His Church, all at once everything was calm, the waters settled down, and the Church’s boat went on sailing, and is still sailing today, on the road God set out for her.

A divine power
In today’s Mass, we will ordain new deacons and priests for the Priestly Fraternity of St. Charles Borromeo. Could there be a more fitting directive for our friends being ordained than today’s Gospel message? Jesus does not tell His disciples not to row. In fact, on other occasions He asks them to do precisely this, which, as fishermen, they are best at. “Put out into the deep!” He told them once; “Let down the nets!” They were expert sailors and those who were rowing, steering, or handling the sails were certainly able to ride out a storm. In fact, we read that Jesus was asleep in the stern. He calmly entrusted Himself to His disciples’ commitment and skill. But there came the moment in which all their skill was useless and the disciples felt they were unable to save the boat, and their lives and their Master’s life with it. They cried out desperately to Jesus, and He commanded the wind and the sea… with divine power He brought the boat to shore.

Priestly vocation
This scene is a particularly clear image of our priestly vocation. It is our duty to have a precise knowledge of our faith, so as not to give room in the theological field to the temptation of dispersion, superficiality, or thoughtless pragmatism. It is our duty to learn the art of pastoral guidance, how to cultivate relationships with people, to know how to use the means of mass communication, and, above all, to know and love our Church, not only theoretically, but in its theological and institutional reality, including its concrete local aspects. It is our duty not to give in to the temptation of laziness, which sometimes hides behind the mask of scruples and pretentiousness. Let’s not shrink from taking up certain jobs, or concrete tasks, out of false humility or scrupulosity, only because we think we are unable to carry them out to the level of our own ideal of perfection. This kind of false humility can be a temptation today in many fields. There are those who run away from the responsibility of choosing their life’s vocation, or choosing a wife or husband; there are those who look for a perfect marriage and so never bind themselves to anyone; there are those who delude themselves that they can reach perfection in the field of literature or knowledge, but then the decades go by and the hoped-for perfect works never come to light…

The mandate
So it is our duty to commit ourselves with all the strength we are capable of, but let us not believe that the fruitfulness of the work and of our vocation, and in particular of the priestly vocation, depend solely on one’s ability or on human effort. The work is man’s, but the blessing is God’s! This is the foundation of the priestly vocation. […] As the Apostle wrote, “Be fervent in spirit, it is the Lord you serve.” So Christ’s plan for your life and the mandate you receive from Him define the end, the content, and the direction of your service. […] I wish the strength and the joy of this friendship with Christ to the ordinands and to all dear brothers in the priesthood.