I started thinking: When we celebrate an anniversary, we are somehow transported back in time, to the moment when life changed. In the case of wedding anniversaries, they recall the day of a wedding, when two people become one; in the case of a birthday, the day of one's birth is recalled; in the case of the anniversary of a death, memories of the one who has left this world are recalled; on the day of an anniversary of Ordination, memories of the night when the Church gathered to give thanks for God's goodness, and to publicly acknowledge God's call of a new priest to serve His people is the object to be recalled.
On that night, surrounded by family, friends and confreres, songs of praise were sung, words of praise were spoken, and despite the weakness of human nature, God's grace prevailed as two new priests were ordained.
Twenty years later, each time that this day arrives, I am reminded of the infinite generosity of God, for only out of generosity was I called to serve the people who are His. Only out of generosity on His part can I rise each morning, with a song of praise on my lips. Only out of generosity on His part am I able to speak words of welcome to those who begin their lives in grace at the baptismal font. Only out of generosity on His part does it happen that my heart is used to reach out to hardened hearts in order to speak words of forgiveness. Only out of generosity on His part do my hands place the sacred body of Christ in the hands of others who approach the altar to receive divine nourishment. Only out of generosity on His part are my words used to attempt explanations of his constant love made present for his children in the story of love first recounted in the scriptures, and made present in the telling and re-telling of the story of our faith. Only out of generosity on His part am I able to witness the words of love exchanged between a husband and wife who come to the altar to begin their lives together in faith. Only out of generosity on His part am I called upon to stand at the bedside of those who are too weak to speak, and yet who find comfort and solace in the words of blessing as they prepare for the ultimate journey Home.
The story which unfolds in the life of one who agrees to follow in the footsteps of the Master is a constant gift of self. It calls us to an ever-deepening level of generosity, and is only possible in the light of perfect love which is the promise of God. This perfect love accompanies us at each step of life's journey, consoling hearts that are broken, holding souls that are wounded, enlivening the one who dares to abandon himself to that which is made possible by the grace of the Master.
In the years prior to that day of Ordination, I once came across the words of Karl Rahner: Lord, grant me the wounded heart, which alone can make me your priest. As the years have come and gone, these words have been proven ever-more truthful. Only the man who has known the pain of having his heart broken and wounded can understand the infinite mercy of the One whose love we are called to proclaim. Only when human beings are able to look at life through the cracks of a broken heart are we able to witness the fact that it is not us who act, but God who acts through us.
Celebrating this anniversary therefore means that I must celebrate God's goodness to his beloved children and pray for the grace to strive every day to look for evidence of God's presence, walking alongside His people, enlivening them with his great joy, strengthening their souls when they are burdened by grief, and holding them gently to his heart when they are in need of consolation and peace.
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