ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA

Praised be Jesus Christ!
On behalf of all the Bishops, priests, deacons and seminarians, I wish to express words of heartfelt welcome to all of you, young men of our Archdiocese, gathered here today for this special Vocation Day at St. Charles Seminary.

How good it is to be here today with you and to be with so many brother priests as we celebrate the great gift of the Priesthood. I express my special thanks to Monsignor Prior and the seminary community for opening their doors to us this day, and to all the priests who, after a long day of priestly ministry, have accompanied you here today. Dear brother priests, I am most grateful to you for your presence.

Dear friends, we have just listened to some words of Saint Paul addressed to the Corinthians. These are words that the Church has selected for our meditation during Evening Prayer. They are words of reminder, words of strength, and words of great hope which we are privileged to hear today. For they are words that remind us who we are as Christian men. We are people in an awesome race. We are men with a purpose, called to be strong, called to endure much not for a crown that withers but for the crown of eternal glory.

While these words indeed describe the vocation of every Christian, they are particularly applicable to the vocation and mission of the Catholic Priest. For a priest is a man like others, in the race for salvation. But he is one who has been chosen, called and sent forth as a leader in this race for salvation. He is a marked man, a man set apart, a man not his own, called to be with others, to lead others, to serve others, and in the name of Jesus to help guide others to attain salvation.

This is the unique role and mission of the Catholic priest. How privileged priests are to have received this role and to exercise it for the benefit of God’s people.

Throughout the history of the Church, we can find countless heroic priests who have exercised this role well. We can find priests who died for others, priests who lived for others. Some are famous priests like John Paul II, John Vianney, Maximilian Kolbe. Men whom God has raised up for a special service in the Church. And while we are grateful for these famous witnesses, the fact is that the vast majority of priests are not so famous. Rather, they are silent heroes, ordinary men, who faithfully live out their mission in countless ordinary and quiet ways. Men whose lives for the most part will remain unknown to the vast majority of people. But men whose lives profoundly make a difference and influence the lives and salvation of others. Men who each day have the privilege of leading people to God.

Today on this eve of the feast of Saint Joseph, I would like to hold up to all the witness of Saint Joseph. Joseph was not a priest but he is a model for everyone. As is the case of many priests in history, we do not know very much about Saint Joseph. Not a single word of his is recorded in Sacred Scripture. But what is recorded is very clear and powerful. Joseph was a man who lived His vocation to the full, with great trust and strength. He not only heard the call of God, but He embraced and lived that call without reserve. Called to be the husband of Mary, head of the Holy Family and foster-father of Jesus, Joseph said "yes" and he never turned back.

When we consider the life of Saint Joseph, we quickly find a man who lived the words of Saint Paul. He ran the race well, not knowing where it would lead him. We find a man who lived his life with a purpose, all for Jesus and Mary. We find a strong man who received the crown of life.

Dear friends, we see in Joseph what it means to be a Christian man, and we find so many qualities needed to be a good priest. The qualities of Saint Joseph are qualities you are called to embrace. Not all of you here today may be called to the priesthood. But we can say that every one of you is called to embrace God’s plan for your life. To recognize it and to live it well. To be not merely in the race for salvation, but to run in the race, so as to win.

Today, there are many needs in the Church. We need not only more priests, but we need first and foremost courageous men like Joseph. Men who are willing to be faithful and committed, men willing to make effort and endure hardship for the sake of Christ, and willing to live life with heroic love for others. This is what we need, this is what the Church needs today: men committed to the person and mission of Jesus.

Some of you young men here today, like the priests next to you, have a vocation to the priesthood. There are some of you who have heard God’s mysterious call, to leave other things behind and to follow Jesus. Do not be afraid of such a call. Rather, with all your heart, submit to it, accept it. It is an awesome call, a call that will not leave you wanting. Rather, it will bring you fulfillment, joy and peace. And if you follow this call you will help so many other people reach salvation.

Tonight, on this eve of Saint Joseph, in the presence of Jesus and Mary, on this holy ground of St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, I entrust you all to the care and protection of Saint Joseph. Like him, may we remain close to Jesus and Mary. May we become ever more the men God has called us to be. Not for ourselves but for the Church, to help so many people reach salvation in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.