Gospel in Art: My Ordination to the Sacred Priesthood

Ordination and first Mass of Saint John of Matha, by Vicente Carducho 1634 - 1635, © Prado Museum, Madrid

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 24 June 2023
Luke 1:57-66,80

The time came for Elizabeth to have her child, and she gave birth to a son; and when her neighbours and relations heard that the Lord had shown her so great a kindness, they shared her joy.

Now on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; they were going to call him Zechariah after his father, but his mother spoke up. 'No,' she said 'he is to be called John.' They said to her, 'But no one in your family has that name', and made signs to his father to find out what he wanted him called. The father asked for a writing-tablet and wrote, 'His name is John.' And they were all astonished. At that instant his power of speech returned and he spoke and praised God. All their neighbours were filled with awe and the whole affair was talked about throughout the hill country of Judaea. All those who heard of it treasured it in their hearts. 'What will this child turn out to be?' they wondered. And indeed the hand of the Lord was with him.

Meanwhile the child grew up and his spirit matured. And he lived out in the wilderness until the day he appeared openly to Israel.

Petition for prayers

This morning I, alongside four other men (John Casey, Francis Thomas, Juan Sola Garcia and Marco Lazzaron) will be ordained to the priesthood at Westminster Cathedral at 10.30 am.

The ordination Mass will be live-streamed and can be followed via this link: https://youtube.com/live/mxgTMK80el0

Rather than comment on today's Gospel or on any artwork, I would like to simply ask you for your prayers. However short, however brief, please say a prayer for us that we may serve the people of God to the best of our abilities and that we stay faithful to God and his Church at all times.

I would like to share a prayer that my parish, Holy Apostles, Pimlico, London has been praying at the end of mass over the past two weeks. Maybe you can join them in their prayers and say alongside them:

O Jesus, our great High Priest, hear our humble prayers for Patrick who is to become your priest today.

Give him a deep faith, a bright and firm hope, and a burning love which will ever increase in the course of his priestly life.

Keep him always joyful in your service. Let him never forget he is needed by your Church, needed by souls, needed for the work of redemption.

O loving Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Priests, take to your heart your son Patrick who will be especially close to you because of his priestly ordination, and because of the power which he will have received, to carry on the work of Christ in a world which needs good priests so much.

Be his comfort, be his joy, be his strength, and especially help him in his life, as you put it at the wedding feast of Cana - to "do whatever He tells you".

In this may Patrick find his happiness and fulfilment.

Amen.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/luke-1-57-66-80-2023/