Archbishop Martin: the greatest privilege for priests is to celebrate the Eucharist

Archbishop Eamon Martin. Image CCO

Archbishop Eamon Martin gave this homily at Mass for the 50th National Day of Intercession for Priests at Ireland's International Eucharistic and Marian Shine, Knock, Co Mayo in the Archdiocese of Tuam.

Three weeks ago I was honoured to celebrate Mass at the tomb of Saint John Vianney in the French town of Ars where he served for more than 40 years. My pilgrimage there was to mark the Jubilee of Hope and the centenary of the canonisation in 1925 of the saintly Curé of Ars.

In the Basilica I prayed for the priests I have known over the years. I thanked God for the dedication and quiet commitment of so many good priests throughout Ireland; I remembered my classmates and the priests who inspired my own vocation, and I prayed especially for priests who are sick, struggling, or out of ministry.

As I have gotten older, I've come to realise how important it is to pray for priests. It's understandable that people are more used to asking priests to pray for them, and might not realise how much we priests are ourselves in great need of prayer: that we might be conformed more and more fully to Christ.

I discovered that there is a separate chapel in Ars which houses the heart of Saint John Vianney. He described priesthood as "the love of the heart of Jesus" and said that "to be a missionary, is to let your heart overflow." So, in that chapel I prayed "heart to heart" with the saintly Curé of Ars and "heart to heart" with Jesus, that my own priestly heart would be completely open in love for God and for the people I serve.

Not far from Ars is the shrine of Paray-Le-Monial where, 350 years ago this year, Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque had her visions of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, burning with love. Saint Margaret Mary described the flames overflowing and radiating out from His wounded heart, to bring love, healing, conversion and compassion into the world.

Our late Holy Father, Pope Francis, emphasised this strongly in his final encyclical, Dilexit Nos, on the human and divine love of the heart of Jesus. He writes, "I ask our Lord Jesus Christ to grant that his Sacred Heart may continue to pour forth the streams of living water that can heal the hurt we have caused, strengthen our ability to love and serve others, and inspire us to journey together towards a just and fraternal world of solidarity" (220).

Sister Briege McKenna told me recently that 20 years ago she, and Father Kevin Scallon, were invited by the Holy See and others to give an international priests retreat in Ars and Paray-Le-Monial, on the theme of "priesthood, the love of the heart of Jesus". By then Sister Briege and Father Kevin had an international reputation for facilitating retreats and intercession for priests. Back in 1976, in those challenging years for the priesthood following the Second Vatican Council, they felt called to bring their charisms to the cause of prayer for priests. And the first intercession for priests was held at All Hallows in Dublin with just a small number gathered. Thanks be to God for the tremendous fruits of their work over fifty years. It has become such an abundant source of grace, encouragement and strength for thousands of priests all over the world.

Father Kevin - God rest his soul - often said that their mission was inspired by two words from scripture. Firstly, from Luke's gospel chapter 22, those words of Jesus to Simon Peter: "Simon, behold Satan desired to have you that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail; and when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."

And secondly, those verses from Hebrews,chapter 5:

"In the days of his flesh, he offered up prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears … and is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always loves to make intercession for them."

Father Kevin said that the retreat in Ars back in 2005 was the most important retreat that they were ever asked to give, and it was blessed by an extraordinary outpouring of God's grace. More than one thousand priests and bishops attended. atheOne of the most important aspects of the Retreat was prayer of healing for the priesthood, and for that purpose the entire group was bussed off on a day pilgrimage of reparation to the shrine of the Sacred Heart in Paray-Le-Monial.

One of the great gifts of the "intercession for priests" is that Father Kevin and Sister Briege were able to open up safe and sacred spaces where priests could have a personal encounter with the Risen Christ, who first called them. In those spaces they were able to deepen their love for Christ and consequently for the gift of their priesthood. That grace often came about because the priest found himself open to receiving personal forgiveness and healing.

In facilitating such spaces - as Sister Briege and Father Pablo continue to do all around the world today - the "intercession" has gifted precious moments for the sacramental grace of Holy Orders to be renewed in the lives of priests.

We priests tend to be caught up in a multitude of demands and distractions. In recent times, like many others, we have become vulnerable to isolation and loneliness, and sometimes to unhealthy or harmful influences that can steal away the joy of our vocation. And we priests are not the best at accepting when we need help and support or finding guides and mentors to accompany us spiritually, pastorally, intellectually and especially in our personal human development.

Equally, we are sometimes slow to find moments for rest and renewal, and spaces where we can cultivate interior silence, centre ourselves on our Lord Jesus Christ, to hear and understand what is God's will for us at this particular moment, to renew the joy of our ordination and to pour out gratitude to God for calling us to this wonderful ministry.

One of the greatest challenges we face as priests is to "be good news" for the world. To be "the love of the heart of Jesus" for others and to radiate that love in the world. How easy it is for us priests, especially when we see our priesthood undermined or attacked, to forget that we share in the great commission given by the Risen Christ to His apostles: "go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News".

There are many times when we feel our brokenness, our woundedness, our need for God, especially when we learn that some of our brother priests have committed awful sins and crimes of abuse. Not only has abuse caused immense damage and trauma to the lives of victims and their families, but it has also broken the heart and spirit of many priests, damaged priestly fraternity and credibility, and that precious trust between us and our people.

In these times, especially, we need to be open to God's healing love within us, to know that we are loved and understood by God, despite all of our weaknesses and faults. And we need prayers, and intercession, not just as individual priests called by God, but also for the priesthood itself. I find it helpful to pray with those words of Saint Paul in his second letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians, chapter 4:

"We are only the earthenware jars that hold this treasure, to make it clear that such an overwhelming power comes from God and not from us. We are in difficulties on all sides, but never cornered; we see no answer to our problems, but never despair; we have been persecuted, but never deserted; knocked down, but never killed; always, wherever we may be, we carry with us in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus, too, may always be seen in our body."

In his reflection for the 50th Jubilee of Intercession for Priests, Father Jack Finnegan remembers the late Father Kevin once presenting a challenge, that priests would be "ordinary mystics" in everyday life.

In my own life I've found that, above all else, people want us priests to be prayerful, steeped in the Word of God, and able to celebrate the sacraments faithfully and reverently. Our greatest privilege is to be able to celebrate the Eucharist for our people and for ourselves. That is because in this troubled, confused, and often empty and superficial world, people quite simply want us to be men of God, who can point them to the Transcendent, and lift up their hearts and minds to the beauty and truth of God.

On behalf of everyone here today, and all those watching over webcam, on behalf of the bishops of Ireland, I thank God today for calling Sister Briege, Father Kevin, Father Pablo, and all who have supported and facilitated the "intercession for priests" over 50 golden years. And thank you, Father Kevin, Sister Briege, Father Pablo, for saying 'yes' and giving so generously to this special mission for the priesthood. You have made a real difference.

The "intercession" has helped to remind us priests that priesthood is not like other jobs or professions because it is subsumed into our whole being. Our priesthood is not our own. It is a share in the priesthood of Christ. It is a partaking in the love of the heart of Jesus. The "intercession" has been a tremendous gift from the Lord to encourage, affirm and strengthen the faith of priests here in Ireland and all over the world. Thank you God. Thank you, "intercession." Amen.

Archbishop Eamon Martin is Archbishop of Armagh, Apostolic Administrator of Dromore and Primate of All Ireland.