By Archbishop Thomas Wenski - The Archdiocese of Miami
Archbishop Thomas Wenski preached this homily at the graduation Mass for seminarians at St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami. The ceremony took place May 6, 2020 with only the archbishop, seminary staff and seminarians in attendance. It was livestreamed on the seminary’s Facebook page and may be seen via the link above (the program starts around the 10:40 mark).
In today’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, we heard how the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the works I have called them.” The apostles then laid hands on them, after completing their fasting and prayer, and sent them off. Today, our graduates are sent off – as they continue their vocational journey that, please God, will bring them to the day of their ordinations.
They too have been called by the Holy Spirit for the work of preaching the Gospel message. The core of that message is summarized for us in today’s Gospel: “Whomever believes in me,” says Jesus, “believes not only in me but in the one who sent me.” That belief in Jesus, who is the light of the world, the light of truth, helps us to navigate through darkness of sin in our world. For as St. John says in the prologue to his Gospel: “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.”
However, even as tonight we recognize your academic achievement, I wish to acknowledge that this achievement was attained – at least during this last semester – under some stress and uncertainty because of this pandemic that has upended all our lives. We have all been affected by this pandemic; but today we also thank God that as you “sheltered in place” here on campus, none of you was infected.
But, we do well to remember that your being here at St. John Vianney was not solely about academics. Certainly, as you have heard many times, your formation is built on four pillars: intellectual, human, spiritual and pastoral. And while scholarship is certainly demanded here, St. John Vianney is not simply about producing scholars but in the words of Pope Francis, St. John Vianney is about forming “missionary disciples.” Que seamos discípulos y misioneros de Jesucristo para que nuestros pueblos en él tengan vida.
To be a missionary to the people of our times requires rigorous preparation in any number of disciplines. We need to grow in our understanding of the joys and hopes, the sorrows and anxieties of the people of our times; we need to acquire competencies and skills to engage the world of today in dialogue. But more importantly, if we are to be effective missionaries of the Word of God, if our witness is to be convincing, then we must also be committed disciples. And, whether or not all of you will continue in your discernment for the priesthood at St. Vincent de Paul Seminary, we pray that your days here at St. John Vianney — with the integration of the four pillars of priestly formation into your own lives — has helped you grow in your relationship to Christ. Only to the extent that we are committed disciples can we be effective missionaries and witnesses of the Lord.
Your major, of course, has been philosophy which St. Thomas Aquinas called the “ancilla teologiae” – the handmaiden of theology. Philosophy has been called many other things – not all complimentary to be sure. But hopefully your courses have given you insight into the “lived wisdom” of the ages and have equipped you now to engage that wisdom that spoke through the prophets and through the Word Incarnate in your future studies in theology.
On the day of your ordinations, God willing, your names will be called and when called you will answer “present.” In this way you will express your willingness to put yourself at the disposal of the Lord who “died for all, that those who live might live no longer for themselves but for him…” (cf. IV Eucharistic Prayer, II Cor. 5: 15) But until then, your continued formation helps prepare for that day – and for your generous response of saying, “Adsum,” present.
Our priests respond “present” every day, and in so many ways, through their ministry to the people of God. In recent months, because of the “lockdown” occasioned by the coronavirus pandemic, they had to minister to God’s people in some new and creative ways. And perhaps, they and you – because of the social distancing that limited our physical contact with our people – we were reminded of that “essential service” that we as Jesus’ disciples are called to provide our people – that “essential service” is our praying for them.
Without prayer, our apostolic works and ministries
easily can become just activism – not distinguishable from the good works that
some secular organizations do. Without prayer, ministry loses its soul – and it
becomes sterile, incapable of “spreading and growing” the Church because
without prayer it is no longer rooted in the Word. As a seminary community –
sheltered in place – you were privileged to participate fully in the
sacramental life of the Church. Learning how to live with social distancing –
and to deal with cabin fever – perhaps contributed to your “human formation”
but hopefully it also afforded you unexpected opportunities for spiritual
growth and maturity.
As you end this semester and look forward to
some summer vacation – within the limitations of the continuing need for social
distancing at least until there is a vaccine – I remind you that “there is no
vacation from a vocation.”
For this reason, I commend all of you to the priestly
intercession of this seminary’s patron saint, St. John Marie Vianney, the Cure
d’Ars. He often gave this advice to those who sought his counsel: Do only what
can be offered to the Lord.
The life of this humble parish priest continues
to inspire priests and future priests. This saint at a time of great religious
indifference in post-revolutionary France single-handedly initiated a spiritual
revival in his country. Up until the day of his death, thousands of pilgrims
would arrive daily at the rural outpost of Ars so that they could confess their
sins to him.
He moved sinners to conversion not through
sophisticated schemes or eloquent words. (He was a rather dull student and was
not thought of as being very intelligent). Nor did he win people over by his
good looks (the old sepia photos of him reveal a rather homely man).
What won people over was his holiness — people
knew he was the real thing. You know the story well: when he had first set out
for Ars – on foot – to take up his assignment, he quickly realized he was lost
and asked a young boy whom he encountered on his path if he knew the way to
Ars. When the youngster said yes, Père Jean Marie Vianney told him: “You show
me the way to Ars and I’ll show you the way to heaven.” And, when he arrived in
Ars, he set about to do just that.
Let us ask that, through the intercession of St.
John Mary Vianney, we all will continue to grow in holiness — and, in this way,
take Christ and his Gospel to the men and women of our times. As Barnabas and
Saul were, in today’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles, the Holy Spirit
has also set you apart for the works he has called you.
