HOMILY
Ordination to the Priesthood – 27 June 2026
Jeremiah 1:4-9; I Timothy 4:12-16; John 21:15-17
By the grace of God – our brother Jan Carlo Perez – is to be ordained as a priest for service to the people of God in the Church of Scranton. Join me in giving thanks – first, to our good and loving God – for the call to priestly ministry that he planted in Jan Carlo’s heart – an invitation built upon the universal call to holiness which all of us have received in Baptism. … We offer thanks as well to so many of you who are here today in this great cathedral who have helped him discern and respond to God’s call. … We thank those who have been involved in Jan Carlo’s priestly formation – Father Alex Roche and so many priests, deacons and members of the Christian faithful from throughout the Diocese of Scranton and beyond and particularly Monsignor Marc Caron, who joins us today, representing the faculty of Santin Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore. … We thank Jan Carlo’s pastor, Father Don Williams and the faith community of Saint Matthew’s Parish in East Stroudsburg. … And finally, Alex and Liana – Jan Carlo’s parents – we especially thank you and your family for your commitment, your support and the gift of your son to the Church.
Jan Carlo, a few moments ago, this cathedral resounded with applause at your election to the Order of the Priesthood. I pray that this gesture of affirmation will remain in your heart for a long time. It is a powerful moment in the Rite of Ordination and a way for us to express our deep gratitude to God for calling you to priestly ministry. It is also a vivid reminder of the bond we share with you as we journey together in Christ – each in our proper way called to mission in the Church.
But such affirmation can be fleeting, can’t it, particularly as we struggle to find our way in a complicated world? In fact, we encountered that reality in Saint John’s Gospel proclaimed a few moments ago. In the exchange between Jesus and Peter, however, affirmation wasn’t unfairly withheld. It was forfeited by one of Jesus’ closest followers who seemed poised to receive it. Recall in the gospel that Jesus asked Peter – the blessed one set apart as the rock upon whom he would build his church – “Do you love me?” Underneath Jesus’ question that was posed to Peter three times, we discover why the disciple was suddenly challenged by the risen Lord himself with the most sobering of questions.
It’s obvious that Jesus’ three-fold question to Peter finds its source in the disciple’s denial of Jesus – three times – as he embraced his passion. Yet, what is so hopeful in the exchange between Jesus and Peter is that his denial was not the last word. As distressed as Peter was by Jesus’ acknowledgement of his shortcomings, Jesus nonetheless affirmed his call to Peter issued years before, engaging him yet again in the mission of proclaiming the good news of salvation.
This mission that Jesus entrusted to Peter – as ill-equipped as he was on his own – demanded that he embrace and model within his own life Jesus’ selfless love and total gift of himself in his death on the cross. What an incredible mission to place upon the shoulders of any human person – particularly one who all too often fell short of what he was called to do and to be.
Yet, brothers and sisters, that’s exactly what Jesus has done throughout his ministry in this world and in the life of the Church. He’s chosen, called and engaged followers like Peter – followers who, on their own, could never fully embrace the mission entrusted to their care – but followers who were humble enough to accept the mercy of God time and again in their lives – followers who were wise enough to know that if called by the Lord, the Lord himself would provide them with all they would need to do his work.
Something else emerges in the scriptures this morning that bolsters Jesus’ criteria for discipleship. There is a focus in our first two readings on age – specifically, youthful age! … In the passage from Jeremiah, the prophet attempts to back away from God’s call, “Ah Lord God! I know not how to speak for I am too young.” And then in Saint Paul’s first letter to Timothy, he asserts, “Let no one have contempt for your youth.”
I’m uncertain, Jan, if such references to age were the reason you selected these two scripture passages. Yet, as one who no longer fits the category of youth, I can assure you that the concerns and anxieties associated with the youthful disciple are no different than those experienced by the likes of so many of us who have been called by the Lord decades ago. In fact, in God’s wisdom and plan, such concerns set the stage for true discipleship, regardless of one’s age.
For, you see, at the heart of authentic discipleship there must be a radical trust and belief that it is God who has begun the good work in us and God – not we ourselves – who will bring it to fulfillment. No matter how independent and determined we may be – no matter how tireless our commitment to serve – no matter how theologically erudite our words – on our own, we are ill-equipped to do God’s work. Through Baptism and the power of the Spirit in our lives, however, we are assured of the promise of God’s sustaining grace as we assume our unique place in the mission of proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus. Therein we discover the miracle of how God chooses to work in our world, in our lives and in his Church.
While it is true that God has called us all to a royal priesthood in Christ, we acknowledge that he chooses certain disciples to carry out publicly a priestly office in the Church. Today, Jan Carlo, he is calling you to that office. He calls you to shepherd his people in a unique and intimate way, patterned on his own life of service and sacrifice. And you, in turn, declare your willingness to do God’s work within the Church. You affirm your desire to participate in Jesus’ work as Teacher, Priest and Shepherd, by embracing his priesthood and so joining as a co-worker with the Order of Bishops in service of the People of God.
Trust in the grace of God present to you in this sacrament. But always recall, when you teach in the name of Jesus – when you work for justice – when you welcome lives into the Church through Baptism – when you forgive sins in the name of Christ – when you comfort the sick and the dying – when you serve the poor – and when you celebrate the sacraments and particularly the Eucharist – you are both a servant of the Church and a member of the People of God. Remember, then, that while you are appointed to act on behalf of the Christian faithful for those things that pertain to God, you – like all of us – need God’s continued life and mercy in your own.
If you seek, then, to be an instrument of God’s mercy as you have received it yourself, and if you want your ministry as a priest to be fruitful, understand that it begins and ends in your relationship with the Lord Jesus. Allow the Lord to draw you into the circle of his friendship and listen carefully as he speaks to your heart.
Saint John Paul II once observed, “The authority of the priest coincides with the authority of Jesus ‘who came not to be served but to serve, to give his life as a ransom for many.’” We are all grateful, Jan, for your willingness to embrace Jesus’ call to service. As a priest, in a unique way, you will be a minister of the Lord, you will share in his mission, you will act in his name – and you will also be called by the Church “another Christ.” Remember well, however, that this title has less to do with your rank and status among the People of God and much more with a perpetual challenge to be like Christ in the care of your brothers and sisters.
Remember as well that wherever you serve, whatever the Church asks you to do, you are sent and appointed not simply to fulfill your own desires in life but, like Christ, to do the work of God. So, seek to live with integrity the life of celibacy, obedience and simplicity. Lead a life that is marked, molded and characterized by the way of thinking and acting that is proper to Christ to whom you are configured this day.
Finally, sear into your heart these words that Pope Leo shared with newly ordained priests earlier this year. “May your security not lie in the role you hold, but in the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus as well as in your participation, along with your people, in the story of salvation. … “And remember,” he went on, “your people will also help you to become a saint!”
Jan Carlo, God’s people will look to you for so much. Yet, more than anything else, they will look to see in you someone who knows Jesus – a disciple of the Lord who joyfully proclaims by his words and life the hope that is ours through faith. So, Jan, join with us as we give thanks to God who calls you as his priest this day. Know and believe in your heart as you begin this lifelong journey, that God who has begun the good work in you will bring it to fulfillment. Amen!