2 Tim 1:13-14, 2:1-3; Ps 23; Jn 20:19-23

Dear Royston, my son and my brother

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ

Dear friends

Advent is a wonderful season in which to be ordained a priest. Bursting with hope and promise, the Church rejoices that her Saviour, who once came in time, and was born in Bethlehem, will, one day, come again in glory and majesty when all is, at last, fulfilled.

In the midst of this rejoicing, you, dear Royston, are to be signed with a special character through the laying on of hands and the anointing of the Holy Spirit.[1] In a new way, forevermore, you will be configured to Christ the supreme and eternal high priest. You are to be consecrated to act in His very person; to preach His Gospel; to shepherd His faithful; and to celebrate the Sacraments and divine worship in His honour.[2] If this all seems rather daunting, take courage from the risen Lord speaking to His disciples: ‘As the Father sent me, so I am sending you.’[3] It is Christ who has brought you to this point. It is Christ who will carry you forward.

In his beautiful Christmas carol, ‘Tu scendi dalle stelle,’ your great patron, St Alphonsus, announces ‘From starry skies descending, Thou commest, glorious King.’ In an intimately personal way, Christ comes to you, Royston, through ordination to the priesthood so that you can serve His Church and His people with a generous and undivided heart. The glorious King of heaven and earth chooses you to be His priest. In your own way, like St Alphonsus, you have heard the Lord’s voice say within you, ‘Leave the world, and give yourself to me.’ Put aside any anxiety and lay down any fears. Take heart from St Paul writing to the young Timothy: ‘You have been trusted to look after something precious; guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us,’ who lives in you.[4]

A primary image for your priestly life comes from the Lord’s self-identification as the Good Shepherd. St John Damascene’s Pastor’s Prayer to the Good Shepherd echoes God’s great condescension. The Word is made flesh, as God reaches down to a fallen world. ‘O Christ, my God,’ prays St John Damascene, ‘you stooped down to me, poor straying sheep, to take me on your shoulders and … set me down in green pastures.’[5] The plentiful redemption you are called to announce must flow from your inner experience of Christ’s merciful loving. Before we shepherd others, we need to know what it means for the Lord to be our shepherd, my shepherd. Your priestly ministry will ring true when you speak and serve as a friend of the Good Shepherd. ‘Be a shepherd to me, O Lord,’ petitions St John Damascene, ‘and together with me, be the shepherd of your sheep.’[6] Let your priesthood manifest Christ’s special concern for His loved ones who stray, for the destitute and the dispossessed. Be a shepherd for the hundred, not just the ninety-nine.

Royston, because you know what it means to have been found by Christ, you are to lead others to the living water of the Sacraments, to restore and revive their souls in the hope of heaven. Like St Alphonsus, preach fervently, but compassionately, with goodness and kindness, in ways that can be understood by everyone. Pray to the Lord, in St John Damascene’s words: ‘Enable me to proclaim your word boldly, may your Spirit’s tongue of flame give perfect freedom to my tongue and make me constantly attentive to your presence.’[7] As you keep to the pattern of sound teaching, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus, seek to convert hearts and minds with the gentle call of the Shepherd’s voice.

Read more: Rev'd Fr Royston Price CSsR