It was great to
celebrate a public Mass (with 10 people) this morning for the first time in
nearly four months! Mass was celebrated for the intentions of Albert Lawes, who
is to be ordained a (transitional) deacon this coming the weekend for Plymouth
Diocese. Please keep him and all those approaching ordination this summer (both diaconate and
priesthood) in your prayers.
Homily: Ordination
joy
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| Rev Andrew Coy lies prostrate for the Litany of Saints at his ordination on Sunday (Photo: Diocese of Northampton) |
On Sunday afternoon, I had the great honour of being one of
the few who could go to a friend’s diaconate ordination at Northampton
Cathedral. We may all feel a bit “dejected” like the crowds in today’s Gospel
because of what we’ve been living through. So, Rev Andrew Coy’s ordination brought a
deep sense of joy that, even amid these challenging times, the Lord is still
sending out young men to serve Him and his people.
It was very moving to see Andrew make his promises publicly before
the Church - and with the Cathedral door wide open and the ordination being
live-streamed – to the world: promises to be celibate for the sake of the
Kingdom, to serve the people of Christ, to proclaim the Catholic faith in word
and action, to pray the Liturgy of the Hours for the Church and the world, and to
conform his life to Christ’s. To make these promises demonstrates a deep trust
in the Lord, the important instruction today’s Psalm puts across.
In the Gospel we hear Our Lord’s words that are always
associated with vocations: “The harvest is rich, but the labourers are few, so
ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.” And so today we
follow the Lord’s instruction and we continue to pray for vocations to the
priesthood, especially for our own Diocese.
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