On Trinity Sunday (May 31) 2015, 4 men were received to Candidacy for the priesthood.
Here are pictures from the Candidacy, followed by the text of the homily by Bishop Rozanski.
Homily for Trinity Sunday and Admission of Candidacy
Sunday, May 31, 2015
St. Michael Cathedral
Readings: Deuteronomy 4: 32-34; 39-40; Romans 8:14-17 Matthew 28:16-20
My dear friends in Christ,
What a joy it is to gather on this day when we celebrate God who is the basis of all relationships! In our reading from Deuteronomy, Moses reminds God’s people of the wonderful ways in which God has related to them: first in creation, then in establishing a covenant and finally in giving to them a land in which to settle. God’s love did not end in the act of creation, but continues as God journeys with His people to the Promised Land. As the Creator of all, God invites us to participate in and with Him throughout history by sharing His ability to create with us. Moses reminds the people of the goodness of God in creating the human race and His inviting us to be in Covenant with Him.
From recalling the beauty of God’s creation, we find ourselves at the mountain where Jesus ascends into heaven. Completing the work of re-creation, of saving us from our sins, Jesus then commissions his apostles, the Eleven, to go out to preach the Good News and to baptize all nations in that formula so well known to us. The Trinity is the relationship of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who in perfect unity help to accomplish the work of salvation for us. As God made human, Jesus formed the disciples from his relationship to them and invited them to participate in His redeeming work to bring the message of forgiveness and redemption to the whole world. Confident of the promise of Jesus to be with them always, the disciples, enlivened by the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, were able to carry the Gospel to others and form the early Church as the Body of Christ here on earth. Today’s celebration of the Trinity calls us to focus on the love that God pours out on us by creating, redeeming and sanctifying us for life forever with Him. As Moses was able to lead God’s people to the Promised Land, God’s son Jesus leads people of every time to that Promised Land of Heaven through His Church, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
Today, we have the privilege to witness the Spirit at work in the Church as we witness these four young men, Frank Furman, Michael Kokoska, Bernardo Rios and Trinh Sinh publicly express their resolve to respond to Christ’s call to serve His Church. In the Rite of Admission to Candidacy, these four seminarians declare that, cooperating with God’s grace, they will continue to study, to be formed and unite themselves more closely with Christ on the journey that will ultimately lead to priesthood ordination.
So now, dear brothers, I address these words to you who have already begun your formation. Through this formation you will learn each day to live according to the Gospel and to be strengthened in faith, hope and charity. By practicing these virtues you will grow in the spirit of prayer and in zeal to win all people for Christ.
Compelled by the love of Christ and strengthened by the inner working of the Holy Spirit, you have arrived at the moment when you are to express openly your desire to be bound in Holy Orders for the service of God and His people. This desire we shall receive with joy.
From this day on, you must cultivate more fully your vocation using especially those means that can be offered to you as help and support by the ecclesial community entrusted with this task. On the part of all of us, trusting in the Lord, we will assist you with our love and prayers.