Pope Leo XIV at Ordination Mass

“Our hope is grounded in the knowledge that the Lord never abandons us: He is always at our side.” Pope Leo XIV expressed this at the Mass for the ordination of the 32 new priests that took place in St. Peter’s Basilica on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, 27 June, which also marks the Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests. Pope Leo continued, “At the same time, we are called to cooperate with Him, above all by putting the Eucharist at the centre of our lives, in as much as it is ‘the source and summit of the Christian life.’” Also the Pope recalled that in the first reading, the Prophet Ezekiel describes God as a shepherd who watches over his flock, counting his sheep one by one, seeking out the lost, binding up the wounded, and strengthening the weak and sick. “He thus reminds us, in this age of vast and devastating conflicts, that the love of God has no limits...We are called to let ourselves be embraced and shaped by that love, and to realize that in God’s eyes—and our own as well— there is no place for division and hatred of any kind.” Towards the end, the Pope reminded that from the earliest communities on, the Church has raised up priests who have been martyrs, tireless apostles, missionaries, and champions of charity. “Cherish this treasure: learn their stories, study their lives and work, imitate their virtues, be inspired by their zeal, and invoke their intercession often and insistently!... Keep their memory alive by your own example of fidelity.”
(Read the full article on:
www.cbcew.org.uk/pope-leo-xiv-at-ordinationmass-may-priests-be-shaped-by-gods-love/)







