Click HERE for photos of Fr Thabo Mkhonta's ordination
Homily
About 10 years’ ago, while I was still in the Vicariate of Ingwavuma, I presided the Golden Jubilee Mass of Fr Mel Loftus OSM. Bishop Ndlovu OSM was also present at the celebration.
At the end of the homily I jokingly shared something I had read somewhere. It said: “every priest should be allowed to take three months’ holidays every year because if he is a very good priest, he deserves it. If he is not, the people deserve it”.
Not that the diocese plans to offer the priests three months’ holidays. I hope our priests do not take the story personal as – I believe – they would agree, it could also be applied to bishops!
The bottom line is that as someone is ordained a priest there is a question in his and our hearts: Will he be a good priest? Will he be a very good priest?
Today’s readings – as we usually do in this diocese – have been chosen by the one being ordained: Deacon Thabo Mkhonta. We are all very familiar with the words from the Gospel of John. The risen Jesus asks Peter three times the same question: “Do you love me?”. Three times Peter say: “Lord, you know I love you”.
I must confess that reflecting on this passage this past week, I happened to see something I had not seen before. For the first time Jesus’ reply surprised me. It surprised me because this is not what we usually do. Let me explain.
Whenever a child tells his or her parent: “I love you” (I love you mommy, I love you daddy) the answer is: “I love you too”. The same thing happens – hopefully – between husband and wife. Once on Instagram I saw a video where the wife, leaving the house tells the husband: “I love you” and he purposely keeps quiet waiting for her reaction. She comes back and repeats it untils he would say: “I love you too”. I would call this: “a circle of love”. I love you, you love me.
Not so in today’s passage. Every time Peter says: “Lord, you know I love you”, Jesus does not say: “I love you too, Peter”. He replies: “Feed my sheep” – “Feed my sheep”. Not that Jesus does not love Peter. Of course he does! Jesus though opens that closed circle of love making sure it is spread to others.
It challenges us to break that temptation of believing that my faith, my love for God is a personal matter between him and me. It never is. It is always open to others. It always involves others.
Today’s celebration could be summarized Jesus’ question to Peter. In the next few minutes there will be different questions and prayers but all of them are gathered in this fundamental question from Jesus to Thabo: “Thabo, do you love me?”. If so, “feed my sheep”.
As you are ordained priest today, Jesus entrusts you with his sheep – which remain his forever. You are called to feed them.
Your ordination offers you, me and all the priests here, the opportunity to keep in mind some “DOs” and some “DON’Ts” as we fulfill Jesus’ call in our lives.
DON’Ts
Let me start with the don’t so that we leave them behind but you also hear them first!
- you are called to feed them, not to sacrifice them
- you are called to feed the sheep and not yourself
- we are familiar with the passage from Ezequiel (34: 2- 4) where God complains about shepherds: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been pasturing themselves! Should not shepherds pasture the flock? You consumed milk, wore wool, and slaughtered fatlings, but the flock you did not pasture. You did not strengthen the weak nor heal the sick nor bind up the injured. You did not bring back the stray or seek the lost but ruled them harshly and brutally.”
- we are also aware of pastors who are good enough at brainwashing the people into feeding the pastor and not him feeding the sheep
- we have sadly learn from experience that when we lose direction we could also abuse the sheep in many ways: emotionally, financially, sexually, abuse of power...
- all this is important as we live in a context where power is abused by anyone who feels has authority (Gender Based Violence, security forces…) and we need to make sure it is not so among us;
DOs
How then are you called to feed them? The answer could be very simple. Two words summarize what you should keep in mind: “Like Jesus”. Feed them, “like Jesus” did. Go back to the Gospels learning from him how to feed his sheep, because you are called to continue what he did.
- The first answer that comes to our minds is that we feed them by His Word and the sacraments – probably the Eucharist is the first one among them that we think of.
While being true, you will always be challenged to make sure the Word you feed them with is His and not yours. There is a tendency in our country to use selective passages of the Bible to justify anything we believe in.
Make also sure you always remember you do not own the Eucharist. You do not own the Mass. Do not fall into the temptation of putting conditions to celebrate the Eucharist or that you feed yourself leaving others hungry. The image of Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners, should be your companion;
- You will feed them with your own life. In other words, you need to make sure that “the Word becomes flesh” in your life as we see in Jesus. At the last supper he said: “take this and eat”. He became bread to feed us. Become that type of bread that is able to nourish his sheep;
- Your time, your presence. Visit them. Some families have not seen a priest in their homes for decades;
- Your words can build, hurt or destroy. Be careful, be mindful of your words;
- Your listening to them! I know you were taught to preach. I hope you were taught to listen too! Even if you were not, learn to listen to the people. This is what the Church is asking us to do in this present moment;
- your attitude can offer them Jesus. Remember the second reading you chose. Love them in that way: being patient, kind...
- You feed them also in a very particular way: by living your priesthood “in communion with” your bishop, your brothers priests, our religious sisters, our diocesan pastoral council and the parish pastoral council.
Years’ ago I offered a priest the chance to move to another diocese because he was clearly not in communion with me, his bishop. He insisted he was in communion with me but the truth was that he would never accept anything that was being asked from him.
The moment you would isolate yourself – normally we deceive ourselves saying we have the best reasons to do so – that moment you deprive the people their food...
Thabo, Jesus asks you today: “do you love me?”. Love is not static. Today’s love for Jesus is called to grow and if it grows your priesthood will be a blessing to everyone and a source of joy to you.
The real answer to the question - your love for Jesus - will be seen in the way you feed those entrusted to you.
