Holy Thursday - 2024

Decision of Service

This is my second time celebrating Holy Week here at Mar Abraham. God has done a number of wonderful things and taught me so much in my priesthood.

Holy Thursday is always a great reminder of what I’ve dedicated my life for. Today it’s the time Jesus established the Holy Eucharist in the words this is my body and this is my blood.

Today it is the time also that Jesus established the Holy Priesthood through which so many life giving words are said:

The words which declare sin gone in confession.

The words which command bread and wine to become the body and blood of Christ.

These are such powerful things that Christ has tied to the Priesthood.

So it’s so necessary for you as the faithful to pray for your priests to be happy, humble, & holy.

So many people tell me “Father, God bless you for dedicating your life.” It must be so hard. Thank you for your sacrifice. I could never do that.”

It’s not easy to receive these compliments but it’s also necessary to mention that the priesthood doesn’t exist as the only sacrament of service.

The other sacrament of service is holy matrimony.

Yes in priesthood, the man is called to die to himself and live as a vessel for God’s love to be communicated through the sacraments and life he presents.

But in Holy Matrimony, Husband and Wife are called not to just live, but to die for each other in a free, total, faithful, and sacrificial life.

So often we look at marriage sad and ugly, but I think Christian marriage tells a much different story. A heroic story.

We chose these young, married men and fathers of children. Some have been longer than others.

But here we know these men also have been called to great sacrifice.

For their children. their wives. For God.

In service, we cannot do so with a divided heart. Things need to be absolutely clear. We cannot be motivated by pride. There’s no room for that in the kingdom of God.

In the movie Cabrini, Mother Cabrini, who served impoverished children and families in America, she said: “We can serve our weakness or our purpose. We cannot serve both.”

So today, let us remember these words as we go on and serve. Remember that the greatest of us, Jesus Christ, serve and lowered himself the greatest. He died so we can live. There is nothing more heroic in a live like that.

So today let us ask ourselves this question, who will we go on to serve?