I am meeting you, priests called by Christ to serve him in the new millennium. You have been chosen from among the people, appointed to act in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. Believe in the power of your priesthood! By virtue of the sacrament, you have received all that you are. When you utter the words "I" and "my" ("I absolve you ... This is my body ..."), you do it not in your own name, but in the name of Christ, "in persona Christi", who wants to use your lips and your hands, your spirit of sacrifice and your talent.
At the moment of your ordination, through the liturgical sign of the imposition of hands, Christ took you under his special protection; you are concealed under His hands and in His Heart. Immerse yourselves in His love, and give Him your love! When your hands were anointed with oil, the sign of the Holy Spirit, they were destined to serve the Lord as His own hands in today’s world. They can no longer serve selfish purposes, but must continue in the world the witness of His love…
The faithful expect only one thing from priests: that they be specialists in promoting the encounter between man and God. The priest is not asked to be an expert in economics, construction or politics. He is expected to be an expert in the spiritual life... For this to happen, priests need to be trusting in Divine Mercy…
If you live by faith, the Holy Spirit will suggest to you what you must say and how you must serve. You will always be able to count on the help of her who goes before the Church in faith. I exhort you to call upon her always in words that you know well: "We are close to you, we remember you, we watch."
PASTORAL VISIT OF HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI
Warsaw Cathedral, 25 May 2006
Warsaw Cathedral, 25 May 2006