Priesthood is to ‘Be Known and Owned’ by Christ, Says Filipino Cardinal

A Filipino cardinal said that the true grace of being a priest is found in “being known and being owned by Christ.”

“As ordained minister, you let nothing and no one belong to you, so that you belong to nothing and no one except to Jesus,” said Archbishop Jose Cardinal Advincula of Manila.

Presiding over the ordination rites of three priests and one deacon at the Manila Cathedral on March 14, Cardinal Advincula reminded the candidates to recognize their unworthiness and allow God to accomplish His work through them.

“The Church is not really looking for perfect men for ordination,” he said. “Rather, the Church is simply seeking men who are known by their communities, pastors, and their families.”

“The candidate for ordination is not perfect, not complete, not even totally known to the Church. We simply affirm that [an ordained man] is known to God, and we rely on [His] knowledge, understanding, wisdom, and love,” he added.

The cardinal also encouraged the ordinands to surrender their limitations and weaknesses to the Lord, emphasizing that God alone fully knows them.

“It is as if God is saying… ‘Before anyone could even know you, I first knew you. I first loved you.’ This is the deepest foundation of the ordained ministry,” he said.

Cardinal Advincula further urged the newly ordained deacon and priests to remain faithful to Christ by allowing Him to claim their lives completely.

“Your life from now on is no longer your own… All of you now belong to Jesus,” he said.

“Do not allow the world to lay claim on your hearts and souls. Do not allow fleeting pleasures and conveniences to own your bodies. Do not allow delusions and ideologies to possess your minds.”