The priesthood is about falling in love with the Lord Jesus
Archbishop John Wilson celebrated a Mass of thanksgiving for the 30th anniversary of his Ordination to the Sacred Priesthood
At a Mass of thanksgiving celebrating 30 years since his Ordination to the Sacred Priesthood, Archbishop John Wilson said a “priestly vocation is a particular way of being loved by Jesus; and it is a particular way of loving Jesus in return”.
The thirty years, Archbishop John said, “have passed quickly. Eleven thousand days of trying to love in response to being loved”. The immense gift of love from the Lord has left the Archbishop of Southwark sitting, he said, “in the school of gratitude, amazed at what the Lord Jesus has given by letting me share his priesthood. Unworthy as I am, I keep my eyes and heart fixed on him”.
At the Mass, celebrated on Friday 25 July at St George’s Cathedral, clergy, family, friends and parishioners all joined Archbishop John in giving thanks to God for the gift of the priesthood. People from dioceses across the country, and around the Archdiocese of Southwark, travelled to St George’s for the Mass and joyful celebration.
Most of all, Archbishop John said, the “thirtieth anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood is a thanksgiving for my call from the Lord Jesus to be his priest”. It is “an astonishing claim to make”, the Archbishop said, to say:
“that the Word made flesh, the Son of God, the Saviour of the world, the One through whom all things were made, has drawn me into the specific form of loving friendship that is the priesthood”.
To some, he said, “this may sound preposterous” but to Archbishop John “it is breath-taking. This call is the truth on which I stake my life”.
The role of the Sacred Priesthood in all our lives was emphasised by Archbishop John who said:
“we all need priests. Even priests need priests, including priests who have become bishops, to hear their confession and anoint their ailing bodies. And every priest needs to know the Lord Jesus loves him”.
But a priest, Archbishop John said
“dares to speak about God’s love only because it has touched his heart. The love that will not let him go. The love that will not let you go. Such love inspires, motivates, and restores, especially in the Eucharist”.
Archbishop John’s 30th anniversary is on Tuesday 29 July.
Please pray for Archbishop John Wilson on the 30th anniversary of his Ordination to the Sacred Priesthood. Please also pray for all our priests and give thanks to God for making them instruments of Christs love.
You can listen to his homily, watch the Mass in full and view additional photos.
Archbishop John Wilson
Ordained Deacon
13 July 1994
La Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Neve, Palazzola
Ordained Priest
29 July 1995
The Church of the Sacred Heart & St Bernard, Halifax
Ordained Bishop
25 January 2016
The Cathedral of the Most Precious Blood, Westminster
Installed as Metropolitan Archbishop of Southwark
25 July 2019
The Cathedral of St George, Southwark
