Happy Day: Philip with his parents, Bernard and Mary.
The homily preached by Philip McMahon OFM at his "First Mass" in his home parish of Navan.
We celebrate only three birthdays within the liturgical calendar of the Church: Jesus' birthday on Christmas Day, Our Lady's birthday on 8 September, and on 24 June, that of John the Baptist. And this evening we celebrate the vigil Mass of that solemnity.
John was a man driven by a singular purpose: to prepare the way for Christ in the world, to clear the obstacles and to point to the one who was to come for the salvation of the world.
Joy in My Heart
The words of John the Baptist during his ministry speak to me at this special moment. When he spoke about his own mission after meeting Christ, he said, ‘I must decrease so that he may increase.’ John embraced his mission with unwavering dedication, pointing the way to Christ.
As I begin my priestly ministry, I must also decrease and allow Christ to increase in my own ministry. It is a calling for me to be humble and to cultivate humility, setting aside my ambitions and my own desires. I place my trust fully in the gentle guidance of the Holy Spirit, allowing Christ to flourish within me.
Through this divine transformation, I'm empowered to serve the people of God in a way that aligns with his will, and not mine.
The joy in my heart today is the same joy as we heard in the Gospel when the angel announced to Zechariah the forthcoming birth of John the Baptist.
This joy was also evident during the visitation when Mary rejoiced with Elizabeth, and John leapt for joy in his mother's womb, celebrating life and his calling to do the will of God.
I aspire to share this joy with everyone I meet in my ministry, using each interaction as a chance to illuminate lives with the love, mercy, and grace of Christ.
Lamb of God
As I prepare to administer the sacraments – particularly in the sacred celebration of the Holy Mass, the intimate act of confession, and the comforting ritual of anointing the sick – I am reminded of another piece of Scripture when John first encountered Christ and pronounced, ‘Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.’
We can truly experience the presence of the same Christ in the sacraments of the Church, as his divine grace flows through each of the sacraments for our salvation.
As I celebrate my Mass of Thanksgiving, I offer it for everyone who is partaking in this celebration, present here or watching online. As I hold the sacred host and proclaim the words of John the Baptist, ‘Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,’ I pray for all who have helped and journeyed with me over the years.
These words are a reminder of the transformative power of Christ’s love and sacrifice. In that moment, Christ is truly among us, mending our wounds and soothing the sorrows we bear. All we need to do is open the door of our hearts and invite him in, allowing him the space to heal our brokenness.
Life can often resemble an obstacle course; each path littered with challenges as we navigate our journeys. We may stumble into traps that whisper doubts, making us feel unworthy of the Lord’s boundless mercy and love. But dear brothers and sisters, let me remind you: we are indeed worthy. He yearns to heal us and dismantle the barriers that keep us separated from him, for his grace knows no bounds, and his desire to bring us closer to union with him is relentless.
Christ’s Selfless Love
John was baptising to promote repentance, emphasising the need to turn away from sin to make room for God. He baptised Christ the sinless one, marking the start of Jesus' mission to heal the world from the brokenness caused by sin.
John prepares us for this mission by highlighting that Christ will baptise us with the Holy Spirit, reflecting his selfless love for each of us – a love that transcends time, for it is that love which we see on the Cross, as he died for all of us.
This gift is rooted in the Paschal Mystery. It begins when we receive it at our own baptism, initiating us into the mystical body of the Church and allowing us to share in Christ's prophetic, priestly, and royal mission.
Regardless of our state in life – whether married, consecrated religious, single, or ordained – we all partake in this mission of proclaiming the Good News that Christ has died for each one of us.
My Gratitude
I have received all my sacraments of initiation here in St Mary's Church, and it has been a great honour to share my ordination within this parish, especially with my parents, family, friends, and all who have supported me throughout my vocation journey. I am particularly grateful to my family, especially my parents, who embody the love and mercy of Christ. It is your prayers and support that have brought me to where I am today, and I am thankful for everything you have done for me.
There have been numerous people who have guided me along the way. I think of Sr Baptist, who has gone home to God, who taught me to be an altar server here at St Mary’s many years ago.
I would also like to thank all the Franciscan brothers who have accompanied me on my journey and supported me along the way. I am grateful to each of you for your wisdom and guidance during my formative years.
True Way to Happiness
It is a challenging time to be a priest in modern Ireland, but it is also an exciting time to be a priest; it is a time of change, much like the one St Francis experienced in his own time.
Many of us here today would have said that I was the last person anyone would expect to become a priest. But God does not call the qualified, but qualifies the called. Just take a moment to reflect on St Peter, who, in a moment of fear, denied Christ three times, or consider St Paul, who once persecuted the very followers of the faith he would later champion. Then there is St Francis of Assisi, who came from a wealthy merchant family and was steeped in material abundance, wanted to be a famous knight, only to discover its inherent emptiness and found that union with Christ was the only true way to happiness.
In our modern world, an unsettling emptiness echoes our estrangement from the divine. Violent wars, a gripping drug epidemic, and a widespread rejection of the spiritual are happening all over the world.
People seemed to be trapped in a relentless cycle. We chase materialism, power, career success, and intellectual superiority. Many seek these alluring treasures, yet beneath their surfaces lies a profound void that troubles the soul.
Amidst this chaos, we can still find solace and peace in God's presence. It is a hope that the evils of this world will not prevail. When we pray as a community and work together, this connection with God helps us to endure the world's pressures because Christ does not abandon us and walks with us.
I invite all of us to reflect on the love of Christ during this Jubilee Year of Hope, and become beacons of Hope that make paths for others to Christ.
Philip with Aidan McGrath OFM (Minister Provincial) and Bishop Deenihan.
If you are interested in the Franciscan way of life please contact:
Friar Liam Kelly OFM
Phone: 087 396 0262
Email: irishfranciscansofm@gmail.com
Postal address: Franciscan Friary, Ennis, Co Clare.
