Today, on the memorial of Saint Anthony of Padua (June 13), I celebrate my ordination anniversary. Though I should be used to it by now, I continue to be surprised by the passage of time; it doesn’t feel like sixteen years have passed since I stood before Archbishop Alexander Brunett at Saint James Cathedral for reception into the order of presbyterate! As I concelebrated at the ordination Mass of Father Joseph Tapia-Beeman last weekend, those memories were especially on my mind as I watched him make the promises each of us priests make before the laying on of hands by our archbishop, the auxiliary bishops, and then every priest present. Kneeling there at the foot of the altar in the presence of those whom we will serve and prayed over by the brother priests whose ranks we join just moments later – it is both a humbling and exciting moment in the life of every priest.

The date of ordination is chosen by the Archbishop – in the Archdiocese of Seattle this has typically been on the first or second Saturday of June. Nonetheless, I’ve understood the landing of my ordination date as what I think you’ll agree was a not-so-subtle message of affirmation from the Lord of my vocation to the priesthood. As I prepared to be confirmed – just months before I was to enter seminary – I rather desperately chose Saint Anthony of Padua as my patron saint. This was a small gesture of affection for my sponsor, who shared his name with the Patron of Lost Things. But it was Saint Anthony’s patronage of preachers that I found largely attractive – because I was deeply intimidated (I daresay terrified) at the idea of preaching, both in getting in front of others to speak and in doing so with the responsibility of breaking open the mysteries of salvation. When Archbishop Brunett confirmed me at Holy Trinity parish in Bremerton, I was grateful to formally add Anthony to my name and commend myself to his intercession.

My ordination to the diaconate took place on August 23, 2008 – but in the run-up to that day a problem was realized: the church of my then-home parish of Star of the Sea in Bremerton was undergoing massive renovation. Being ordained there would require the Mass to take place in the school gym. Though Father Lappe had done a fine job in making a dignified temporary space for Masses there, Archbishop Brunett insisted that the ordination Mass be celebrated inside a church – so the Mass was moved to Holy Trinity parish, where I had first formally placed myself under Saint Anthony’s patronage. Brick that I sometimes am, I didn’t see what the Lord was doing until my priestly ordination date was announced some time later: June 13, 2009 – the feast day of Saint Anthony.

Though I remember quite a few key moments of the day of my ordination, the majority of that weekend is a blur. Around this time each year I page through the hundreds (!) of photos that were passed on to me and suddenly I’m right back there – knees barely holding me up, unable to believe that this was finally, really happening. The closing hymn of the ordination Mass – ‘O God Beyond All Praising‘ – still chokes me up.

The Solemnity of Corpus Christi holds a similar power over me – especially the sequence Lauda Sion. My first Mass of Thanksgiving landed on the Sunday of this solemnity and the celebration at Star of the Sea in Bremerton happened to be the year Father Lappe re-introduced the tradition of a Corpus Christi procession! As you might imagine, the combination of my first Mass, Corpus Christi, and walking the neighborhood with Christ in my hands surrounded by family, friends & parishioners was profound. Though there have been years (such as this one) where such a procession couldn’t be pulled off, it is something I am so grateful to celebrate at every parish at which I serve.

As I celebrate my anniversary this year, I am struck by the difference between those first days of my priesthood and today. I won’t deny that this day hold special significance for me, but I found myself considering the appropriateness of how ordinary today has been – literally and liturgically: the Friday of the Tenth week of Ordinary Time. Though the day was punctuated with a staff lunch & cake (I was told in no uncertain terms by a certain PAA that I had no more than 15 minutes – preferably 12 – to get through whatever business I had for the staff ), today was mostly the regular work of being priest and pastor. We celebrated the final Mass of our school year, phone calls & emails were sent & received around a great variety of topics, projects major & minor were further worked on, checks got signed, and so on. To be sure, there have been (and likely will continue to be) moments of well-wishing and congratulations – for which I am very grateful – but the work for which I was ordained waits for no man. As the reception of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost led the Apostles out into the world, so ordination leads to rolling up one’s sleeves!

Before Vespers tonight I celebrated a second Mass (a votive Mass For the Priest Himself – On the Anniversary of His Ordination) privately in my rectory chapel – the pictures in this post were taken before and afterwards. So many elements of the Mass come directly from the places and people I have served. The alb a gift from my parents from when I was in seminary, the vestments from parishioners of Saint Mark (Shoreline), the linens made by the Lovers of the Holy Cross of GoVap (Tacoma), the canvas images of stain glassed windows from Star of the Sea (Bremerton), the chalice handed down in my family from the two priests who preceded me, the altar cloth from Sacred Heart (Morton).

At the words of consecration, we priests repeat the words of Christ at the Last Supper: “….in remembrance of me”. These words are embroidered at the base of the altar cloth from Morton (you can just read them through the wrinkles – yes, I will eventually iron the poor thing!). While these words are a direct reference to Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, they also call to mind His Body, the Church. You are the reason He came to offer Himself as a sacrificial offering – and you are the reason we priests are joined in a particular way to that work. It is an honor to be a priest for you, and I look forward to many more years of service to & with you, making – as the closing hymn of my ordination day rang out – a joyful duty our sacrifice of praise.