After being called forward from the congregation, this was the word I joyfully proclaimed as I stood before the faithful in the St. Patrick’s Seminary chapel on September 19th. At first, responding “present” might seem no different than answering a roll call. But in the presence of God’s people, spoken before a bishop, this response carries the additional weight of responsibility. It entails surrender.
To respond present is to place oneself before God with freedom, declaring before the Bride of Christ–the Church–a readiness to continue moving forward and to receive whatever comes next as a gift.
In his homily, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco stated that the word candidate comes from the Latin candida, meaning “dazzling white.” Thus, a candidatus is “one clothed in dazzling white.”
In the context of candidacy, that whiteness symbolizes purity of intention, honesty, and the hope of being found trustworthy. As candidates, we desire to grow in these virtues, humble service, and our genuine love of God, so that, conformed to the heart of Jesus Christ the High Priest, we may one day give ourselves entirely and freely to the Church as a gift.
As I stood before Archbishop Cordileone, I was publicly declaring with humility, “Here I am, Lord, send me.” After three years of seminary formation at St. Patrick’s Seminary, one year in the propaedeutic stage and two years in the discipleship program, I am grateful for Archbishop Sample’s continued confidence and acceptance of my petition for admission for candidacy.
To be admitted as a candidate for Holy Orders is to accept the responsibility and the commitment to be formed, to be sent, and to be radically available to God’s will. It is also to be truly present: offering my gifts and limitations, my strengths and weaknesses, and entrusting them all to the slow work of deeper formation and the glory of God.
This moment is deeply ecclesial. No one becomes a candidate on his own. The Church, through the bishop, receives a man’s declaration and affirms his suitability. In short, the seminarian offers himself, and the Church receives him.
Candidacy is therefore both humbling and hopeful. Humbling, because it is a reminder that the vocation to priesthood is given, discerned, and confirmed through the Church. Hopeful, because it marks a step forward–a public acknowledgment that I may continue to move ahead in the process of formation.
To say present is to echo the prophets and saints who placed themselves at God’s disposal. To say present is to echo Mary’s fiat: Let it be done to me according to your word.
As I take this next step, I do so with a heart full of gratitude for the countless prayers and encouragement I have received. I humbly ask that you continue to keep me and my brother seminarians in your prayers, that we may remain faithful, open to God’s will, and grow in our zeal to serve the Lord. Please also be assured of my own prayers for you whose witness of faith continues to inspire and sustain me.