Congratulations Msgr. Gervasio, Ad Multos Annos!
Today is the 25th anniversary of the priestly ordination of my pastor, Msgr. Thomas N. Gervasio (pictured above). The parish celebrated this wonderful event on Sunday. There was a beautiful Mass at St. Anthony’s church in the afternoon, followed by a very fun reception at a local hotel. Msgr. Gervasio asked his friend from the seminary, Fr. Robert Pasley, K.H.S. to preach at this Mass, and Fr. Pasley gave an awesome homily, affirming the value of the ministerial priesthood (very appropriate for not only a priestly ordination anniversary, but also for “Priesthood Sunday”). I am happy to reprint Fr. Pasley’s homily below.
Twenty nine years ago, in August 1978, at Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary, in Emmitsburg, Maryland, I met a seminarian from Trenton, by the name of Thomas N. Gervasio. We met just before Mass, on our second day, at the top of the hill behind the seminary near the beautiful Lourdes Grotto.
Where has the time gone?
Our responsibilities have increased and I think, so has our weight – Just a little.
Our experience has flourished while our follicles have thinned - his more than mine.
We have lived through many varied assignments – challenging, joyful and some downright crazy. We made it through the seminary without computers, the internet, and no one had a cell phone – as a matter of fact – one thing has not changed in the last 29 years – Msgr. still doesn’t have a cell phone. Getting in touch with this busy priest is no easy matter. Before this grand Jubilee, I spoke at length with Father Garrett. We both decided it was time for Monsignor to have a cell phone. But even though he is a Monsignor, and even though he was at the top of his class in the seminary, technologically, there are some difficulties. Fr. Garrett, however, came up with a solution and saved the day. We are going to buy him a Jitterbug phone - used for senior citizens. All he will have to do is push the big magenta Msgr. button and the operator will dial the number for him. A new chapter has begun.
My dear people, all humor aside, we celebrate today the priesthood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the 25 years that Msgr Gervasio has shared in the glorious gift of that priesthood. We celebrate 25 years of faithful, dedicated service to Christ and His Church. We celebrate 25 years as a shepherd and teacher. We celebrate 25 years as an alter Christus – another Christ - who brings the glorious gifts of God and the joyful message of the Holy Gospel to all who will listen. “Blessed are the feet of him who brings glad tidings.”
The last 20 years have not been kind to the priesthood; attacks from without, but even worse, defections and betrayals from within. At my Jubilee celebration in April, I told my people how truly thankful I was for having been given this great gift. I do not know of anything else I would want to do in this life, and I’m sure Monsignor would say the same. God called us – the Church confirmed the call - and it has been a life filled with
redeeming sufferings and beautiful joys. We would do it all over again without a doubt.
We, however, are halfway through our allotted time. Vocations to the priesthood are desperately needed. Doctrinal confusion, materialism, and the fact that parents no longer encourage their son’s to be priests, has caused a spiritual contraception in the Church. Where are the vocations? Without the priest, the Church and its full life of grace is severely wounded, if not destroyed. And so, on this day, when we celebrate Msgr.’s Jubilee, we are also here to celebrate the sacred priesthood. Please permit me to take this time to meditate on this essential gift of Christ to his Church.
First and foremost, the priest is a sacramental Icon of Christ. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states,
“In the service of the ordained [priest], it is Christ Himself, who is present to His Church as Head of His Body, Shepherd of His Flock, High Priest of the redemptive sacrifice, and teacher of the Truth.”
The priest acts, “In Persona Christi Capitis – In the person of Christ the Head.”
The Catechism goes on to quote Pope Pius XII, in his encyclical, Mediator Dei,
“It is the same priest, Christ Jesus, whose sacred person His minister truly represents. Now this minister, by reason of the sacerdotal consecration which he has received, is truly made like to the High Priest and possesses the authority to act in the power and the place of the person of Christ himself.”
The most recent Council of the Church, in its decree on Priests, says,
“Priests of the New Testament, by their ordination, are set apart that they may be completely consecrated to the task for which God chooses them.”
These beautiful descriptions of the priesthood are made manifest and become most real - in the confessional, while anointing the sick, in pouring the water of Baptism, in witnessing marriages, and ultimately and most perfectly when he celebrates that sacrament which is the height and summit of all the sacraments – Calvary renewed, the Eternal Banquet, the Wedding Feast of the Lamb – the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
At Mass, one with the Lord sacramentally, he is the priest (The one who offers sacrifice and intercedes for the people) and the victim (the one who gives his whole life, with the Lamb to the service of the Father and the flock). He dons the sacred vestments which somewhat hide his human weakness and limitation. These vestments help teach us what he is about;
The alb, the long white robe – is a symbol that he has been washed clean in the blood of the Lamb
The cincture – the rope belt, is a symbol of his being girded with chastity - so that he can give his love exclusively to the Lord and His service
The Stole – worn around the neck – is the sign that he is an instrument of the sacred authority and power of Christ.
The Chasuble - the outer garment – is a symbol of the yoke of service that he gladly accepts.
He offers bread and wine as did the Lord, and at the moment of Consecration, he does not say, “This is His Body – This is His Blood.” NO – He says, “This is MY BODY and this is the chalice of My BLOOD. Do this in memory of me.” The priest is the frail, human instrument of Christ who effects the sacrifice of our redemption and performs a task to which angels must bow.
Second, the priest must be a prophetic voice in the world. This is so often downplayed or forgotten these days. There are those who are afraid to speak the truth because it might offend.
In the Epistle today we hear from Saint Paul who writes to Saint Timothy. Just prior to today’s passage he says to Timothy –
“I charge thee, before God and Jesus Christ, who shall judge the living and the dead, by his coming, and his kingdom: Preach the word: insist on it, in season and out of season: reprove, entreat, rebuke in all patience and doctrine. For there shall be a time, when they will not endure sound doctrine; but, according to their own desires, they will heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears: And will indeed turn away their hearing from the truth, but will be turned unto fables. But be thou vigilant, labor in all things, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill thy ministry. Be sober.”
He then goes on to say in today’s reading that He is being poured out like a libation. A libation was a sacrificial offering in pagan temples – usually animal blood that was poured out of a chalice on to the altar. To be poured out like a libation was to sacrifice one’s life, to even shed ones blood, so that the Truth – Christ - no matter how inconvenient or dangerous, could be proclaimed.
As Saint Paul says, a priest must fight – and I emphasize – fight, the good fight. He must finish the race, keep the faith, and teach others to do the same. He must do everything it takes to win the merited crown and lead others in its pursuit. And he must do this even if, God forbid, everyone should abandon him. For the Lord will be his strength that the preaching task might be completed and all nations might hear the Gospel.
Third, the priest is the shepherd who must rule and guard the flock.
He administers the goods of the Church for the benefit of the flock
He gathers the lost, provides for those in need, and feeds all by providing religious education
He brings new sheep into the fold through RCIA.
He teaches, he cares for, he leads all to the green pastures of sacramental grace, doctrinal truth, and good moral living.
He teaches the flock to be just and merciful, charitable and forgiving.
Our Lord says in St. Matthew’s Gospel, “So let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven…He therefore that shall break one of these least commandments, and shall so teach men, shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. But he that shall do and teach, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. The shepherd must be great, he must be a light for without him the sheep would be scattered in the darkness.
Finally, the Catechism, grounding us in reality, says,
“The presence of Christ in the minister is not to be understood as if the latter were preserved from all human weaknesses, the spirit of domination, error and even sin.”
No, the priest is called to be an Icon of Christ, a prophetic teacher, and a good shepherd, but he is also sinner in need of salvation. At the beginning of every Mass, the priest, along with his people bows before God and says, I confess that I have sinned, mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa – through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault. It was Saint Augustine who said, “I am for you a bishop, and with you a disciple.” We are for you priests but with you disciples. A priest is a weak man who must constantly strive to become the personal friend and faithful disciple of the Lord. He cannot believe in his own self-righteousness, like our friend in the Gospel, the Pharisee, but must, with the poor tax collector, raise his eyes to heaven, strike his breast, and every day repeat; “O God, be merciful to me a sinner!”
On this beautiful day of celebration, we shout out to the all the world, our thanksgiving and appreciation for the great gift of the sacred priesthood. Monsignor Gervasio, my dear friend and brother priest, I know that you have striven, with every ounce of your being, to love the Lord and be a good priest – with consistency, faithfulness, and joy for 25 years. So many people today are afraid of making a commitment in life. Commitment to one thing means freely choosing to limit other options in life. Saying yes to one thing means saying no to many other things. But without dying to self, without living for something bigger than self, without a commitment to something important, we are tossed to and fro by every whim that presents itself, and before we know it, life quickly approaches its end. And perhaps, we have very little to show for all the years we have spent.
But on your ordination day, 25 years ago, you lay prostrate on the floor of the Cathedral and begged all the saints of heaven to intercede for you. You rose and knelt before Bishop Reiss. As he imposed hands on you, you accepted Christ’s call and gave your life to that call - and you have never turned back. You have had to die to self over and over again and by God’s grace you have a treasury of goodness to show for all the years that you have spent in the Lord’s service.
The priesthood is a wonderful life. Please pray and work for vocations! Encourage your sons and grandsons, your nephews and friends, to consider a commitment to this life. And please pray for us who continue to fight the good fight for Christ and His Church.
Monsignor Gervasio – God has given us an incredible 25 years
AD MULTOS ANNOS !
May you have many years, May our Lady watch over you and guard you, and may God Bless you in every way.
[Sermon given on Sunday, October 28, for the Silver Jubilee of The Reverend Monsignor Thomas N. Gervasio, by The Reverend Robert C. Pasley, KHs, Rector of Mater Ecclesiae Mission, Berlin, NJ]
