Anniversary of the Priestly Ordination of Blessed Michael J. McGivney Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Friday, Fourth Week of Advent
22. XII. 2023
I. Mary’s Song of Praise
As Christmas draws near, the Church listens yet again as the Angel announces to Mary that she would be the Mother of the Savior and rejoices as Mary says those words that unlock the saving designs of God’s heart: “Let me done to me as you say!”
The Church then journeys with Mary as she goes into the hill country to visit her cousin Elizabeth who was with child, the child whom we know as John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ. As Mary enters the house of Elizabeth and Zechariah, there is great joy.
Elizabeth greets Mary as “the Mother of my Lord” and calls Mary and the fruit of her womb blessed, just as we do each day.
Mary, for her part, utters her immortal Canticle of Praise, the Magnificat, “The Almighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name!” …
a canticle of praise that daily echoes and re-echoes through the Church, but especially in the hours before we celebrate the birth of Christ our Savior.
II. Giving Thanks for Blessed Michael’s Priestly Ordination
On this 146th anniversary of Blessed Michael McGivney’s Priestly Ordination, let us make our own Mary’s Canticle of Praise.
Let our souls “magnify the Lord” and let our spirits “find joy in God our Savior” who raised up in the Church this holy priest, Blessed Michael.
Indeed, just as the Church bids us find ever-deeper joy in the birth of our Savior, so too we should celebrate the anniversary of Blessed Michael’s ordination with ever-deeper gratitude and joy as the impact of his priesthood continues to be a tremendous blessing to the whole Church,
but especially for the Church in the United States and for the Knights of Columbus.
We can easily and rightly imagine how joyous this venerable Cathedral was on that day so close to Christmas when then-Archbishop Gibbons ordained Blessed Michael and his many classmates. To them and to their families and loved ones, their priestly ordination must have been a wonderful Christmas present from God, as they were sacramentally configured to Christ the High Priest and sent on mission to preach, to celebrate Mass, to forgive sins, and so much more.
The gift of priestly ordination sure registered in the soul of young Michael McGivney. We know this, not because left us an autobiography,
but rather because of the zealous and holy way he lived his priesthood, especially in his ministry as an Assistant Pastor at St. Mary’s Parish in New Haven. Indeed, he would pattern his priestly ministry along the lines of Mary’s canticle of praise, the Magnificat, a prayer that he recited daily as he faithfully prayed the Breviary.
For as he preached and heard confessions, he was a minister of that mercy which God shows “to those who fear him in every generation.”
In an age marked by an anti-Catholic spirit, Father McGivney was for his people and for his Church a tower of strength.
In this priest, God manifested “the strength of his arm”, the founder of the Knights of Columbus, which became “the strong right arm of the Church”.
No one was more intent on “lifting up the lowly” than Father McGivney, especially the widow and the orphan as well as the outcast.
And the great mark of his priesthood was charity, as he sought “to fill the hungry” with good things, and in founding the Knights set in motion a fraternity that is united in charity, and does untold good at home and around the world.
III. Praying for His Cause
So, as Christmas draws near, let us indeed give God thanks and praise for Blessed Michael’s priesthood, and for the holy example he left us, and for his founding of our beloved Order.
But let us take three additional steps:
First, let us pray to Blessed Michael asking him to strengthen he Order he founded, to keep us true to our founding principles of charity, unity, and fraternity, to keep us united in charity, courageous in defending the Church, generous in serving those who are in need, zealous in recruiting new members, especially young men and their families who seek to live the faith robustly.
Second, since the heart of Blessed Michael’s priesthood was the Eucharist, let us prepare to celebrate the Eucharistic Revival now underway in our country with wholehearted enthusiasm and devotion, especially as the national Eucharistic pilgrimage passes through Maryland in June.
Third, let us renew our earnest prayers for the canonization of Blessed Michael. What a great grace that would be for our Order and its mission,
and what a source of encouragement for parish priests in the United States if one their own, a diocesan parish priest, were declared a saint.
IV. A Blessed Christmas
My prayer and wish for each of you and for all the Knights and their families in Maryland and in the whole Order is that you will experience something of joy that Blessed Michael experienced on that first Christmas when he celebrated Holy Mass and greeted the Savior with love beyond all telling.
May you and your loved ones have a most blessed Christmas! Vivat Jesus!