As we prepare to welcome six new priests into the priesthood, I was struck by a recent letter from the Holy Father to priests in Madrid. Permit me to offer a reflection, building on Pope Leo’s words to encourage you, my brother priests — especially the newly ordained.

Be authentic. To be authentic, you must know yourself and be yourself in the light of Christ. Do not compare yourself to others, thinking you must be the same as your associate pastor, parish pastor, or even your bishop. Do not try to be someone you are not. God has created you uniquely and for a specific purpose, so begin with who you are. Just as grace builds upon nature, ordination builds upon and configures the person more closely to Christ. God can “only” use the materials he has created — but remember that he is not outdone in generosity. If you are willing to give yourself to the priesthood, God will multiply it!

Audaciously pursue your relationship with Christ. As Pope Leo said in his recent letter, “being alter Christus (another Christ)” is the nucleus of the priesthood. Allowing Jesus Christ to “shape our lives, unify our hearts and shape a ministry lived in intimacy with God” enables us to live from a place of “faithful dedication to the Church and concrete service to the people entrusted to us.” We are to measure the authority given to us against the model of Christ. This is no small feat — it requires daily attention. Pope Leo also reminds us that “the priest is never an end in himself. His whole life is called to refer to God and to accompany the passage towards the Mystery, without usurping its place.” By relentlessly cultivating your relationship with Christ, you will come to live in persona Christi Capitis, where your concern for God’s flock becomes a clear expression of your love for Christ.

Invoke the patron saint of parish priests, St. John Vianney. We have someone who cares deeply for our work, who lived “in our shoes,” and who can intercede on our behalf. In reflecting on St. John Vianney’s path to the priesthood — which had many obstacles — we recall that he was nearly denied ordination due to his difficulty with learning Latin. But God puts his twist on things, which makes it so wonderful. St. John Vianney’s story is a reminder that God has called you to this ministry and he will make a way. St. John Vianney was also deeply devoted to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, often spending more than 16 hours a day hearing confessions. Because of this, Ars, the small French village where he ministered, became known as “the great hospital of souls.” By calling on his intercession, may we continue to build what Pope Francis once described as the Church: a hospital for sinners. And don’t we want our parishes to become places of healing for souls?

Nearly 34 years ago, I was ordained to be a parish priest. That’s where God called me — I just did not know at that point he had more in store. But isn’t that the essence of a life of faith? As priests, what better way to live our vocation than by surrendering to God’s will each day. My calling — my vocation — is why I remain and am especially committed to you — and to the People of God. Parish ministry is what gives me life, and it is my deep prayer that you are sustained in that same work. In the words of Pope Francis, “the People of God … are fully a part [of the Church]. The ordained ministers, then, are not masters, they are servants: shepherds, not masters.”

To my brothers and sisters in Christ: Please pray for your priests. If you have a criticism, pray for them. If you see the hard demands weighing against them, pray for them. If you’re thankful for their sacrifice, pray for them. And every once in a while — please thank them!

I leave you a prayer from St. John Vianney:

God, please give to your Church today
many more priests after your own heart.
May they be worthy representatives
of Christ the Good Shepherd.

May they wholeheartedly devote themselves
to prayer and penance;
be examples of humility and poverty;
shining models of holiness;
tireless and powerful preachers of the Word of God;
zealous dispensers of your grace in the sacraments.

May their loving devotion
to your Son Jesus in the Eucharist
and to Mary his Mother
be the twin fountains of fruitfulness for their ministry.

Amen