Homily 14.12.25 by Frank Brennan 6

On this very day 40 years ago I was ordained priest. It was a very hot night in St Stephen’s Cathedral in Brisbane. The ordaining bishop was Archbishop Francis Rush. At the time he was president of the Australian Catholic Bishops conference. He had just returned from a synod in Rome. Knowing that he was to ordain two Jesuits within the week, he visited the tomb of St Ignatius Loyola and sought out Fr Peter Hans Kovenbach, the superior general of the Jesuits.

I give thanks for this past 40 years of priesthood. I thank God that you have claimed me as your priest. I hope and pray that I can continue to grow in patience, not judging you, my brothers and sisters in Christ, and growing ever stronger of heart. Preparing for Christmas, let’s pray that every one of us can follow a vision of ‘serenity, frankness, realism and Christian hope’.