Giving thanks for priests who serve faithful, Church

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

While shepherding a diocese calls for the commitment of bishop, clergy, religious and the lay faithful, Church theology and the law of the Church teaches that the priests of the diocese are the primary collaborators of the bishop in his role as Chief Shepherd. So, during my past three and a half years here in Metuchen, I have come to know our priests and have grown to love and admire them.
One of the times I most enjoy being with our priests is at our annual convocation, which was held recently. Every year, we spend three days together in prayer and fellowship, while having a speaker come in to give us some food for thought. We had the largest number of priests attend the convocation this year. I think in part it was because we are in such a difficult time of purification for our beloved Church and its priests. While clearly the survivors and families of horribly abusive acts have suffered the most, the rest of the members of our Church, as well as our priests, religious and deacons have been affected, too. This year’s gathering of our priests was a moment to be together and recommit ourselves to laying down our lives in service of our faithful and examining how we can best accomplish this in the present circumstances we find ourselves.
Appropriately, our Gospel for one of the Masses at our gathering came from the end of Jesus’ Last Supper with His Apostles. Even at this sacred moment, St. Luke told us about the Apostles getting into an argument about who is the greatest amongst themselves. Of course, Jesus redirects the whole conversation to center it on what they should be arguing about, how to serve better. It is wonderful that the Gospel writers did not sanitize the Gospels, but even the Apostles are shown to us as real men, with disagreements among themselves and sin; the Apostles are very much like us. This Gospel was a great reminder for us that God uses flawed people and our limited talents and gifts for His own purposes, and He can make such great things out of them, if we are open to His redirection and correction in our lives. How we must listen to God in our daily personal prayer and Mass. Being with so many of our priests at the convocation, I could not help but call to mind the many great things God has done in His vineyard of Metuchen, through so many of our priests and their sacred ministry. That is something for which we should be truly grateful.
As your Shepherd, I have witnessed firsthand, and heard often from our people, about the great things God has accomplished through our priests, and that fills my heart with gratitude and great hope and joy. At our convocation I thanked our priests for their ongoing commitment to offer their lives, their laying down of their own lives, in service of Christ and His Church in Metuchen. I asked them to renew themselves daily in personal prayer and the prayer of the Church, so that we are truly listening to God who will guide our sacred ministry and redirect us when necessary. I am so grateful, too, for the fruits of my prayer that helps to nourish, sustain and direct me. Mother Teresa used to say, prayer is like air to the lungs, it keeps us alive in God. How right this blessed woman was!
During our priests gathering we also talked about how this has not been an easy year for our diocese, our Church, nor for any of us. It would be easy to recoil a bit in the midst of all the bad news, but that is not the message of the Gospel, nor our Lord’s way. Jesus’ shining moment was on Calvary, and it led to His glorious resurrection. Again, God can use every situation, even evil ones, and can make good things happen, to accomplish His plan.
I have wondered many days and nights in my own prayer what His plan could be as we go forward.  In the end, I have no idea. But I submit to Him each day. I am humbled and grateful that He has called me to be a priest and now a bishop, and He has called me here to serve the people of Metuchen: its lay people, its priests, deacons and those in consecrated life. I am to work to provide healing, to continue to share His Good News.
As I thank God for His gift of priesthood to us, and specifically for our priests here in the Metuchen Diocese, I also thank Him for you and all who assist us priests in our ministry. It is a blessing that so many of you are involved in leading or being involved in so many different activities in our parishes and different apostolates.
I also have experienced how God has spoken to me through those in consecrated life, our lay faithful and deacons. I have heard him guide me through my spiritual director, my confessor, priest friends, family; all of whom have been blessings to me, and I know they are to our priests too.
God has truly done beautiful things through our priests as they strive to serve you and this local Church. Our convocation was a time to thank God for using our priests as His instruments as we strive to use whatever He has blessed us with, to love and serve Him, you and one another, making God more present in our world. I ask for your prayers for me and our priests, that we may be the priests God has called us to be, and which you deserve and need.  
God bless you and as always be assured of my prayers for you, even as I am asking for your prayers.

The Most Reverend James F. Checchio, JCD, MBA Bishop of Metuchen