ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA

Dear Brothers and Sisters in our Lord Jesus Christ,

I am delighted to be with you at the inauguration of a new academic year, and, in particular, to join with you in invoking the Holy Spirit and entrusting to Him all the academic, pastoral, human and spiritual pursuits of this Seminary. I greet with renewed sentiments of gratitude the Rector, Administration, Faculty and Staff of the Seminary. I especially extend a cordial welcome to our Faculty members, Father Diamonds, Monsignor Magee, Father Spitzer, Mr. Growdon, Ms. Anderson and Mr. Schmiedicke, who will make the Profession of Faith and the Oath of Fidelity during this Eucharistic Liturgy.

With great joy, I greet all of you, dear deacons and seminarians as you return for another year of formation, and, God willing, another year closer to the Priesthood, closer to Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, and closer to His Mother, Mary. I welcome particularly our new seminarians, those of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia as well as those from other dioceses. Welcome to Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. The presence of the various dioceses and religious communities greatly enriches our Seminary.

I have mentioned a number of times that a few days after the election of Pope Benedict XVI, when I had the opportunity to be with him, our Holy Father said to me: "You have a good seminary." The sentiments of our Holy Father continue to inspire us to excellence in our program of Priestly Formation. I am grateful to your Bishops and Superiors for selecting our Seminary and for the confidence which they place in our faculty and administration in working to form you as priests for the future.

Like the first disciples, you have caught a glimpse of Jesus, who asks "What are you looking for?" The young men, awed by the presence of Jesus, simply asked, "Lord, where are you staying?" Jesus replied simply, "Come, and see!" Jesus extends to you the same invitation. Come, seek His Face; listen to His voice; follow in His footsteps. Thus you begin, or continue on, the wondrous and beautiful journey of priestly formation.

It is the custom of the Church to mark the beginning of a new Academic Year by invoking the Holy Spirit. This custom is most vital especially for a Seminary in which each young man is formed to be "another Christ." In this Votive Mass of the Holy Spirit, we are keenly aware of our need for the Third Person of the Most Blessed Trinity, Font of Wisdom and Light, to guide our efforts, to enlighten our minds, and to renew our hearts—to make us worthy to listen to the word of God, to live the word of God, to bear and to proclaim the word of God wherever we may be.

In his Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Pastores Dabo Vobis, the Servant of God Pope John Paul II wrote: "And so the future priest also, and in the first place, must grow in his awareness that the agent par excellence of his formation is the Holy Spirit, who by the gift of a new heart configures and conforms him to Jesus Christ the good shepherd. In this way the candidate to the priesthood will affirm in the most radical way possible his freedom to welcome the molding action of the Spirit. But to welcome this action implies also, on the part of the candidate, a welcome for the human ‘mediating’ forces which the Spirit employs. As a result, the actions of the different teachers become truly and fully effective only if the future priest offers his own convinced and heartfelt cooperation to this work of formation" (no. 69).

The Scriptures just proclaimed in this Liturgy set the tone for the attitude with which we approach the beginning of a new academic year. The Prophet Isaiah foresaw the gifts which the Spirit would offer: wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, reverence and fear of the Lord (Is 11: 2) - all gifts with which you were sealed at the moment of your Confirmation; gifts which will play a significant role in every aspect of your priestly formation.

The night before His Passion and Death, seated at table during the Last Supper, Jesus exhorted His disciples: "The Advocate, the Holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name—he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you" (Jn 14: 26). Only through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit did the Apostles clearly understand all that Jesus taught them and commanded them. With and through the Holy Spirit, the Apostles were transformed and, in turn, set out to transform the face of the earth. From this day on, dear brothers and friends, like the Apostles, open yourselves to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. He has called you and He will teach you all that you need to know, as you cooperate with His grace and participate fully in the means by which all the areas of priestly formation—human, spiritual, intellectual and pastoral—are offered here at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary.

Realize, too, that you are an important part of the life and mission of this seminary. Begin this new year of grace and formation with the same spirit reflected in the words of Saint Paul: "...live in a manner worthy of the call you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another through love, striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace" (Eph 4: 1-3). As seminarians, you will have a wonderful influence on those with whom you live, learn, pray and serve; but you will also have a tremendous impact on others beyond the walls of this seminary. The evidence of your joy, the example of your chastity, the witness of your reverence at prayer - especially at daily Mass - and the calming effect of your serenity will gently draw the notice of others - especially other young people - who will be attracted to the beauty of your life. Firmly believe that you will have a positive influence on the world. Know also that Jesus will use you to inspire other young men to consider a vocation to the Priesthood.

Dear seminarians, dedicate yourselves to prayer. Invoke the Holy Spirit daily. Ask Him to form you in the likeness of Jesus. Seek daily the Face of Jesus in the Eucharist, in the Gospels, in the Liturgy of the Hours, and in time spent adoring Christ in the Holy Eucharist.

Grow in wisdom and in holiness under the patronage of Mary, the Mother of Jesus, the Immaculate Spouse of the Holy Spirit. Entrust your vocation to Mary and desire nothing more than that nearness to Jesus which will make all of your efforts, your studies, and your duties a pleasing offering to God. Pope John Paul II reminded us: "Every aspect of priestly formation can be referred to Mary, the human being who has responded better than any other to God’s call. Mary became both the servant and the disciple of the Word to the point of conceiving, in her heart and in her flesh, the Word made man, so as to give him to mankind" (Pastores Dabo Vobis, 82).

Today, dear friends, you offer yourselves as willingly as those who first followed Jesus. May each day in the months ahead be for you a journey of hope, of joy and of love. Guided by the Holy Spirit, protected by the Blessed Virgin Mary, open your minds and hearts to Christ Jesus. Let His love flow from your hearts and may His Face shine forth in yours. Amen.