This homily was delivered at the Church of Gesu in Milwaukee on June 3. The readings today conspire in a remarkable way to tell us something about the priesthood of Jesus Christ you will be ordained to serve and preserve in the life of the church. Immediately, the first reading tips us off that there is something altogether new about the priesthood of those sent, ordained by the Risen Lord. These companions of Jesus stand in marked contrast to the high priestly class of the Jerusalem Temple, who were amazed at the boldness of these uneducated, unconnected, very common men. The author of the Letter to the Hebrews fills in the picture of this new priesthood by linking it with the more original understanding of priesthood as he writes the Jewish Christian community in Rome. This new priesthood is of the Order of Melchizedek. A mysterious figure, Melchizedek is the first in the Torah to be declared Kohen. He appears out of nowhere and disappears just as quickly after offering gifts of bread and wine. Time does not confine him. His priesthood is everlasting; it endures, and according to the Evangelist John, it is a priesthood Jesus makes his own as the Risen One by forever remaining with his followers, nourishing them by his mere presence, as a vine does for its branches. All of this suggests that the priesthood of Jesus Christ you are ordained for is about remaining in an enduring way with those you serve, and in that way, like Jesus himself, you take on the task of being their basic nourishment, a source of life for them just by your remaining, being present and accompanying them, so that they learn to remain in his love. This is why you will offer bread and wine, as Melchizedek was the first to do, not to set you apart in a separate class, but to keep ever fresh in your minds and in the minds of those you serve that your priesthood is about remaining with others, nourishing others, as if you were one of the basic staples of life for them. This is quite a commitment, and you at times may find yourself along with others asking the kind of question posed to those first disciples: "By what power, by what authority, by what right can you claim to do this?" All that you hear and see today in word and sacrament will serve you well in giving a reply. First, in just a moment you will prostrate yourself in prayer as we call upon the communion of saints to intercede to God for you. That simple yet profound action should etch in your minds that there should never be any consideration of your power in the priesthood that does not aim at laying down your life for others. As you hear us repeatedly sing "pray for us," take heart that we join all the saints in asking that God grace you to let go of self-preoccupation, and to be disposed to the needs of others. We make this plea because we need your witness of that kind of power in the world. It is a convincing witness that will empower us and others to do the same: for the couples you prepare for marriage to love each other with a spirit of self-sacrifice, for the students to learn not only what you teach in the classroom but how to care for those who are beaten down and prostrated by inequality and discrimination and, for the communities you challenge in your preaching to be builders of solidarity and peace when others promote the enticing message of self-interest or stoke fears that leave us divided and forgetful of our heritage as an immigrant nation. That is the power of Melchizedek’s priesthood Jesus offers you today, the power to lay down your life, learning obedience by what you suffer, making you patient with the lowly, the erring and ignorant. A second action comes in the laying on of hands. It is done in silence, reminding you in the quiet of your heart that you have been chosen. There is a unique freedom that comes to those who have been called and chosen by a power beyond themselves, removing any need for self-justification or defense. Notice that this very simple transparent and ancient gesture of being chosen comes before the donning of priestly vestments, or granting of titles, missions or offices. This is the church’s way of saying that the freedom you are given by being sent is too precious to be squandered by the pursuit of the world’s trappings of power — wealth, influence, prestige — to justify your ministry. My predecessor of happy memory, Cardinal George, was once asked what is unique about Pope Francis. His reply simply was: "He’s free." His is a freedom that is liberating others, giving people a sense of their dignity, that they too count, are called and chosen. Today, as those chosen, you are graced with that freedom to do the same. Finally, bread and wine will be given to you to offer up, connecting you not only to that first Kohen in the Torah but to Jesus who did the same on the night before he died. Just think of all that has been accomplished since then, bearing fruit that lasts, that remains. Jesus promises you the same, giving you a patience that goes beyond seeking immediate results or satisfaction and the generosity, as Pope Francis urges, to serve those who cannot pay us back. Not seeing the fruit of your work should never be a cause of discouragement but a reminder that it is a fruit that lasts. Yes, there is something altogether new about the priesthood Christ ordains you for today. It empowers you to lay down your life in service, liberates you to set others free and promises that the fruit of all you do will last. But, what really makes all this new is that companions of Jesus once again are willing to step forward with boldness and claim to have the power to do all these things. Our prayer today is that people in our time will not just be amazed by all you say and do, but that they will be drawn to Christ and remain in his love.