The Priesthood

The most important thing a priest does is celebrate the sacraments, and above all, the Holy Mass. The Church teaches that it is precisely in the Eucharistic assembly that priests “exercise in a supreme degree their sacred office.” Everything a priest is ordained for finds its high point at the altar.

St. John Vianney, the Curé of Ars — the patron saint of parish priests, canonized for his decades of quiet, faithful ministry in a small French village — used to say simply: “The priesthood is the love of the heart of Jesus. When you see a priest, think of our Lord Jesus Christ.” He meant that the priest exists to bring Christ’s own love to people, concretely, through the sacraments, not through his own cleverness or charisma.

This is why, after ordination, the daily offering of Mass will be the center of my life — just as attending Mass has been before ordination.

At its heart, the Mass is the same sacrifice Christ offered once for all on the cross at Calvary, made present again, sacramentally, on the altar. The Catechism describes the Eucharist as “the source and summit of the Christian life” and explains: “The sacrifice of Christ and the sacrifice of the Eucharist are one single sacrifice… The victim is one and the same: the same now offers through the ministry of priests, who then offered himself on the cross.”

That is the reason the Mass has such a central place in Catholic life. Christ isn’t re-sacrificed, as though Calvary weren’t enough — his one sacrifice, offered two thousand years ago, is made present to us today, so we can unite ourselves to it here and now, not just remember it as history. The Catechism calls it a “memorial” in that sense: not a re-enactment, but a making-present.

When you come to my ordination, potentially, my first Mass, or any Mass, you’ll be present at the same sacrifice offered on Golgotha.

Catholics believe that in the Eucharist, the bread and wine truly become the Body and Blood of Christ — not a symbol of him, but Christ himself, whole and entire. The Catechism states it in the Church’s classic formula, going back to the Council of Trent: in the Eucharist “the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ and, therefore, the whole Christ is truly, really, and substantially contained.”

This is called the doctrine of the Real Presence, and it is a challenging teaching. When Christ explained it to his disciples, many of them walked away and no longer followed him (cf. John 6:66).

But this beautiful gift is the reason why so much care surrounds the Mass: why the tabernacle in a Catholic church has a candle burning beside it, why people genuflect or kneel, and why we are required to confess our serious sins before receiving Communion — or, simply, to cross our arms over our chest to indicate that we'd like a blessing instead of receiving Communion at a particular Mass.

Confession — the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation — is where Catholics bring their sins to God and receive his forgiveness through the ministry of a priest. The Catechism acknowledges that “Only God forgives sins.” But it goes on: Christ “entrusted the exercise of the power of absolution to the apostolic ministry,” and bishops and priests, by virtue of Holy Orders, “have the power to forgive all sins” in his name — as instruments through which God himself acts.

So the priest isn’t forgiving by himself; he is a minister, a means Christ established so his forgiveness would reach us in a real, spoken way, and not stay locked up as a private feeling between us and God. Pope Francis has made a point of returning to this again and again in his preaching: “God never tires of forgiving.”

After ordination, I’ll be incardinated as a priest of the Prelature of Opus Dei — meaning Opus Dei (opens in new tab), not a diocese, is responsible for my assignment and formation, under the authority of the Prelate (currently Msgr. Fernando Ocáriz) and in communion with the local bishop wherever I serve.

In practice, this means my ministry will look a little different from that of a typical parish priest. Most Opus Dei priests are not assigned to run a parish; instead, they offer spiritual direction, hear confessions, give retreats and days of recollection, teach classes, and celebrate Mass for members of Opus Dei as well as for people — men, women, students, parents, spouses, etc. — who come to activities of Opus Dei for formation.

I understand that many of you will not be able to attend the ordination in person. The first and best way to share in it is prayer: offering a Rosary, having a Mass said for my intentions, or simply remembering the day — Saturday, 21 November 2026 for the diaconate; Saturday, 22 May 2027 for the priesthood — in your own prayer.

You can also follow the ordinations via live streaming. The link will be posted on the Opus Dei website (opens in new tab) about a week before each ordination.