Homily for Mass of Ordination to the Priesthood of Rev. Luis Alejandro Giraldo Alavrez and Rev. Nonie Calunsod Tiburan
Feast of the Holy Apostle Andrew, St Mary’s Cathedral Sydney, 30 November 2024
At first there was one. Andrew Johnson, fisherman from Capernaum, was a seeker. He had followed the Baptist for a time, until he pointed out Jesus as the real Lamb of God.[1] On one account when that same Jesus called him, Andrew asked where Jesus lived—code for: Who are your people? What ‘church’ do you belong to?—and he checked it out before sharing the news with his brother Simon. On another account, which we heard today, the two brothers were together when Jesus found them (Mt 4:18-22). Either way, their immediate response was to sign up.
Two more joined them. Then more. Soon there were Twelve, plus some holy women, accompanying Jesus. Shortly seventy more were ready to be sent out on mission. Eventually there was “a great crowd of disciples” following Him, as well as the curious and the cynical. At His ascension they were told to go make disciples of all nations, even the Aussies.[2] More joined from Pentecost onwards. Today there are an estimated 2.4 billion Christians.
But Andrew was first. His immediate task was to follow Jesus and learn a new kind of fishing. In fact, he would be formed for mission along with the others, and their ‘catechumenate’ and ‘seminary’ would last three years—rather shorter than the itinerary for members of the Neocatechumenal Way and the formation for its seminarians. (Perhaps they are slow learners?) But the apostles did have the advantage of the greatest ever catechist, Jesus Himself, so perhaps the short course was enough. In those three years they learnt to pray and preach, heal and forgive, to imitate Christ, identify with Him, become another Him (alterus Christus). Andrew found the happiness he’d been seeking.
Did you know that 190,819 is the magic number for happiness? A recent Purdue University study found that people’s happiness increases as their salary rises from struggling to secure to “income satiation”, which they put at $190,819 per year for Australians.[3] Beyond that mark salary is less important for happiness.[4] You might accumulate fancier clothes, cars and houses, more expensive devices and hobbies, more luxurious and frequent travel, more savings and investments, but satisfaction from wealth dwindles…
Some studies put the tipping point lower. But most researchers agree that once we have enough for our physiological needs, safety and security, our happiness depends more on relationships, self-esteem, and achieving our ideals. I’m not sure how many Neocatechumenal families are on annual incomes of $190,000+, but I can assure our priests-to-be that they never will be! Which means, dear Alejandro and Nonie, that your prospects are poor—unless you find happiness with the men-fishers of Jesus Christ. Andrew was first to join, and his first catch for Jesus was his brother Simon. Bringing others to Christ is the accounting that must now most matter to you both.
Come the division of the Roman empire into the Western empire centred on Rome and the Byzantine empire centred on Constantinople, Eastern Christians wanted an official founder to match Rome’s claim to Peter and Paul. As Paul reminded us this morning (Rom 10:9-18), “no-one believes in Christ unless they’ve heard of him, no-one hears of him unless through a preacher, and no-one gets a preacher unless one is apostled [sent]”. Peter had been claimed by Antioch and Rome, and Paul with him; big James was the first apostle martyred in Jerusalem (Acts 12:1-2) and later popped up in Spain; while little James was said to have ministered in Egypt. Thomas tried to get to Australia but only made it as far as India. Carthage claimed Philip, Ethiopia Matthew, Alexandria Mark, Armenia Bartholomew, Persia Simon the Zealot and Syria Jude Thaddeus. Which left only “Andrew the First-called” to be spiritual champion for the Byzantines. Conveniently he had been martyred in Greece, and there was a certain symmetry in having Peter as patron of Old Rome and his brother Andrew as patron of ‘New Rome’.
When it was Andrew’s turn to be martyred, he declared like his brother Peter that he was unworthy to be crucified the same way as Jesus. So Peter was crucified upside down and Andrew hung on an X-shaped cross. It took three days for him to die and he is said to have preached the whole time: now that’s my idea of a full-length homily!
The St Andrew’s Cross made it onto the Scots flag, the Union Jack, and so the Australian flag also. Andrew was claimed as patron not just by Greece, but of Romania, Poland, Georgia, Ukraine, Russia, Barbados and Scotland, and not just of fishermen but (because of the connection with St Andrew’s in Fife) of golfers also. But he was so completely eclipsed by his brother that we know little more about him. We’ll have to wait and see which of today’s two brothers will be best known in history!
Words like disciple, apostle, missionary and witness fall easily, too easily, off the Christian tongue. We are all called, of course, to be these things, but few will face trials like slow crucifixion, with or without accompanying homily. None of us is likely to be remembered as founder-patron of a national church or even a major golf course! It’s enough if, like Andrew, we are ready to let go of things to pursue the Galilean; willing to run to tell others “I’ve found the Saviour, the one thing necessary for happiness”; able to find our fulfilment not in boats and businesses but in Christ.
After years of formation in the communities and seminary of the Neo-Catechumenal Way, our two candidates are ready to take the next step in their itinerary of following Christ. Through a marvellous sacrament, they will be conformed to Christ the priest.
Alejandro was born in Medellín, Columbia—home of Pablo Escobar—in a district plagued by the very problems Escobar represents. He and his family found safety in the faith and community of the Neo-Catechumenal Way. But after studying accountancy, Alejandro like Andrew went searching for happiness. At a vocations meeting he heard the call to become a fisher of men and Andrew-like he dropped everything to respond. The God of surprises then sent him to Sydney, to learn a new language and way of life, the cultures of Australia and PNG, philosophy and theology. He would also face personal hardships, the biggest being the loss of his father in 2019. But Alejandro leant on the Lord and persevered, trusting in God’s providence.
Nonie’s vocation story began in Iloilo City in the Philippines. Dragged to Mass by his mother, he would sleep through the very mysteries he will now have to stay awake to lead! He too studied accounting, hoping to find happiness in worldly wealth and pleasures. But satisfaction proved elusive. Touched by God’s mercy, he started walking the Way in 2013. Like Alejandro he attended a vocations meeting and heard the call. A rather different character to Pablo Escobar challenged him: the smiling Cardinal Tagle of Manila said God often asks us to do things and go places we’d rather not. He elected for priesthood and came to Sydney. Having already lost his mum as a boy, he now like Alejandro faced the death of his Tatay (father) while in seminary, and then a brother as well. The Devil has many tricks to distract us from our course. But Nonie relied on God’s grace and the support of his formators, catechists and fellow Wayfarers to carry him through loss to this moment.
Alejandro and Nonie, my dear sons, having lost your own fathers too young, you know well humanity’s hunger for true paternity. From this day forward you will be called ‘Father’ by those entrusted to your care. You will announce good tidings to them when afflicted, healing if broken-hearted, liberty when captive to vice and addiction, comfort if (like you) they have known mourning (Isa 61:1-3). You now call Australia home, but the whole world is your mission field. You are the ones sent so that people may hear and believe (Rom 10:9-18). And you will offer the paternal care of the sacraments, transforming pagans into children of God in Holy Baptism, bread and wine into the Christ’s Body and Blood in the Holy Eucharist, sinners into saints in Holy Penance, man and woman into spouses in Holy Matrimony, the sick, dying and dead into immortals though Holy Anointing and the Church’s rites. For all this, and for both you, dear Nonie and Alejandro, we give thanks to God!
Holy Apostle Andrew, pray for us.
Word after Communion
I echo the thanks of our newly ordained to all those who have contributed to their journey of faith, their discernment of their vocation, and their formation for it. I also thank all those who contributed to our beautiful liturgy today: my brother bishops, priests, deacons, seminarians and servers; the Dean Fr Don, events manager Monica, sacristans and all those here at the cathedral; and the choir and musicians which includes all of you, since together you lifted the lid off our cathedral today with your praise of God. If I might add one more thank-you: to Father Nonie and Father Alejandro themselves, for offering themselves to God and His people for this beautiful vocation and for persevering through long formation and mission.
I congratulate the catechists, Rector and staff, and all the followers of the Neocatechumenal Way on having two new fathers in Christ. Our Gospel this morning spoke of the call of two brothers (Andrew and Simon), followed by the call of two more (James and John). As life imitates the Gospel, so a few months ago, the Archdiocese of Sydney gained two new shepherd-fishers for its ranks and today has two more. That is very exciting. But we must all pray that God grace us with many more priestly, religious and missionary vocations to labour in the vineyard of Sydney and the world beyond. God bless you, dear Fathers, as you join St Andrew as evangelising men-fishers, solicitous shepherds and courageous missionaries. The neo-kittens have become neo-cats: may you now be neo-lions! And may God send us many more like you.
[1] The call of Andrew, son of John, brother of Simon (Peter) from Capernaum: Mt 8:5,14; Mk 1:21,29; or Bethsaida: Jn 1:40-42; 12:21. He was previously a follower of the Baptist: Jn 1:35-40.
[2] The Twelve and the holy women: Mt 10:1-5; 11:1; 14:20; 19:28; 20:17,20-21; 26:14,20,47; 27:55-56,57-61; 28:1,5-11,18-20; Mk 3:13-19; 4:10; 6:7,43; 8:19; 9:35; 10:32; 11:11; 14:10,17,20,43; 15:40-41,46-47; 16:1-11,14-15; Lk 6:13-16; 8:1-3; 9:1,12,17; 18:31; 22:3,30,47; 23:49,53-56; 24:1-12; Jn 6:13,67,70-71; 19:25; 20:1-29; Acts 1:8,13-14; 6:2). The seventy: Lk 10:1,17. The “great crowd of disciples”: Lk 6:17; 8:4; 19:37; Jn 6:60. The sending out: Mt 28:18-20; Mk 16:15-18; Acts 1:8.
[3] Liv Condous, “This is the annual income you need to be happy in Australia, a new study claims,” TimeOut 3 October 2023.
[4] A.T. Jebb et al., “Happiness, income satiation and turning points around the world,” Nature Human Behaviour 2 (2018): 33-38. For other studies see: D. Kahneman and A. Deaton, “High income improves evaluation of life but no emotional well-being,” Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA 107 (2010): 16489-93;K. Kushlev, E.W. Dunn, R.E. Lucas, “Higher income is associated with less daily sadness but not more daily happiness,” Social Psychology & Personality Science 6 (2015): 483–89. Commentaries include: Belinda Luscombe, “Do we need $75,000 a year to be happy?” Time 6 September 2010; Sarah Megginson, “How much money do you REALLY need to be ‘happy’?” Finder 5 January 2024; Kendra Cherry, “Does more money make you happier? Yes, but it’s complicated,” VeryWellMind 23 July 2024.