Today May 11 is my 53 birthday. I was born in Bangkok Thailand May 11 1969..Mother Day. And Next Wednesday May 18 I will be 26 years a priest as I was ordained May 18 1996.

Prayer is the greatest gift. And the greatest prayer is the mass. The greatest gift someone can give is to have a mass offered for you while you are alive. St Anselm wrote ‘That a mass offered for you is of more value than a mass offered for you when you are dead.’ In 26 years there has only been a single day where I have not offered a mass, during my priesthood.’

But I have only offered a handful of my masses for me..So this morning my intention for the mass that I offered in my room was that ‘God would give me a birthday gift of grace, that He knew I needed.’ In Eucharistic Prayer 1 priest prays ‘and all gathered here, whose faith and devotion are known to you. For them we offer you this sacrifice of praise or they offer for themselves, and all who are dear to them.’

St Thomas Grace heals nature. So nature demands that we love ourselves correctly and others close to us first.. ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ So one of the many reasons that we ought to desire a priest in our family is that that priest will offer many masses for his family friends because of the tires of family and friendship. That reason also should prompt us to want one of our sons to become a priest.

So in the Eucharistic Prayer a call for the priest to offer the mass intention ‘…they offer it for themselves.’

After I consecrated the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. I read the Communion Antiphon ‘I have chosen you from the world, says the Lord, and I have appointed you to go out and bear fruit, fruit that will last, alleluia.’ (Jn 15, 16,19)

What a perfect scripture, for a priest offering a mass for his intention on his birthday. ‘I have chosen you, from the world, says the Lord and I have appointed you to go out and bear fruit, fruit that will last.’