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Ordination to the Priesthood of Fr. David Cupps
Cathedral of the Sacred Heart Parish, Richmond
At the Foot of the Altar written by Fr. Michael Renninger, Vicar for Vocations
May 30, 2009
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Bishop John Russell.
Father Art Conrad. Msgr. Charles Kelly. Msgr. William Sullivan.
What did they have in common? They were all priests who spent
their lives serving the people of this diocese. They gave of
themselves to proclaim the Gospel. And, when they died, their
bodies were carried down this aisle, and they were laid right
there, at the foot of the altar, as the Eucharist was
celebrated.
So much happens at the foot of the altar. It is right there, at
the foot of the altar, that our lives come together, and make
sense. We are pulled in so many directions by the busyness of
our daily lives, but it is here, at the foot of the altar, that
Christians come to meet the One who pulls it all together: the
Christ who gives us meaning, hope and joy. That’s why we do so
many important things right there, at the foot of the altar.
Think how many young
parents stand there, joyfully preparing to process down that
aisle to celebrate the baptism of their newborn child. Think how
many children nervously stand there, ready to receive the Body
and Blood of Christ for the first time. Teenagers stand there
after their confirmation, strengthened by the Spirit to bear
witness to Christ in the world. How many brides and grooms stand
there, ready to pronounce vows of love? It is there that the
Eucharist is distributed on a daily basis. It is there that the
sick are anointed.
Bishop Russell. Art
Conrad. Charlie Kelly. Bill Sullivan… priests who spent their
lives proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ. And when their
earthly ministry was done, their bodies were brought right
there, to the foot of the altar.
And today, in just a
few minutes, someone else will lay there, on the floor at the
foot of the altar. David Warren Cupps will be called forth from
this congregation, and he will declare his readiness to lay down
his life for God’s people. And then, in one of the most powerful
ritual acts in the Christian tradition, David will lay there,
face down on the floor, at the foot of the altar.
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In that moment, David will be showing
us what the life of every priest, in fact, the life of every Christian, could
look like. In today’s Gospel, Jesus says it with stunning simplicity – “no one
has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” In his
dying and rising, Jesus showed us that real love is marked by the ability to
sacrifice, the willingness to give, and then give some more. That’s what HIS
love looked like. Then Jesus says – “love one another, as I have loved you.”
Forgive each other as I forgave you. Lay down your life for one another, as I
laid down my life for you.
David, that is what your priestly
ministry must look like, not only today, but every day for the rest of your
life. When you lay down at the foot of the altar, you are giving everything,
EVERYTHING, to Christ and his people.
But once you give that gift, you
cannot take it back, piece by piece. So, for the rest of your life, you must go
to the foot of the altar, and there you must help the people of God to encounter
the love of God. You will lay down your life there today – you must stand with
the people of God there every day. Stand with God’s people there, as they bring
their children for baptism. Stand with God’s people there, and nourish them with
the Body and Blood of Christ. Meet God’s people there, and anoint them with
Christ’s mercy. Lay down your life at the foot of every altar, and then lead the
people of God out the door of every church. Show us that the Christ who demands
our complete self-giving here is present in every person, and every situation of
our daily lives. Be joyful in your generosity, so that every baptized believer
will see that Christ meant it when he said, “I have told you this so that my joy
may be in you, and your joy may be complete.”
David, one of the great joys of being
a Christian is the knowledge that we do not have to make life-changing decisions
in isolation. It is true – like Jeremiah in today’s first reading, the Living
God knew you before you were knit together in your mother’s womb. The Lord
placed a call in your heart. But the Lord also placed in your path the men and
women who could help you to listen to the voice of Christ. God blessed you with
people who taught you how to live, and how to love, and how to lay down your
life with joy.
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You learned what generous love looked
like as you grew up in your wonderful family in Western Pennsylvania. Your
father Regis taught you lessons about self giving, and I trust that he has taken
his place at the heavenly liturgy, ready to sing with all the saints in heaven.
Your mother, Mary Ellen, who sits beside you today, has stood beside you in so
many ways, teaching you on a daily basis how to lay down your life for the ones
you love. Your brother Jeff and his wife Cathy, your sister Kathy, your nieces
Alison and Emily, and each member of your family, have shown you what love looks
like.
Yes, like the prophet Jeremiah in
today’s first reading, God called out to you. But, there is one line in today’s
first reading that does not apply to you –it’s the line where God says to
Jeremiah, “Say not, ‘I am too young.’” (In your case, it would have to read,
“Say not, ‘I am middle aged!’”) But as you matured, eventually you came to
accept an eternal and divine truth. That ‘truth’ is this: ‘every wise and sane
person eventually moves south of the Mason Dixon line!’ Because of your many
skills, you excelled in your Richmond banking career. For almost 18 years you
worked for Satan – er, Capital One. At work, your colleagues and friends taught
you how to give of yourself.
And then you did what many people
could not understand. You walked away from a successful career in order to lay
down your life in a whole new way. You heard Christ calling out to your heart,
“As the Father loves me, so I love you. Lay down your life. Go and bear much
fruit.” The faculty at St. Mary’s Seminary in Baltimore taught you how to do
that, and we are delighted to have Fr. Thomas Hurst, the rector of St. Mary’s,
with us today. Your pastors, parish staff members, and parishioners, have all
made this journey with you, affirming your desire to serve Christ’s people as a
priest.
Which brings us back to the foot of
the altar. In just a moment, you will lay down your life there, on that marble.
Every person in your life, every minute of your life, has led you to this moment
of self-giving. You bring your whole life to the foot of the altar, where God
will embrace you in love. In that moment, you will be teaching all of us what
OUR lives can look like. For, like you, WE are called to bring our whole lives
to the foot of the altar, where God will embrace us. We are called to come
forward in faith, giving God EVERYTHING, with a spirit of trust and hope. We are
called to approach the Lord with faith, knowing that he will show us how to give
generously, and experience authentic joy in the act of giving. We are called to
encounter the Risen Christ here, so that we may lead a life worthy of our
Christian calling once we leave here.
Thank you, David, for laying down your life today at the foot of the altar. Be
prepared to lay it down every day. Serve God’s people with authenticity,
generosity, and joy. Love others as Christ has loved you. In the end, that’s all
that matters. In the end, that’s what gives life meaning. In the end, that’s
what allows our mortal bodies to rise from the foot of the altar to the heart of
God in heaven.
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