​Trust in the One who has sent you, says Archbishop Gustavo to new auxiliary bishop

Trust in the One who has sent you, says Archbishop Gustavo to new auxiliary bishop

In anticipation of his ordination to the fullness of Christ’s priesthood as a bishop the following day; the apostolic nuncio, bishops, priests, family, and friends gathered with Auxiliary Bishop-elect Gary Janak April 19 in Our Lady’s Chapel at Assumption Seminary to celebrate the gift that God would bestow on him, as well as the people of the archdiocese.

“The joy of Christ, the joy of the Church, The joy of the Gospel is here because our Lord is here in our midst,” said Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller, MSpS, in his homily. “It is a gift given to you because God is entrusting to you the authority of the direct succession of the apostles. It is a gift for us because it is we, the Church, who will benefit from your ministry!”

The reading at the gathering was from the Letter to the Hebrews, which calls the high priest “to be a minister of the sanctuary and true tabernacle set up, not by man, but by God.”

The archbishop explained, “In other words, my brother, you are responding to a call not of human making, but rather, with a divine origin.”

Archbishop Gustavo described how the vesper prayers format follows the pattern of the Sacred Scriptures themselves: call and response. “God calls, just as he called Abraham. God calls, just as he called Moses. God calls, just as he called Isaiah and Jeremiah! God calls, just as he called the Blessed Virgin and Joseph in little Nazareth!”

The Missionary of the Holy Spirit continued, “Much could be learned from this beautiful couple, especially as we deepen our understanding of who St. Joseph is in our history of salvation, during this jubilee year dedicated to him.”

The San Antonio prelate emphasized that God continues to call, just as Jesus called the first apostles at the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and that now He has called a young man from El Campo, Texas, the son of Joe and Rosemary Janak, to wear the mantle of the apostles!

And now Bishop Janak, said the archbishop, is to “offer gifts and sacrifices” as he accepts the fullness of the priesthood. He cautioned, “The ‘gifts and sacrifices’ you are called upon to offer will be demanding, brother! If, as a priest already, your life is not your own, the intensity of this personal sacrifice will only grow as you enter the episcopal order! In this way, the Church is asking of you a complete personal sacrifice of the self so that you may be a true father, a true mother to her children. You must pour out your life for others, especially the most vulnerable and needy as you say ‘yes’ to this call, and be of assistance to your brother priests, guiding them and nurturing them with a shepherd’s heart.”

Archbishop Gustavo also offered advice to the new prelate. “The humanity of Jesus is the way by which the Holy Spirit teaches us to pray to God our Father and become thus one offering in Christ’s for the salvation of our brothers and sisters. Brother, listen constantly to Our Holy Father, Pope Francis as he ignites our love for all people in Fratelli Tutti. Be one with God, be on with each other. Be a eucharistic bishop by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

In closing, the archbishop asked all assembled to hold Bishop Gary in prayer. “Let us welcome him as one of Christ’s true shepherds and let us trust the voice of the Holy Spirit speaking through him,” he said. “As Bishop Gary responds to Christ’s call, let us all respond to our own calling received through our baptism and confirmation as the holy people of God!”

Following the homily Bishop Janak prayed the oath of fidelity, and at the conclusion of the ceremony a reception was held at St. Joseph’s cafeteria at the seminary.