Homily
11th Sunday in Ordinary Time A2
14 June 2026
St. Ann Catholic Church - Prairie Village
AMDG
How's your royal priesthood going?
I've told you many times one of the most terrorizing questions is this - Father, how are you? A close second is this - Father, how can I help you? It can be so threatening to receive the care and help of others. So many of you worry about my burning out. You ask about my time away, and my vacations. You ask me all the time when I'm going to get more priestly help. You ask me how I'm holding up in the midst of scandal.
The sheep care deeply about the welfare of the shepherd. I thank you for that.
What do I need mostly from you though? How can you help? I need you to exercise your priesthood! What are you talking about? I am not a priest! But oh my would you be so wrong! You are a priest. By virtue of your baptism, you are a member of Christ who is priest, prophet and king. The promise first made to Israel through Moses, that you would be a chosen people, a kingdom of priests, has fallen to you through Christ.
So I need to flip the terrorizing question back to you! How's your priesthood going? My priesthood serves yours. The best way you can help me is to fulfill your priesthood.
That's not all. You are also royalty. Last weekend I baptized the only grandson of a very royal family, the grandson of a Royals Hall of Famer. Maybe some of you saw it. It was glorious and a dream come true. I've been a Royals fan since I was 7 years old. Never would I have dreamt I would baptize the grandson of the bluest of blue Royal.
Here in Kansas City we should know more than anyone what it means to be Royal. It goes deeper than fandom in our baseball team. You are a royal nation, and a kingdom of priests. Your deepest identity is your royal priesthood, sealed, deepened and strengthened by the anointing with chrism at your baptism and confirmation.
I hope this new royal grandson is a future Hall of Famer. Yet I know even moreso that you share in the same destiny, to be a royal and holy priest in the ultimate Hall of Fame, the communion of saints in the Kingdom of Heaven.
It's why we are going to improve our church here at St. Ann. It's why we must. There can be no question when you drive by St. Ann or come into the royal temple of God, that your deepest identity and mission is to be a royal priest. Until we leave no doubt of this, our mission remains unfinished.
What do royal priests do? Look at what Jesus says in the Gospel! They pray for shepherd kings like David and the promised Son of David with hearts that move. They fight against evil so that people can experience healing and fullness and newness of life. They let themselves be called by name into God's lineup to win eternal victories for the glory of God and the building up of the kingdom of heaven.
That's your royal priesthood. Be ready the next time you ask me how my priesthood is going, for me to fire the terrorizing question right back at you.
How's your royal priesthood going?
+mj
