Dear Parishioners of Mary Immaculate and Saint Rose,

Today we observe a multitude of things. Today is the fourth Sunday of Easter. It is Good Shepherd Sunday. It is the world day of prayer for vocations to the priesthood. It is the feast of St. Mark the Evangelist. And it is the fortieth anniversary of my ordination to the priesthood of Jesus Christ.

Of course all these events are really connected. The fourth Sunday of Easter always has the readings about Jesus being the Good Shepherd. And the connection between Jesus our Good Shepherd and praying for good priests to shepherd us is an easy transition.

The Feast of St. Mark is always April 25th, and the Sundays of Easter move around, so it is not directly connected with Easter or Good Shepherd Sunday. Saint Mark was one of the four evangelists and he wrote one of the Gospels. Today our reading about the Good Shepherd is from the Gospel of John, but all of the Gospels tell the story of the Resurrection of Jesus. Saint Mark was not an apostle. He was a companion to Saint Peter. He eventually wrote down the stories of the passion and death of Jesus which became the Gospel of Mark.

And lastly, on April 25, 1981 in the sanctuary of the Cathedral of Saint Joseph in Jefferson City, I knelt before Bishop Michael McAuliffe. In the ancient gesture of calling down the Holy Spirit, he laid his hands upon my head.  At that moment I was consecrated to God as his priest.  When I stood, my life and my very being were forever changed.

Forty years have now passed since that beautiful morning.  Like everyone who celebrates significant anniversaries, I think both that it has passed in an instant, and the years have seemed very long.

God has blessed me with great joy in the priesthood. There have been heavy crosses which I could not have borne without the loving assistance of our Lord Jesus. But when I look over forty years, my constant thought is of joy, blessing, grace, and gratitude. I pray that along the way I have helped people to come to be more aware of the presence and love of Jesus in their lives. I know that it one way or another, those to whom I minister have helped me to love and serve Jesus better.

Micah 6:8 - You have been told, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: Only to do right and to love goodness and to walk humbly with your God.

Msgr. Cox