Foreword by His Holiness Pope Francis

Introduction: The Catholic Priesthood: Beyond the Crisis—Toward Renewal, by Gerhard Cardinal Müller, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith

HOMILIES

• Holy Oils: Signs of God’s Healing Power and Diocesan Unity At the Chrism Mass, 1978

• Becoming “Spiritual Clergymen” (Johann Michael Sailer) in the Breathing Space of the Spirit At the Chrism Mass, 1979

• Eucharist and Pentecost as the Origin of the Church At the Chrism Mass, 1981

• By Surrendering Ourselves, We Also Find Ourselves Farewell Meeting with Priests and Deacons, 1982

• Toward a Supportive Christianity On the Patronal Feast of the Priestly Society of Saint Salvator, Straubing, 1998

PRIESTLY ORDINATION

• Acting in Persona Christi: The Threefold Ministry of the Priest Freising, 1977

• Gestures of Priestly Ordination: Imposition of Hands and Anointing of the Hands During the Ordination of Five Priests from the Jesuit Order in Munich, 1977

• Becoming an Offering with Christ for the Salvation of Mankind Freising, 1978

• Giving the Answer of Life: The Example of Blessed Maximilian Kolbe Freising, 1979

• Peter: The Original Model of Priestly Mission Freising, 1981

• The Priest-Monk: One Who Prays for the People Mariawald, 1991

• Entering into the Mystery of the Grain of Wheat Rome, Saint Paul outside the Walls, 1993

• “A Body You Have Prepared for Me” Porto Santa Rufina, La Storta (Rome), 2000

DIACONAL ORDINATION

• Making the Deacon Jesus Christ Present in the Age of the Church Munich, September 1977

• Telling Others the Gospel Vividly Munich, February 1978

• The Deacon—Master of Thanksgiving Munich, December 1978

• Living on Christ’s “Yes” Munich, February 1979

• Faithfully Awaiting Munich, December 1979

• Called to Nuptial Service Munich, January 1980

• Joy in Christ Munich, December 1980

• Your Place in the Liturgy Is the Gospel! Munich, December 1981

• To Enter with Him into the Ministry of Life Munich, February 1982

FIRST MASS

• Fishers of Men For Franz Niegel, Berchtesgaden, 1954

• The Priest: A Man Who Blesses For Franz Niedermayer, Kirchanschöring, 1955

• Meditation on the Day of a First Mass In the Rhineland, 1962

• So that God’s Word Might Remain: On the Burden and the Joy of the Prophet For Karl Besler, Traunstein, 1973

JUBILEE HOMILIES

• A Guide Directed by Jesus Christ Fortieth Jubilee of Episcopal Consecration of Bishop Paul Rusch, Innsbruck, 1978

• “Peace” as One of the Names of the Eucharist Seventieth Birthday of Auxiliary Bishop Ernst Tewes, Munich, 1978

• On the Way to the Depths of the Mystery of Christ Fortieth Priestly Jubilee of the Ordination Class of 1939, Freising, 1979

• Being There for God’s Mercy Thirtieth Priestly Jubilee of the Ordination Class of 1951, Freising, 1981

• Being Close to the People Twenty-Fifth Priestly Jubilee of the Ordination Class of 1957, Freising, 1982

• The Great Venture of Priestly Service Sixtieth Priestly Jubilee of G. R. Vinzenz Irger, Munich, 1983

• Doing the One Thing Necessary—and Becoming Rich in God’s Sight Sixtieth Priestly Jubilee of Bishop Rudolf Graber, Plankstetten, 1986

• Being a Witness of Christ’s Helpless Power Golden Priestly Jubilee of Monsignor Konrad Miller, Munich, 1987

• A Spokesman of Reconciliation Eightieth Birthday of Franz Cardinal Hengsbach, Essen, 1990

• Conversion to the Light Fortieth Priestly Jubilee of the Ordination Class of 1951, Munich, 1991

• The Interior Center of Priestly Life Twenty-Fifth Priestly Jubilee of Father Martin Bialas, Schwarzenfeld, 1993

• Preparing People to Receive Jesus Eightieth Birthday and Golden Jubilee of Father Ignatius Glasmacher, Maria Eck, 1994

• Teaching and Learning the Love of God Fortieth Priestly Jubilee of Monsignor Franz Niegel, Unterwössen, 1994

• . . . Enlisted in Service so that Jesus’ Mission Remains Effective Twenty-Fifth Episcopal Jubilee of Doctor Hubert Luthe, Essen, 1994

• On the Ministry of the Bishop Thirtieth Episcopal Jubilee of Friedrich Cardinal Wetter, Munich, 1998

• The Church Lives by Abiding with Christ and Standing by Him Silver Episcopal Jubilee of Cardinal Meisner, Auxiliary Bishop Dick, and Auxiliary Bishop Plöger, Cologne, 2000

• Bringing Christ to the People and the People to Christ Golden Priestly Jubilee of Monsignor Georg Schuster, Pastor Emeritus Alfons Karpf, Pastor Emeritus Ludwig Radlmaier, Georg Warmedinger, S.T.D., and Pastor Emeritus Johann Warmedinger, Munich-Pasing, 2000

APPENDIX

• Letter of Pope Benedict XVI Proclaiming a Year for Priests on the 150th Anniversary of the Dies Natalis of the Curé of Ars