Today, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests, we celebrate this Eucharist with great joy as part of the Jubilee of Priests.

Before all else, dear brother priests, I wish to say a word to you, who have passed through the Holy Door to pray at the tomb of the Apostle Peter and to immerse your baptismal and priestly garments once more in the Heart of the Savior. For some of you, this is happening on a unique day in your lives: the day of your Ordination.

To speak of the Heart of Christ in this context is to reflect on the entire mystery of the Lord’s incarnation, death and resurrection, which is entrusted in a special way to us, so that we can make it present in our world. In the light of the readings that we have just heard, let us reflect on how we can contribute to this work of salvation.

In the first reading, the prophet Ezekiel describes God as a shepherd who watches over his flock, counting his sheep one by one. He seeks out the lost, binds up the wounded, and strengthens the weak and sick (cf. Ezek 34:11-16). He thus reminds us, in this age of vast and devastating conflicts, that the love of God has no limits.  We are called to let ourselves be embraced and shaped by that love, and to realize that in God’s eyes – and our own as well – there is no place for division and hatred of any kind.

In the second reading (cf. Rom 5:5-11), Saint Paul reminds us that God reconciled us to himself “while we were still weak” (v. 6) and “sinful” (v. 8), and exhorts us to entrust ourselves, along a daily path of conversion, to the transforming power of his Spirit who dwells in our hearts. Our hope is grounded in the knowledge that the Lord never abandons us: he is always at our side. At the same time, we are called to cooperate with him, above all by putting the Eucharist at the center of our lives, inasmuch as it is “the source and summit of the Christian life” (SECOND VATICAN ECUMENICAL COUNCIL, Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium, 11). Then too, “through the fruitful reception of the sacraments, and especially by the frequent practice of sacramental penance” (Decree Presbyterorum Ordinis, 18), and finally through prayer, meditation on God’s word, and the exercise of charity, conforming our hearts ever more closely to that of “the Father of mercies” (ibid.).

This brings us to today’s Gospel (cf. Lk 15:3-7), which speaks of the joy of God – and of every shepherd who loves in the manner of his Heart – at the return of even one of his sheep to the fold. We are called to exercise pastoral charity with a generous love, like that of the Father, and to foster in our hearts the desire that no one be lost (cf. Jn 6:39) but that everyone, also through our ministry, may come to know Christ and have eternal life in him (cf. Jn 6:40). We are called to deepen our closeness to Jesus (cf. Presbyterorum Ordinis, 14) and to be a source of harmony in the midst of our brother priests. We do so by bearing on our shoulders those who are lost, granting forgiveness to those who have erred, seeking out those who have gone astray or been left behind, and caring for those who suffer in body or spirit. And to do all this in a great exchange of love that, flowing from the pierced side of the crucified Lord, embraces all people and fills the entire world. For, in the words of Pope Francis, “the wounded side of Christ continues to pour forth that stream which is never exhausted, never passes away, but offers itself time and time again to all those who wish to love as he did. For his love alone can bring about a new humanity” (Encyclical Letter Dilexit Nos, 219).

The priestly ministry is one of sanctification and reconciliation for the building up of the Body of Christ in unity (cf. Lumen Gentium, 7). For this reason, the Second Vatican Council exhorted priests to make every effort to “lead all to the unity of charity” (Presbyterorum Ordinis, 9), harmonizing differences so that “no one… may feel left out” (ibid.). It also encouraged priests to remain united with their bishop and within the presbyterate (ibid., 7-8). For the more we are united among ourselves, the more we will be able to lead others to the fold of the Good Shepherd, and to live as brothers and sisters in the one house of the Father.

Saint Augustine, in a homily delivered on the anniversary of his ordination, spoke of the joyful fruit of communion that unites the faithful, priests and bishops, grounded in the recognition that all of us are redeemed and saved by the same gracious mercy of God. It was in that context that he spoke the celebrated words: “For you I am a bishop, with you I am a Christian” (Serm. 340, 1).

In the solemn Mass inaugurating my Pontificate, I voiced before the People of God my great desire for “a united Church, a sign of unity and communion, which becomes a leaven for a reconciled world” (18 May 2025). Today, I share this desire once more with all of you. Reconciled with one another, united and transformed by the love that flows abundantly from the Heart of Christ, let us walk together humbly and resolutely in his footsteps, firm in faith and open to all in charity. Let us bring the peace of the risen Lord to our world, with the freedom born of the knowledge that we have been loved, chosen and sent by the Father.

Now, before concluding, I would like to say a word to you, dear Ordinands, who in a few moments, by the laying on of hands of the bishop and a renewed outpouring of the Holy Spirit, will become priests. What I have to say is simple, but I consider it important for your future and for the future of the souls entrusted to your care. Love God and your brothers and sisters, and give yourselves to them generously. Be fervent in your celebration of the sacraments, in prayer, especially in adoration before the Eucharist, and in your ministry. Keep close to your flock, give freely of your time and energy to everyone, without reserve and without partiality, as the pierced side of the crucified Jesus and the example of the saints teach us to do. Remember that the Church, in the two thousand years of her history, has had – and today continues to have – wonderful examples of priestly holiness. From the earliest communities on, the Church has raised up priests who have been martyrs, tireless apostles, missionaries, and champions of charity. Cherish this treasure: learn their stories, study their lives and work, imitate their virtues, be inspired by their zeal, and invoke their intercession often and insistently! All too often, today’s world offers models of success and prestige that are dubious and short-lived. Do not let yourselves be taken in by them! Look rather to the solid example and apostolic fruitfulness, frequently hidden and unassuming, of those who, with faith and dedication, have spent their lives in service of the Lord and their brothers and sisters. Keep their memory alive by your own example of fidelity.

Let us now entrust ourselves to the loving protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of priests and Mother of hope. May she direct and sustain our steps, so that each day we may conform our hearts more closely to that of Christ, the supreme and eternal Shepherd.