Last week, I announced that I’m leaving Assumption. (Did some people celebrate!?) Almost every day, a lot of people have been asking me, “Are you moving?” The answer is “Yes.” So, this homily will save me a lot of repeating, and I think there is a spiritual lesson here.

First, I’ll tell you what I know: Archbishop Miller has been up-front that he wants to make me pastor. He even told other people a year ago about this, so it’s not a secret. I’ve been a priest almost eight years, so I’m somewhat next-in-line. I’ll probably move in the first week of July and it will probably be to a small parish.

Here’s what I don’t know: where I’m going. It’ll be in the Vancouver archdiocese, perhaps to the North Shore, or Vancouver or as far as Chilliwack.

Some people have asked the question: “Can we write a petition to keep you from moving?” I don’t think it’s such a good idea. So someone suggested that we write the bishop saying, “Fr. Justin is a very good priest, but he’s not yet ready to be a pastor, so he should stay another year”—very shrewd!

Here’s the spiritual lesson that I think all of us need to hear, me especially: God’s will is better than ours, even if we don’t like it. We hear Jesus pray today three times(!), “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want, but what you want.” He didn’t want to die, but His death saved us. Thank God He died!

So I think there are two reasons why it’s good that I’m going: 1) None of us should be dependent on another person for our faith. We do need other people: spiritual friends, good priests, a community—absolutely!—but we shouldn’t be overly dependent on them for our faith. We should aim for a healthy kind of independence, a spiritual maturity, which means we can find the nourishment we’re looking for.

If a parish suffers after a priest leaves, it’s a sign that he didn’t do his job, because a priest is supposed to bring other people to God, Jesus, the Eucharist, the Church, Confession, not himself! The priest is not the centre, he is the mediator. I hope that when people think of me, they think of Jesus. If not I feel I’m a bad priest.

Remember what I said, this parish is the way it is in large part because of you. It’s not just the priest. You’re a big reason why we have so many amazing things happening here; you’re also the reason why we still have to improve.

We shouldn’t rely completely on priests to bring us to holiness. We have to seek it ourselves. If we’re hungry, we’ll look for food. Starving people look for food; people who think they’re full, or full of unhealthy food, don’t look.

2) It’s good for me. Priests love their parishes and people, which is the way it should be. But we have to love God more, and, if God wants to move us, then we have to go. I recently told a friend: “I don’t care where the bishop sends me; nothing can stop me from becoming a saint,” that is, the best-version-of-ourselves. It’s the same with you: it doesn’t matter what priest you have, the only thing that can stop you from becoming a saint is yourself! Not your husband, children, parents, family, work.

In every assignment I’ve had, there have always been blessings and crosses, but every assignment has made me a better person, and I would do them all over again because of what God’s done during them. I was never supposed to come back to Vancouver after being in Rome. When I got back, I was assigned to St. Joseph’s in Langley, and then a week later, I got a call from the archbishop transferring me here. He wanted to move me last year, but I requested to stay and he honoured my request. So I take everything as coming from the hand of our Father. I’ve grown so much in every assignment, and I thank Him for that.

Because of this spiritual truth, I’m glad that I’m leaving. Now we’ll see how well I taught. (Don’t make me look bad, okay?) God’s will is always better than ours.