Homily by Bishop Joseph Galea-Curmi
Dear brothers and sisters,
especially you who have successfully completed courses in the Pastoral Formation Institute,
Today, in the heart of this Eucharistic celebration, we are blessed to hear the voice of Jesus echo with tenderness and deep understanding: “Come to me, all you who labour and are burdened, and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28).
This is not a command. It’s an invitation – an invitation to those who are tired, to those who give of themselves day after day, often without recognition, and sometimes with little support.
Who among you has not known this weariness?
- The caregiver who enters an elderly person’s home and sees loneliness in their eyes…
- The school pastoral worker who listens to students struggling with identity, anxiety, or family wounds…
- The chaplain who sits quietly beside a hospital bed…
To you, Jesus speaks with a love that truly understands. He knows what it means to walk with the wounded. He does not say, “Try harder,” but “Come to me.” This is where your vocation begins – not in exhaustion, but in relationship. Not in endless giving, but in being received by Jesus first.
The heart is the true classroom
Jesus continues: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart” (Mt 11:29).
In your courses, you have learned much. You have gained valuable tools: psychological insights, communication skills, liturgical knowledge, ethical awareness, spiritual formation. But now Jesus invites you into the deeper school of the heart – his heart.
“Learn from me,” he says. What will he teach you? Gentleness, humility, presence, compassion. These are not some soft virtues; they are the very foundation of pastoral care:
- Gentleness is what allows a caregiver to hold the trembling hand of an elderly person without fear of their fragility.
- Humility is what allows a chaplain to sit beside a teenager and say: “I’m here to listen, not to lecture.”
- Presence is what makes a difference when there are no easy answers – only silence, prayer, and love.
To care is to be formed by the heart of Jesus. This is the kind of learning that doesn’t stop with a certificate – it matures with every encounter, every shared tear, every whispered prayer.
You are not alone
Let us reflect on a paradox. Jesus says: “My yoke is easy, and my burden light” (Mt 11:30). You may be wondering: how can that be true? The work is demanding. It’s emotional. It’s messy. At times, heartbreaking.
And yet, when we are united with Jesus, when our service flows from prayer, when we remember that we are not alone, the burden is truly transformed.
The yoke, in Jesus’ time, was a piece of wood placed over the shoulders of two oxen so they could carry a load together. When Jesus says: “Take my yoke upon you,” he is not handing you a new weight to carry. He is saying: “Let me be yoked beside you. Let me carry this with you.”
Dear friends, remember this:
You are not alone when you walk into the ward.
You are not alone when you enter the classroom.
You are not alone when you hold someone’s sorrow or confusion.
Christ is yoked to you, side by side, pulling with you, whispering strength into your soul.
From Certificate to Mission
Today you receive your certificate. That is a moment of joy. But in the Church, we don’t see this only as an end; we see it as a sending forth. This is the true meaning of the word ‘mission’
You are being sent out as ambassadors of compassion, of faith, of hope.
- To the elderly: you are bearers of dignity, spiritual companionship, and memory.
- To children and adolescents: you are a trusted presence, a spiritual guide, a mirror of God’s love.
- To families and schools and institutions: you bring the reminder that every person is more than their illness, more than their struggle – they are sacred images of God.
The certificate you receive is not only a paper. It is a symbol of your readiness to incarnate the Gospel through presence, empathy, and mercy.
Be the gentle voice that echoes Christ’s invitation
Let me conclude with this image:
Picture the elderly woman in a care home, forgotten by family but not by God.
Picture the student who walks into the chaplaincy office feeling anxious, judged, or lost.
What would Jesus say to them? “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened…”
And now he says it through you. You are called not just to serve in his name, but to be his voice, his eyes, his heart. So let this Gospel live in you:
- Be the gentle invitation for the elderly who feel like a burden.
- Be the compassionate presence for the young who are searching for meaning.
- Be the humble servant who knows that love, not power, transforms hearts.
Walk in his way, rest in his heart
Dear friends, you have been equipped with knowledge. You have been shaped by formation, and for this, may I express my deep gratitude to the Pastoral Formation Institute and its dedicated staff.
Now, the challenge is to be rooted in Christ. Take his yoke. Walk in his way. And when you are tired, go back to the beginning: “Come to me… and I will give you rest”.
Congratulations, and may your mission bring healing, hope, and the quiet joy of Christ to all whom you serve.
✠ Joseph Galea-Curmi
Auxiliary Bishop of Malta