13/07/2026
"Do not be afraid of them, for I AM WITH YOU to deliver you, says the Lord." (Jeremiah 1:8)
Dear Father Wilee Mar Guerrero Adviento,
On this sacred day of your presbyteral ordination, the Church places a profound prophetic assurance upon your heart. The words spoken to a young, hesitant Jeremiah now become the foundational bedrock of your priesthood: "I am with you."
To step into the ministerial priesthood is to step into a mystery far greater than yourself. Like Jeremiah, it is entirely natural to feel the weight of your unworthiness or to whisper, "Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth." Yet, the priesthood does not rely on human perfection, but on divine election. God does not call the equipped; He equips the called.
The Promise of Divine Presence
The phrase "I am with you" is not a passive sentiment. In the Hebrew Scriptures, this promise is an armor. It is the same reassurance given to Moses at the burning bush and to Joshua before crossing the Jordan. For you, Father Wilee, it means that you will never walk alone into the confessional, you will never stand alone at the altar, and you will never face the complexities of pastoral care by your own strength. When your human eloquence fails, His Spirit will speak. When your energy drains, His grace will sustain.
Sent into the Modern Wilderness
Jeremiah was called to be a prophet to the nations—to pluck up and to pull down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant. As a priest of Jesus Christ, your ministry will mirror this dual reality. Through the Sacraments, you will help souls tear down the strongholds of sin and despair. Through your preaching and companionship, you will build up communities of love and plant seeds of hope in a world often parched by indifference.
Do not fear the cultural currents or the magnitude of the needs of the flock. The Lord who knew you before He formed you in your mother’s womb has precisely timed your ordination for this exact moment in salvation history.
A Living Sacraments of Comfort
Your life and your hands are now consecrated. When you lift the paten and the chalice, remember that the One who is with you is now in you in a uniquely configuration to Christ the High Priest. Let this promise make you a fearless shepherd. Be accessible to the broken, bold in proclaiming the Truth, and constant in prayer. When the burdens of the ministry feel heavy, return to the quiet of the tabernacle and listen to the echo of your ordination verse: “Do not be afraid… for I am with you.”
May the Blessed Virgin Mary, who perfectly lived the reality of "The Lord is with thee," wrap her maternal mantle around your priesthood. Go forth with joy, courage, and holy confidence.
Amen.
