Bydded geiriau fy ngenau a myfyrdodau ein calonnau yn gymeradwy i chwi O Dduw, ein craig a’n gwaredydd. AmenJesus prayed for his friends, before he died: “Father, protect them, that they may be one, even as we are one”We heard in our first reading a dramatic vision from the prophet Isaiah of a calling discovered in the Temple which was filled with smoke where the prophet had a life-changing experience of healing and sins blotted out.I once thought I was experiencing something similar to the prophet Isaiah at St Asaph Cathedral many years ago when I was chaplain there.I walked into the Cathedral, three days before an ordination to find a magnificent cloud of white smoke with great spirals and swirls of dust reaching to every corner of the building. It looked like a perfect illustration of today’s reading, but it was in fact the simple result of someone having accidently set-off one of the fire extinguishers!So, we were not experiencing the call of a prophet, but we did discover something about calling in that event – we had to get every single person nearby, whatever their job, role, or status to roll up their sleeves and clean the entire cathedral in a couple of days. It was tough work, but we managed it. Beware, when you go into a cathedral or any place of worship, you may get caught up in a calling, you never know…That was, after all exactly what happened to Isaiah, he was present in the Temple. There he heard the voice of God speaking to him and it called him to respond. Beware if you think you came here simply to watch or support someone else. Maybe, just maybe, you may hear the voice of God calling to you. It might be something small and practical – there are always small tasks that would help in any community of faith, and there are life-changing moments that can begin at worship. It may come through the words of scripture or prayer, in the uplifting music of praise, in what you see or receive as you pray, or in the silence and stillness. That irresistible call of God. It comes even to those who think it could not possibly come to them, and it may demand something of you….That, in different ways has been the story of our five deacons here who are to be ordained priest today: the story for Ruth, Rob, Amanda, Darren and Amber. When you talk to them you will hear how since they first were aware of God’s call to ordained ministry they have found themselves often doing things that they did not expect, some that are outside their comfort zones or which use their gifts in new ways. Often they have had to adapt to big life changes at the same time – including for Rob welcoming a new baby into the family. Most of them have had to move home or community. They have all been growing in confidence as ordained clergy and learning self-care in order to care well for others. As leaders they’ve been learning more about handling conflict and leading growth in church communities. As well as learning new skills they have brought many gifts and talents with them which are enriching the church they serve. The Church has much to learn from those who bring skills from other places. Ruth, Rob, Amanda, Darren and Amber have shared their gifts generously. Finding our vocation – discovering what God has uniquely gifted each one of us to do is the task of every baptized Christian. None of us can do this alone or in our own strength. Clergy and priests in particular need help to stay on track, to be Jesus-focused and to work well and humbly with others. We heard words of great encouragement from the Gospel reading this afternoon. One of the last things Jesus did for his friends and for all who would come after them (so, including us), before the arrest and torture that he knew lay ahead of him, was to pray for them. Through these words Christ shows us something important about the unselfish concern of Godly love. We see here what self-emptying love is like. Jesus does not point to himself, he always looks to the needs of those he encounters. He does not make himself the centre of attention.Jesus prays for our protection and he asks God to give us the gifts we need to continue his work. Specifically he prays that we may be filled with joy, that we may live in unity, and he sends us out to share with others God’s hope and reconciliation.St John's gospel presents Jesus as the giver of divine life. The one who leads us to discover life in all its fullness. This is what Jesus offers us in the Eucharist, the most precious part of our worship, through which we draw close to him our teacher, healer, protector, loving friend and saviour. One of the privileges of priestly ministry is to preside at the Holy Eucharist and to lead and help others to discover the deep joy of receiving Christ’s life and love shared with all who will receive this. As we pray for our new priests today, we pray that they will be filled with joy in their ministry and share this through their sacramental ministry at God’s table.Jesus also prays for our unity, he asks God that “his followers [and so we] may be one’. This is such an important calling. As we ponder our divided world, where not even those who believe in Christ are united, it is easy to see how we need to join Jesus in this prayer, for the gift of unity. Imagine how the world, or even the church would be different if we genuinely lived as “one body” – where if you are hurt I feel this, and if you are rejoicing I feel moved to celebrate too.Jesus tells us that we too are ‘sent’ to continue his work of helping people draw close to God and closer to one another. He wants his love and message to be known throughout creation. Through following him in mission and love, we are ourselves sanctified or made holy. Priests are entrusted with part of the work of reconciliation through the gift of sharing God’s words of forgiveness and announcing God’s words of blessing to others. We pray today that our new priests may be encouraged in this work and find encouragement themselves through it.Jesus shows us by his own example of self-giving love how profligate, how generous God is in reaching out to others. In this cathedral God’s generosity is demonstrated so beautifully with worship where the doors are flung open as wide as possible to invite and include. I want to congratulate the Cathedral Community for being bold in doing this. It is a wonderful witness to God’s welcome.In this service as Ruth, Rob, Amanda, Darren and Amber respond boldly to God’s call and welcome and are ordained priest we pray that all that Jesus prayed for may be evident in their priestly ministries and that the joy, unity and hope that Jesus prayed for may abound in their lives and in all our shared ministry so that more may encounter the welcome God longs to share.God who calls, we thank you for prophets, priests and people who’ve heard your voice across the ages and responded. Help each of us to listen to you with a desire for renewal, ready to receive your forgiveness with humility and hope, and committed to being signs of your blessing for others today and every day. Amen.