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Dear brothers in the Priesthood, dear brothers and sisters,
We gather for this Chrism Mass in the 150th year of our Cathedral Church. This wonderful building, a testimony to the commitment of Duke Henry to the Faith, is a sign, in stone, of the Church made of living stones. When we gather as we do today – lay faithful, religious, deacons, priests and bishop – the Church is fully present.
This reality calls us to reflect on what it means for us to be the Church – “A people brought into unity from the unity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.”[1] Through Baptism we are brought to live our lives in that love which exists in the Blessed Trinity. This mystery is so deep that the life’s work of the Christian lies in understanding it ever more fully.
Today, as the Holy Oils are blessed and consecrated, we are reminded in a most powerful way that “through the sacraments we are united in a hidden and real way to Christ.”[2] Through Baptism and Confirmation - and growing from our participation in the Eucharist - each of us has a particular place and a particular part to play in the life of the Body of which Christ Himself is the head. This is what it is to be Church: to be Christ’s people, “looking to Him, the author of salvation and the principle of unity and peace.”[3] The Church is the visible presence of Christ in the world, His instrument to call others to life in Him, proclaiming the new life that Jesus Himself proclaims in the Gospel we have just heard.
We must be under no illusion that the way of Christ, the path of the Gospel, is not without difficulty. The Church has always faced difficulties and this is as true in our present age as it has always been. We must know that the Lord calls us to take up the cross and follow Him.[4] There is no other way for us. Even though we may shrink from this daunting prospect, we must know, too, that the Lord is always with us.[5] In this secularist age, our continuing proclamation of the Gospel demands the greatest fidelity.
On this special day for those of us called to the Priesthood through the Sacrament of Ordination, I thank our priests for their fidelity, their perseverance and joyful acceptance of the great responsibilities that these times demand.
The priest is called to act in persona Christus capitis[6] – in the person of Christ the Head – when he exercises the three-fold ministry, most especially when he celebrates the Eucharist. This priestly ministry is vital to the life of the Church, for the Eucharist is the fount of life for us, the place from which we go, nourished by the Word Who is Life, to announce the message of Salvation to the world.
Today, as the priests of the Diocese renew their priestly commitment, all in this Cathedral – representatives of all in our parishes, our deaneries – confirm your intention to pray for and work with your priests in the Mission of the Church.
The fidelity to Christ, to which all - lay faithful, religious, deacons, priests and bishop – are called, must be lived out in fidelity to the Mission, each taking responsibility for the particular task the Lord has given us. There will be many in our Diocese, especially in our schools and university communities, who may have not yet discovered their particular role. Pray for all those discerning their way forward, especially those who will be confirmed here in the Cathedral this year. Pray for those being baptised and received into Full Communion, as they begin to find their place in the life of the Church. Pray for those preparing for marriage. Pray for our Seminary Students – Eddie, Gustavo, Scott, Gary and Barnabas – as they continue their journey towards priesthood, and for our students for Diaconate too, especially Paul as his time of formation soon reaches its fulfilment.
The challenges that we face in society and across the world are great – too great for us to comprehend, but the path of fidelity will show us the way. “If, then, we want to be faithful to the grace of our vocation, let us first of all cast our eyes on the Risen Jesus Who is the true Model of what we have to love.”[7]
References:
[1] LG, n.4. [2] LG, n.7. [3] LG, n.9. [4] Mt. 16:24. [5] Mt. 28:20. [6] LG, n.10; PO. n.2. [7] POISSON, Dom. A., Sermons, 1984.
