Diocesan Chrism Mass Homily - March 22, 2016
Chrism Mass Is 61:1-3, 6, 8-9
St. Benedict Cathedral Ps 89
22 March 2016 Rev 1:5-8
Luke 4:16-21
Stating the obvious, it only seems fitting that we situate our Chrism Mass within the
context of the Jubilee Year of Mercy. Pope Francis might well be remembered as the “Pope of
Mercy.” Even his episcopal motto, taken from Venerable Bede’s commentary on the call of
St. Matthew, illustrates how the notion of mercy is at the very forefront of the Holy Father’s
vision for the Church. His motto, miserando atque eligendo, literally in Latin is “by having
mercy, by choosing him.” Vincent Cardinal Nichols of Westminster points out in his foreword
to the book, “The Church of Mercy by Pope Francis:” “This is our motto too. Having been
touched by Jesus’ mercy and chosen by him, we are sent out, sinners that we are, to be heralds,
missionary disciples, of divine mercy.”
The mercy in which Pope Francis calls us to be about as Church, however, is not one of
cheap grace. His vision is not merely about giving people what they want, but providing what is
needed. He speaks of the need to develop a culture of encounter, of dialogue, of accompaniment,
of healing wounds and of care for the environment. He stresses that we must first meet people
where they are, but in no way are we to leave them there. While our first witness must be to
beauty, goodness and truth, we must not fall short of leading or being led to experience the
fullness of Jesus Christ. Anyone daring to embrace the call to evangelize must first be open in
mind and heart to both the challenge and opportunity of conversion. As the Holy Father has
boldly stated, there is no place for egocentric pride, arrogance and self-righteousness. Rather,
authentic ministry and service is marked by courage, humility and generosity. Only in this way
will the Spirit of God remain with us and continue to fulfill all that has been proclaimed in
Sacred Scripture.
All that we accomplish in our task of carrying out the Church’s mission, as mandated and
entrusted by Jesus Christ, is by the grace of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Holy Trinity,
which features prominently in the biblical passages marked out for the Chrism Mass as
celebrated in all dioceses throughout the world. The anointing of Jesus Christ, the suffering
servant as attested by the Prophet Isaiah, is now extended to the Church, His Body. Through the
Sacraments of Initiation, each and every member is entrusted with the task of proclaiming,
healing, announcing and comforting. This is what it means to be a “Church of Mercy.” The
blessing and use of sacred oils—those of Chrism, Catechumen and the Sick—keep before us the
fact that it is the grace of God rather than the merit of the minister that brings about the
redeeming action of the Spirit in our midst. As such, it is Jesus Christ who must increase and
the minister who must decrease, if we are to realize the work of the Spirit in bringing about
lasting reconciliation, justice, peace and communion.
The ordained priest, as signified in the renewal of priestly promises, has a particular role
to carry out in this regard. Noting that the Church, like her Head, Jesus Christ, must be the
visible face of the Father’s mercy, Pope Francis includes the following in his Prayer for the
Extraordinary Holy Year of Mercy: “You willed that your ministers would also be clothed in
weakness in order that they may feel compassion for those in ignorance and error: let everyone
who approaches them feel sought after, loved, and forgiven by God.” My brother priests, we are
the first to stand in need of God’s mercy. As the Holy Father described himself in his first
extensive formal interview as pope, we are sinners. Keeping before us our own particular
weaknesses, may we indeed be moved with compassion for those in need of encountering the
love and mercy of God. We must be the first to be moved by the call of conversion. We must be
the first to strive to be Christ-centered rather than ego-centered. Here in Word and Sacrament,
we celebrate and recommit ourselves to serve rather than be served. We must seek not the
approval of those to whom we minister, but of the one in whom we minister; namely, Jesus
Christ, our Great High Priest. The Spirit of the Lord is upon us, through no merit of our own,
fulfilling all that is proclaimed in our own hearing even now.
May God, in mercy, bring to fulfillment all that we proclaim, offer and strive to carry out
in the name of the Great High Priest, Jesus Christ, His Son & Our Savior.
Chrism Mass Is 61:1-3, 6, 8-9
St. Benedict Cathedral Ps 89
22 March 2016 Rev 1:5-8
Luke 4:16-21
Stating the obvious, it only seems fitting that we situate our Chrism Mass within the
context of the Jubilee Year of Mercy. Pope Francis might well be remembered as the “Pope of
Mercy.” Even his episcopal motto, taken from Venerable Bede’s commentary on the call of
St. Matthew, illustrates how the notion of mercy is at the very forefront of the Holy Father’s
vision for the Church. His motto, miserando atque eligendo, literally in Latin is “by having
mercy, by choosing him.” Vincent Cardinal Nichols of Westminster points out in his foreword
to the book, “The Church of Mercy by Pope Francis:” “This is our motto too. Having been
touched by Jesus’ mercy and chosen by him, we are sent out, sinners that we are, to be heralds,
missionary disciples, of divine mercy.”
The mercy in which Pope Francis calls us to be about as Church, however, is not one of
cheap grace. His vision is not merely about giving people what they want, but providing what is
needed. He speaks of the need to develop a culture of encounter, of dialogue, of accompaniment,
of healing wounds and of care for the environment. He stresses that we must first meet people
where they are, but in no way are we to leave them there. While our first witness must be to
beauty, goodness and truth, we must not fall short of leading or being led to experience the
fullness of Jesus Christ. Anyone daring to embrace the call to evangelize must first be open in
mind and heart to both the challenge and opportunity of conversion. As the Holy Father has
boldly stated, there is no place for egocentric pride, arrogance and self-righteousness. Rather,
authentic ministry and service is marked by courage, humility and generosity. Only in this way
will the Spirit of God remain with us and continue to fulfill all that has been proclaimed in
Sacred Scripture.
All that we accomplish in our task of carrying out the Church’s mission, as mandated and
entrusted by Jesus Christ, is by the grace of the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Holy Trinity,
which features prominently in the biblical passages marked out for the Chrism Mass as
celebrated in all dioceses throughout the world. The anointing of Jesus Christ, the suffering
servant as attested by the Prophet Isaiah, is now extended to the Church, His Body. Through the
Sacraments of Initiation, each and every member is entrusted with the task of proclaiming,
healing, announcing and comforting. This is what it means to be a “Church of Mercy.” The
blessing and use of sacred oils—those of Chrism, Catechumen and the Sick—keep before us the
fact that it is the grace of God rather than the merit of the minister that brings about the
redeeming action of the Spirit in our midst. As such, it is Jesus Christ who must increase and
the minister who must decrease, if we are to realize the work of the Spirit in bringing about
lasting reconciliation, justice, peace and communion.
The ordained priest, as signified in the renewal of priestly promises, has a particular role
to carry out in this regard. Noting that the Church, like her Head, Jesus Christ, must be the
visible face of the Father’s mercy, Pope Francis includes the following in his Prayer for the
Extraordinary Holy Year of Mercy: “You willed that your ministers would also be clothed in
weakness in order that they may feel compassion for those in ignorance and error: let everyone
who approaches them feel sought after, loved, and forgiven by God.” My brother priests, we are
the first to stand in need of God’s mercy. As the Holy Father described himself in his first
extensive formal interview as pope, we are sinners. Keeping before us our own particular
weaknesses, may we indeed be moved with compassion for those in need of encountering the
love and mercy of God. We must be the first to be moved by the call of conversion. We must be
the first to strive to be Christ-centered rather than ego-centered. Here in Word and Sacrament,
we celebrate and recommit ourselves to serve rather than be served. We must seek not the
approval of those to whom we minister, but of the one in whom we minister; namely, Jesus
Christ, our Great High Priest. The Spirit of the Lord is upon us, through no merit of our own,
fulfilling all that is proclaimed in our own hearing even now.
May God, in mercy, bring to fulfillment all that we proclaim, offer and strive to carry out
in the name of the Great High Priest, Jesus Christ, His Son & Our Savior.
