Chrism Mass 2010 - Homily
CHRISM MASS HOMILY 2010
But you will be named ‘priests of the Lord’ they will call you’ ministers of our God’ Isaiah 61
The Visit of Pope Benedict XVI in September this Year will be a significant occasion for the whole Christian community on
Cardinal Newman was for 30 years a Parish Priest and it is lovely that this beatification will come at the end of the Year for Priests. It is a very remarkable moment that an English parish priest is being declared blessed. This will be, I am sure, a great encouragement for every priest working in these countries at his parish duties in an unspectacular but very faithful way. This is what Cardinal Newman did for thirty years and which is why we look forward with some pride to his beatification’
There are two very interesting things in what Archbishop Nicholls has said about John Henry Newman. Firstly, he centred his comments not on Newman’s great intellect as a writer and preacher, nor on the fact that he is only the second English Cardinal to be beatified -the first being St John Fisher who was made a Cardinal while in prison before his execution during the reign of Henry VII -rather he focused on the fact that he was a parish priest.
The other point is that as far as I know he was a parish priest while he was an Anglican as Vicar of St Mary’s
But you will be named ‘priests of the Lord’
They will call you ‘ministers of our God’.
There are two parts of today’s mass which make this service distinctive. There is the blessing of the three oils to be used during the year; the oil of catechumens used before baptism, the oil of the sick used in the sacramental ministry of healing and the oil of Chrism used to set apart and sanctify, used after baptism, and at Confirmation, and ordination. The solemn blessing of these oils goes back to the very early centuries of the Church.
The other part, the renewal of priestly commitment, is much more recent and was only introduced after the second Vatican Council in the late 1960’s but they are linked. Ours is a sacramental ministry and even our pastoral ministry which may take the vast majority of our time is summed up in that sacramental role. Those three oils remind us of three important aspects of that priestly ministry.
The first oil is the oil of catechumens sometimes called the oil of Baptism. The anointing with this oil before baptism has taken place is not to be confused with the anointing with Chrism after Baptism. It reminds us that one of our roles is the making of new Christians and enabling them to grow in the faith. At the end of St Matthews Gospel after his resurrection Jesus did not say ‘Go out and preach the gospel to all nations’. He said ‘Go out and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you’. Filling our churches as desirable as that is not enough. What are we doing about teaching and forming those already in the pews? Apart from the odd Lent Group and Confirmation classes, and I am often shocked to learn how short they are in some parishes, what are we doing to help people grow in their faith. Our ministry must be about deepening discipleship.
The oil of the sick reminds us of that ministry of healing which is not just towards those who are physically sick. Isaiah speaks about it in the first reading taken up by Our Lord in the Synagogue in
To bind up hearts that are broken,
To proclaim liberty to captives, freedom to those in prison
To comfort those who mourn
In the gospel from St Luke Jesus use words of Isaiah to describe his own ministry to those who were needy and fragile. He gave hope to those who had lost hope and by his cross and Resurrection he brought the promise of deliverance and the fullness of life. That is part of the Good News for which we are the messengers.
All of us are broken, diseased and imprisoned by obsessions or our social circumstances – all of us in need to the healing, the wholeness that only Christ can offer.
The third oil is Chrism. This oil signifies both consecration and commission. It is used in those sacraments, baptism, confirmation, and ordination which impart a permanent character. They give us a new identity in relationship with our Lord. They conform us in a particular way to the person and mission of Christ as prophet, priest and King. The anointing with Chrism is a sign that a person has been chosen and set apart but set apart for a role in God’s plan under the guidance of the Spirit. It reminds us that as priests we have a role in encouraging all of us to be holy, to deepen our spiritual lives to be more deeply united with Christ but so that we can play our part in the mission and ministry of his Church.
This theme of consecration should be at the heart of every Christian’s life whether we share in Royal priesthood of Christ through baptism or the ministerial priesthood of the ordained, we are consecrated to him. But as priests we have a special role in helping and encouraging the faithful in this personal consecration. That is why our failures, our worldliness, our sinfulness can do so much harm to the body of Christ. We have seen in the last few weeks how the dreadful failure of some priests in
Sadly I cannot remember much of the advice given by the Dean of Kings College London but I do remember him advising us to put the words of John
As you have sent me into the world I have sent the into the world
And for their sake I consecrate myself
So that they too may be consecrated in truth.
So the blessing and consecration of these oils remind us of the priest’s role as teacher, healer and sanctifier. They also remind us that the sacraments in which they are used are God’s gifts of grace and salvation which cannot be earned only gratefully received. . The priest has no power of his own to bring forth new life in baptism, or to make present the living Lord in the Eucharist, or pronounce forgiveness of sins. These are the gifts of God, actions of Christ himself - administered by men who are unworthy stewards of these mysteries. What an awesome privilege that is. St Leo the Great in 5th Cent said
Since the lord is no longer visible among us, everything of him that was visible has passed into the sacraments St Leo the Great 450
In the same way the priest himself is a gift of God’s grace. He is ordained for a ministry of word and sacrament and through ordination he mediates the mysteries of God, representing God to men and men to God. He is not a religious functionary, he is not a manager or a service provider in the modern sense of that word. He is God’s chosen man who humbly stands in the person of Christ to give the gifts of God to the people of God.
Without diminishing the important role each member of the Church plays in the life and mission of the Church this Chrism Mass in a special way celebrates the gift of priesthood and the special bonds of communion between bishop and priests in the presence of the faithful we have been called to serve.
However, I cannot fail at this Mass to say just a few words about the future. I began with a few remarks about John Henry Newman, one of the original Tractarians who were responsible for recalling the Victorian Church of England to its ancient roots and reminding it of its catholic nature. Newman’s own journey led him to leave the Church of
Most of you will know that the General Synod in July will debate the legislation to allow women to be ordained to the episcopate. At present the provision for those who cannot accept this innovation is unacceptable and if eventually passed will leave many priests and faithful lay people asking whether it will be possible to remain in the Church of England with any integrity. Then in October last Year the Vatican announced the publication of an Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus which creates a structure to allow groups of Anglicans to be received into communion with the Catholic Church whilst retaining something of Anglican history, tradition and way of doing things. As I have talked to priests and lay folk over the last few months there is a variety of responses to this situation. For those who can accept all the teachings of the Catholic Church and have accepted the importance of the Bishop of Rome and his teaching Office, the Apostolic Constitution offers an answer to prayer that needs to be explored. Others are hoping and praying that even at this late hour the General Synod will turn back from its present course and provide a structure in which Catholic Anglicans can live flourish with integrity. Others are sure that whatever happens they could not imagine leaving the Church of England, they will remain and witness to the truth as they see it no matter how difficult that may be.
It is certainly not my job, especially in a sermon, to persuade anyone to follow a particular path but what I do want to say is that in the coming months we need to be patient and understanding of each other whatever decisions we come to in this matter. For all it will not be without pain and regret. Newman’s last sermon as an Anglican was called ‘A Parting of Friends’ and I pray that is if some groups of us do decide to take up the papal offer it will be that.
When as a young man Newman was ill in
Lead, Kindly Light, amidst th'encircling gloom,
Lead Thou me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home,
Lead Thou me on!
Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me."
At present we do not know what is in the future. But Jesus tells us as he did the disciples at Lake Gaillee ‘Do not be afaid’Matt 14:27 We must trust him and take one step at a time however uncertain the future may seem.
In the meantime we have work to do as Christ’s faithful people and I urge all our priests to be faithful in their office in his Church so I invite them now to renew before you all their priestly promises.