It is only through the empowering presence of the Lord Jesus in the midst of his Church that any baptised Christian can hope to be faithful, Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe has said.
Speaking at the annual 2024 Chrism Mass, Tuesday 26 March at St Mary’s Cathedral, Archbishop Costelloe was joined by Auxiliary Bishop Don Sproxton, now former Vicar General, the Very Rev Fr Peter Whitely VG, Archbishop Emeritus Barry Hickey, Geraldton Bishop Emeritus Justin Bianchini and assisted by Deacon Errol Lobo.
“It is our role as priests to bring alive, in a particular and sacramentally effective way, this empowering presence of the Lord,” Archbishop Costelloe emphasised, addressing the more than 150 clergy who were also present for the occasion as concelebrants.
Nearly 300 parish representatives including seminarians from St Charles and Redemptoris Mater seminaries were present for the occasion which sees the blessing and consecration of the Holy Oils used for the different sacraments conferred by the Church.
Continuing his homily for the occasion, Archbishop Costelloe explained there are two elements which are unique to the Chrism Mass.
“One is the blessing and consecration of the Holy Oils and the other is the renewal of their ordination promises by our priests,” he said, addressing the clergy present.
“Today we celebrate one of the most important liturgical celebrations of our lives as Catholic Christians.
“Gathered around the bishop, who is joined by the priests and deacons of the diocese, all of you together, the holy people of God here in this part of the world celebrate who you are as brothers and sisters united in the community of faith: a living, effective sign and instrument of the ongoing and active presence of Jesus Christ in the world.”
Above all, Archbishop Costelloe emphasised, the Christian community is called to be a community of prayer.
“A community in other words which knows, and embraces the fundamental truth that our faith, before it is about anything else, is about our relationship with God and, as a consequence of this, our relationship with our brothers and sisters in the faith.”
Archbishop Costelloe urged the priests to bring alive the presence of God among the faithful.
“As ordained priests we live among our people.
“It is only through the empowering presence of the Lord Jesus in the midst of his Church that any baptised Christian can hope to be faithful: it is our role as priests to bring alive, in a particular and sacramentally effective way, this empowering presence of the Lord.
“The renewal of the priests’ commitment to their priesthood is accompanied by an invitation to the whole community of faith, represented by all who have gathered here in the Cathedral this evening, to pray for our priests that they will be faithful to their vocation.”
The other unique element of the Chrism Mass was the blessing and consecration of the Holy Oils – oil of the catechumens, oil of the sick and oil of the Chrism.
“The oils are used exclusively in the celebration of the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, Anointing of the Sick and Priestly and Episcopal Ordination,” Archbishop Costelloe said.
He continued, “The oil of catechumens, which we bless today, is used in Baptism to remind us of the power and strength which comes to us from the grace of God, and the Chrism, which we consecrate today, symbolises our profound union with Christ whose death and rising to new life we now share.
“The oil of the sick which we also bless becomes a sign of the strength we receive in times of physical illness and as we prepare for the final moment of our journey into full communion with the Lord through death and our rising to new life.
“The oil of Chrism, used at our Baptism, is used again at our Confirmation to symbolise the gift of the Holy Spirit who comes to us in a new and powerful way to strengthen us for the challenge of living our Christian lives to the full. And both at our Baptism and our Confirmation the sacred Chrism also anoints us for our share in the priesthood of Christ, just as it is also used in the ordination of priests and bishops.
“As Jesus offered himself on the cross in a sacrificial act of total self-giving to his Father for our sake so we, who are one with him, are also called to make our lives a sacrificial gift for others.”
