" The Spirit of the Lord has been given to me, for the Lord has annointed me" (Is. 61:1).
These words, my dear brother Priests, my dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
my dear Boys and Girls, are repeated twice today in the Readings of the Liturgy
of the Word: first from the Reading from the Prophet Isaiah in the first Reading;
then in the Gospel Reading from Saint Luke when Jesus took up that text and
applied it to Himself in His home town of Nazara. "....the Lord has anointed
me"(Lk. 4:18) and Jesus was called the Christ, which means the Anointed
One.
Each one of us was anointed and the Spirit of the Lord was given to us at the
Baptismal Font when we became Disciples of Christ and received the name"
Christian". Only ten days ago these young Christian Boys and Girls here
present were anointed with the Oil of Chrism when they received the Sacrament
of Confirmation. Through that Sacrament they now share more completely in the
Mission of Jesus Christ. In fact, through consecration in Baptism and Confirmation
all Christians share in the Priesthood of Jesus Christ and they exercise their
baptismal priesthood through their participation, each according to his or her
own vocation, in Christ's Mission as Priest, Prophet and King, This participation
is called " the common Priesthood of the Faithful"(cf.Catechism of
the Catholic Church, n.1546-1547). So, my dear people, we are all a priestly
people. We are all called, because of our baptismal character, to participate
in the one Priesthood of Jesus Christ and to be actively involved in His salvific
Mission to the World.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: " While the common priesthood of the faithful is exercised by the unfolding of baptismal grace - a life of faith, hope and charity, a life according to the Spirit, the ministerial priesthood ( that is of the ordained priests )is at the service of the common priesthood. It is directed at the unfolding of the baptismal grace of all Christians. The ministerial priesthood is a means by which Christ unceasingly builds up and leads His Church. For this reason it is transmitted by its own Sacrament, the Sacrament of Holy Orders" ( C.C.C. n.1547 ).
And so, girls and boys, when you received the Sacrament of Confirmation ten days ago you were anointed on the forehead with the Oil of Chrism and marked with the seal of the Holy Spirit. When the Priests here present received the Sacrament of Holy Orders they were anointed with the Oil of Chrism on the palms of their hands and consecrated to the service of the common Priesthood of all the Faithful. You see, girls and boys, my dear people, the Priest is chosen and taken from among the Priestly People of God and is consecrated to serve God's People in the name and in the Person of Christ. It was Jesus who said: " The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" ( Mk.10:45 ). So the Priest is consecrated to serve in the name and in the person of Christ. They can truly say today: " The Spirit of the Lord has been given to me, for the Lord has anointed me"( Is. 61:1 ).
At this Mass each year in Holy Week the Oil of Chrism is consecrated and the Oil of Catechumens and the Oil of the Sick are blessed. These Holy Oils are used by the Priests in their service of God's People. We give thanks today for this service of God's People by His consecrated Priests. We give thanks today for their answering the Call of Christ to be in service to His People and we pray for the Priests that, as they renew today their commitment to Christ as Priests of His New Covenant, they may receive the grace of a great personal renewal in their ministry.
At the heart of priestly ministry is the Eucharist, " the Body and Blood of the Lord given for us". It is from the Eucharist daily celebrated and adored that the Priest draws the spiritual strength to work tirelessly and generously for the building up of the Church. It is from the Eucharist that the Church draws her life. On Holy Thursday each year we celebrate the anniversary of the institution of the Holy Eucharist by Jesus at the Last Supper and the institution of the Ministerial Priesthood when He said to His disciples: " Do this as a memorial of me" (Lk. 22: 19 ). Each year the Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, has written a special letter to all the Priests of the world reminding them of the precious gift they received on their ordination day. This year, especially dedicated to the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary during which he has aksed us all to contemplate the Face of Christ through the eyes of His Mother, His Holiness has decided to write a special letter to the whole Church on the theme of the Eucharist. It is an Encyclical Letter given on the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary of his Pontificate and through it he invites us to contemplate the "Eucharistic Face" of Christ. I look forward to sharing this eucharistic treasure with all the priests, religious and lay-faithful of the Diocese.
As we celebrate the Eucharist today and renew our commitment to our common and ministerial participation in the Priesthood of Christ, may we be uplifted by that vision of Church in which the communion of this " Priestly People" may truly become a reality, a communion of love and service in which the gifts, talents and particular mission of each person is recognised and cherished. May we all, priests, religious and lay-faithful, be caught up in the dynamic of witnessing to the world that ' Jesus is Lord' and that only through Him can salvation come to all mankind.
My dear brother Priests, in the name of the Church which is in Cloyne, I thank you for your geneous service of God's People entrusted to your pastoral care. I pray that Jesus may speak to you today those words He once spoke in His home synagogue of Nazara as He proclaimed the prophecy of Isaiah: " This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen" ( Lk. 4: 21 ). May His Will be truly fulfilled in you and may He give you new strength and purpose in your daily priestly ministry as you now, in the presence of the People of God and your Bishop, recommit yourselves in total and generous dedication to Him.
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