Chrism Mass
Cathedral of the Risen Christ
March 29, 2021
Homily by Father Thomas Brouillette
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. Today, this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Lk 4:18, 21)
Your Excellency, Bishop Conley, Your Excellencies, Bishop Emeritas Bruskewitz and Bishop Finn, Brother Priests and Deacons, Consecrated Religious Sisters (and Brothers), Seminarians, Knights and Ladies of the Holy Sepulchre, Knights of Columbus, Family and Friends, thank you for joining us on this important day in our diocese. Father Birkel, Father Dietrich, Father Grell and I celebrate 25 years of priesthood. Father Oborny, who is in the hospital we remember and lift up in prayer, and Msgr. Witt celebrate 50 years in the priesthood. And the great Father Zastrow celebrates 65 years as a priest. Congratulations! Father Zastrow, when asked if he was coming to the Chrism Mass today, said, “I suppose I should. It really is all about me.”
Growing up just two blocks from St. Cecilia’s church in Hastings, our family was regularly a minute or two late for Mass. And when we arrived, our parents used to draw us forward all the way to the front pew or maybe second or third, but the times we were in the first pew, the celebrant, when he processed out across the front pews would stop and smile and say hello to my parents. We were so honored by Father acknowledging us. I have no idea what he said, but he was kind, and he smiled. That same priest, I remember coming to our house when we were kids. Dad had made us stilts to walk on and we were still pretty new to it and clumsy for sure. The priest took a pair of those stilts, stepped up onto one and then the other, and made his way down the driveway and back, and he so enjoyed it, and we did, too. That was Monsignor Ray Hain, and from my earliest years, I remember priests being a part of our lives. He, and they brought glad tidings to us who were poor. That day, this Scripture passage was fulfilled in our hearing.
Continuing our ascent to the mountain of Easter and Christ’s resurrection, we take the time in this week called Holy, to celebrate the gift of our sharing in the priesthood of Jesus Christ. And at this Mass called Chrism, the Bishop blesses the three holy oils used in the celebration of the sacraments, and along with the priests, consecrates the Sacred Chrism. There is the special action of the Bishop of breathing forth the Holy Spirit upon the Sacred Chrism oil, of speaking words that consecrate it and the action of the priests extending a hand over the oil in quiet prayer, which is symbolic of our solidarity and of our desire to bless you and all the people of God with the salve of Christ for salvation.
As on this day, this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing, we briefly reflect on help, healing, and hope.
First, the help. During our Lord’s earthly life, he chose to depend on many people, the first of course being his Blessed Mother and St. Joseph in particular, perhaps his grandparents, and in ministry his apostles, and those other men and women who ministered to their needs and were disciples. I want to acknowledge our parents and grandparents for their blessing us with the gift of life and the gift of faith, our brothers and sisters who were so often a grace along the way, first in the domestic church of family life, and then in Holy Mother Church, brothers and sisters who have cared for us, and those who have worked with us in the field to gather the harvest, the Consecrated Religious and the Lay Faithful- thank you for ministering to our needs along the way, for your priesthood of the baptized and offering sacrifice and help on our behalf.
Secondly, this Scripture passage is fulfilled in our hearing by healing. Pope Benedict XVI said that when understood at a sufficient level, healing expresses the entire content of Christianity. When understood at a sufficient level, healing expresses the entire content of Christianity. What is going on here?
There are numerous healing ministries manifesting themselves as fruits of the Spirit these days, and this Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ and Our Father is responding to those in need of healing. In declaring his own identity before the people in the synagogue at Nazareth as the Anointed One, Jesus describes and defines why he came, and what he, the source of healing, would do to accomplish it. Implied in his word is the reality that would be required of him- to offer his life for the ransom for the many before that ultimate healing of the resurrection.
When we hear the word of God, “Today, this Scripture Passage is fulfilled in your hearing” the word is effective in our time and meant for us to hear. We do not simply recall what happened long ago in Christ’s life, but we celebrate what is happening now, in our time, in the sacred assembly and liturgy, in the sacraments, that by the power of the Holy Spirit and gift of Holy Orders we bring glad tidings to the poor, we heal the brokenhearted, we proclaim liberty to captives in sin or bondage by forgiveness, we give recovery of sight to those blinded by the world, the flesh and the devil, we proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord, a year of God’s favor in blessing. What a gift!
I was talking to one of my brother priests and sharing what St. John Vianney said about the gift of the priesthood, which was that “If we understood the gift of the priesthood, we would die of joy!” The brother priest, whose initials are Father Vandewalle, said, “Yea, Tom, uh, I don’t feel that right at this moment.” He said I could use his name. Yea. I get it. I need to grow more in my understanding, too, and in my experience of the Father’s love. The joy that our Father delights in us presents the ultimate challenge to our self-rejection and doubts in faith, and presents the mystery of Love to that which we have been called. It is a great deal to receive as gift that we are loved in this beautiful and gentle way, and when accepting the soft truth of it- we are healed.
Help from family and friends, Healing, and now hope. Despite our weakness, God the Father has great confidence in our human situation, and his confidence gives us hope. Hope is not some mindless optimism. The theological virtue of hope given in baptism has to be based in reality. So where does God the Father’s confidence come from? Where does our hope come from? God the Father’s confidence comes from the reality that Jesus Christ not only spoke these words in quoting the prophet Isaiah, but our Lord also lived them out and gave his life for the ransom for the many. This is the reason for God the Father’s confidence, and gives us the reason to have hope.
He invites us to imitate him and to offer our lives in sacrifice.
I close with a word of praise for my brother priests, for the many and varied ways that you have been Christ for the people of God and for one another, and for those who do not share our Christian world view. I thank you. We thank you. The gift of your life is recognized, acknowledged, and valued. For the Spirit of the Lord is upon you. He has anointed you. Have confidence in your anointing for the Almighty has chosen you for it.
At this Mass we join with our Lord Jesus Christ in his sacrifice on Calvary and healing resurrection. We join with Our Lady and St. Joseph, the apostles and all the martyrs, and the great host who are present with us and we prepare ourselves to become one with our Lord in the Eucharist in his sacred body and blood so that we can be helped by him, so we can be healed, so that we can be strengthened, so that we can be purified, so that we can be elevated. We will continue to be a sign to the world that there is reason for hope, it is Jesus Christ, who says “today, this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.” (Lk 4:18) Thanks be to God. Amen.
