A sign of the unity of our priesthood

By Archbishop Thomas Wenski - The Archdiocese of Miami

Homily by Archbishop Thomas Wenski at Chrism Mass with priests of the Archdiocese of Miami for the blessing of the oils. St. Mary Cathedral, March 31, 2015. 

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because he has anointed me!”  Jesus chooses this text of Isaiah for his first sermon. This is no coincidence – with Jesus, nothing is improvised. 

Isaiah is the great prophet of the promised Messiah. It is Isaiah who speaks of the Virgin who will conceive a son; he also describes for us the suffering servant; and in today’s passage he speaks of the servant who is anointed the Messiah – the Christ – by the Spirit. He goes on to describe Christ’s mission: to announce the Good News to the poor, to restore sight to the blind, to free the captive and the oppressed, to declare a Jubilee.

It is as though Isaiah has written a job description for Jesus – and Jesus in quoting Isaiah also succinctly presents to all his baptized disciples our own “marching orders.” That Luke puts this passage from Isaiah at the beginning of Jesus' public ministry is the interpretive key to understanding all that would follow in the Gospel. He unveils for us the identity of Jesus and as "Christened people," the more we understand Jesus' identity, the more we will understand our own. For the Spirit of the Lord God has also anointed us. 

Thus, at this Mass, we bless the Holy Oils and consecrate the Sacred Chrism. Today’s Mass is a celebration for all God’s people because the itinerary of our lives as Catholics is marked by various anointings. As we were prepared for baptism, we were anointed with the Oil of Catechumens; then, in Baptism and Confirmation with the Sacred Chrism. Please God, at the end of our lives, we will receive a final anointing – with the Oil of the Sick so that, at that hour, the Spirit will strengthen and console us.

These oils then are closely linked to the Paschal Mystery – for through them the Holy Spirit sanctifies us, through them the Holy Spirit conforms us more perfectly to Christ, so that we might spread the fragrance of his presence throughout the world as we grow in the virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity.

But today’s Mass is also of special significance to all of us priests. This Mass is a special sign of the unity of our priesthood and witnesses that we – bishop and priests – share a common ministry to teach, to govern and to sanctify the people of God.

And so, the Chrism Mass itself offers the priests of a local Church – as they gather around their bishop – the opportunity to renew our priestly commitments. In saying once again “I do,” we commit ourselves, with the help of the Holy Spirit, “to understand what we do, to imitate what we celebrate, to conform our lives to the mystery of the Lord’s Cross.”

In this way we put ourselves again at the service of Christ’s love so that he will be known, loved and imitated. That we do so is not to deny our own shortcomings, our limitations and our weaknesses, as if all depended on our own force and will.  But, in doing so, we wish to entrust ourselves once again to the Lord who through the gift of his Spirit has anointed us as ministers of the Word and stewards of the mysteries of faith.

That commitment, first made on the day of our ordinations, demands that we be men of prayer, mature in our choice of a life for God; it demands that we make use of the means of perseverance, such as the sacrament of confession, devotion to the Blessed Mother, and it demands the mortification of our senses and desires for the sake of our pastoral mission.

As Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for the troubled and the abandoned, those who seem like sheep without a shepherd, so too is a priest’s heart moved. Pastoral charity – and not the desire for fame or fortune – should motivate the priest in his ministry. As Pope Francis reminds us, the priestly anointing we received was not just meant to make us fragrant; rather, it is meant “for the poor, the prisoners, the sick, for those sorrowing and alone.” Thus, a priest is to “cure the sick,” that is, to attend to the ill and the injured, healing their isolation with a visit and bringing courage to those who are weak; a priest is to raise the dead, that is, to restore hope to those deadened by discouragement and defeat; a priest is to cleanse lepers, that is, to befriend the outsider, to extend the hand of friendship to the marginalized and rejected; a priest is to drive out demons, by helping people deal with the various addictions that affect them and by not failing to address any personal demons that may threaten the integrity of his commitment.

As Pope Saint John Paul II said: People today look to priests for the “lived word” before they look to him for the “proclaimed” word. The priest must “live by the word.” Today, we recommit ourselves to “live by the word.” And, at the same time, we wish to honor those of our number who have given us examples of priestly service and devotion, “living by the word” for 50 years and for 25 years. 

For 50 years of priestly service, we congratulate Monsignors Jude O’Doherty and Willy Dever; as well as Fathers Michael A. Kish, Jeremiah Singleton, Kenneth J. Wolnowski, Piarist Father Jesus Lecea, and Franciscan Father Jose Somoza. 

For 25 years of priesthood, we congratulate Monsignor Kenneth Schwanger and Fathers Edmund Aku, Michael Davis, Ifeanyi Ethel Iwu, Armando Alonso and Salvatorian Father Dariusz Zarebski.

In May, God willing, I will ordain six young deacons priests for the service of this local Church: Javier Barreto, Julio de Jesus, Bryan Garcia, Michael Garcia, Yamil Miranda and Phillip Tran. And, I say to them, and to our seminarians and those who are discerning a vocation to the priesthood, you can find in these jubilarians worthy mentors, guides and teachers. These men, these priests, in a variety of assignments, either here in this archdiocese or elsewhere, have “lived by the word,” teaching, sanctifying and leading God’s people.

In the name of those people, and as your archbishop, I thank you, jubiliarians and all priests here present. I thank you not only for the “yes” you gave to the Lord on the day of your ordinations but for the “yes” of your witness, your fidelity given daily – in spite of difficulties and disappointments, in spite of trials and hardships - over years of service to God and his people.

And as we renew the promises made on the day of our ordinations, knowing that we carry this treasure in earthen vessels, we ask you, dear members of Christ’s faithful, to pray for us. Pray that we will faithfully carry out the ministry entrusted to us by God for you. 

Yes, the Spirit of the Lord God is upon us! For he has anointed us!