Bishop Donald Pelotte, S.S.S.

Bishop of Gallup

Homily

Chrism Mass

Monday, April 2, 2007

My Dear Friends,

Welcome to all of you especially my brother priests who gather to recommit yourself to your priesthood. This yearly celebration is an unique opportunity for all of us to become aware of the redemption that is ours in Christ Jesus, of how he seeks us out today as readily as readily as he did the crowds two thousand years ago. Yes, today, he still walks in our midst, he still speaks to us, he still forgives us our sins, he still feeds us, he still seals us in his Spirit.

This annual Chrism liturgy here at the Cathedral is a marvelous way for us to experience Church, the Church of the Diocese of Gallup. Look around you and you see people from many, many parishes of the diocese – young and old, catechumens now the elect, and candidates for full communion in the Church, candidates for Confirmation, most of the priests of the diocese, many deacons, religious sisters and brothers, all gathered here around your bishop.

This night we gather to bless the holy oils which will be distributed to all the parishes throughout the diocese and will be used by me and my brother priests until Holy Week of next year.

First among the oils, as you know, is the Sacred Chrism which we will consecrate this evening. With this Sacred Chrism, come Saturday night, men and women in parishes all over the diocese, after having been washed in the waters of baptism, will have their new membership in the one Body of Christ sealed by the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Listen to these powerful words of St. Cyril of Jerusalem as he describes to the newly baptized of his day the effects the Sacred Chrism had on them: "It is right to call you Christs or anointed ones, for you have become anointed ones by receiving the sign of the Holy Spirit. That anointing is the Holy Spirit." Or as the first reading for this evening from the prophet Isaiah puts it: "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me." We all know, of course, that the name Christ means "The Anointed One."

Sealed by the Holy Spirit we become, in the words of the second reading from the Book of Revelation: "a royal nation of priests." As members of this holy people we experience the call made by the Lord Jesus to each one of us to be holy. Through our baptism we are called to be Church, that is to be a sign for the people of our time of God’s infinite holiness through our manner of life, a life of patience, mercy, kindness and forgiveness, and again through the life we live we are to be a living gospel that everyone can hear. It is so important that we realize that the universal call to holiness is at the same time a universal call to service, that is, to serve, to extend our hand to those in need. It is this unique call to holiness and service that gives our lives definition and purpose; that give us our identity as a people.

But baptism and confirmation are not the only times the Church uses Sacred Chrism. Chrism is used to anoint the hands of those whom the Lord has called to his service as ordained priests. As he anoints the hands of the newly ordained, the bishop says: "The Father anointed Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. May Jesus preserve you to sanctify the Christian people and to offer sacrifice to God." Just over three weeks from now on the Feast of St. Mark which is April 25^th I shall have the privilege of ordaining Deacon Edwin Bryan to the priesthood. That will take place here at the Cathedral and all of you are invited to this sacred event.

The ordained, that is these men seated with you right now and soon to join me around the Eucharistic table, have been called and chosen by the Lord to serve you and care for you; to preserve you in the grace poured into your hearts through baptism and confirmation; to nourish you with the food and drink of eternal life in the Eucharist; to preach the Good News which shapes and strengthens you; to reconcile you to the Father and to one-another; to bring you healing in your sickness.

We priests know that it is impossible to love our priesthood, to love our vocation, to be faithful to our service, unless we are deeply in love with the One who calls us, the One we follow, the One we proclaim in word and sacrament. We know that what gave each one of us the courage to become a priest and what will continue to give us support throughout our life as a priest is precisely the Spirit sealing our friendship with Jesus Christ. I personally believe that this friendship with Jesus Christ sealed in the Spirit is at the very core of our calling. I also believe it is the key to arriving at a deep sense of priestly identity.

Earlier today the priests of the diocese gathered at the retreat house to celebrate the world day of sanctification for priests. Msgr. Richard Olona, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe facilitated the day on the theme: "I have called you friends."

Priestly identity has its center of gravity in communion and friendship with Jesus Christ. It is important that we be in love with the Lord if we are in turn to lead others to come to know Him, and to taste His goodness. Only if we are in love with Christ will we be able to help others find in this Jesus the One who alone satisfied the human heart, the One who gives meaning and direction to life. Or to put it in another way, we know that we cannot love our vocation, our priesthood, unless we love both Jesus who calls, and you whom we are called to serve. To be servants, we must be lovers both of the Lord and of you His people.

In a few moments the priests gathered here with you will renew their dedication to Christ as priests of the New Covenant. Pray for them that they may be strengthened in their commitment to the Lord and to you His Church, and through the gift of God’s Spirit they may be for you a living sign, a warm human sign of God’s passionate love for you his people.

In conclusion I call upon all of you gathered here with us to use this occasion to stand and applaud all our priests for the ministry of priesthood that they share with you.