Given on 31 March 2026 at Westminster Cathedral for the Chrism Mass.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
In today’s first reading, the Prophet Isaiah recognises himself as being the prophet chosen by the Lord to bring new life to the people. “The Lord has anointed me”, he says. When we come to the Gospel, Jesus Himself, the Word made Flesh, the only Son of the Father, takes up the mantle of Isaiah. He is the One in whom all the prophecies of old are fulfilled. The freedom and liberty proclaimed by the prophet is a shadow of the good news, liberty, sight, freedom and favour brought by the Son of God Himself. “This text is being fulfilled today, even as you listen”. The whole of history looks to that moment when the Word made Flesh dwells amongst us, dies and rises for us.
It is the vocation of the whole Church to proclaim this message of the Lord’s life, death and resurrection. We are his instruments and our whole lives are caught up in this wonderful mystery of the salvation won for us by Jesus Christ. We are called to proclaim this Good News – the only news that is truly Good.
Today’s liturgy of the Mass of Chrism lays before us the very heart of our Catholic Faith, the very core of our proclamation, made in the context of the Sacraments given us by Jesus Christ. We gather to celebrate the Eucharist. The oils that are used in Baptism, Confirmation and Ordination and in the Sacrament of the Sick are blessed and consecrated. The prayers of blessing of the Oil of Catechumens and the Oil of the Sick, and the prayer of consecration of the Chrism, all speak of the newness of life proclaimed by Jesus in the Synagogue at Nazareth. Listen out for these words – they speak of freedom from pain and illness; they speak of the joy of new birth in the family of the Church – the freedom that comes from the Gospel; they speak of transformation and of salvation. These are not simply pious words. They are realities – for the Gospel is real and the challenge of living by that Gospel is real.
We pray today for all those through the Church, and especially within the family of our own Diocese, who will be anointed with these oils during the coming year. We pray for those who will be anointed at Baptism and in the Sacrament of Confirmation. We pray for those who will receive the Sacrament of the Sick, in hospital or in the comfort of their own homes.
Today’s liturgy also calls for priests to renew their commitment to priestly service. I ask all present here to pray especially for the priests of the Diocese, not just today but every day. It is good to see here with us today our students from Allen Hall. Please remember in prayer our students and those who accompany them in formation at Allen Hall and at St. Alban’s College, Valladolid and at the Venerable English College, Rome. As we rejoice that three men have been accepted to begin their formation for the Priesthood this year, I ask you all to pray that more men will respond to the call to priesthood, answering with generous hearts, open to a life of self-less service. Pray for our Vocations Director and the Promoters who work with him. May our parishes, schools and homes be places where the vocation to priesthood is fostered and encouraged.
Priests are anointed with the Oil of Chrism at ordination. They are named “priests of the Lord” and “ministers of our God” in the very particular calling that comes with ordained priesthood. It is not without its consolations – the support of those we serve, a wonderful closeness to Christ’s presence in the Eucharist – but this call also brings with it a very great responsibility. It is a call to service above all else and it is to this service that we dedicate ourselves afresh today.
The life of the priest is, for those whom the Lord calls to this service, truly wonderful. The priest, the alter Christus, is not in a place of worldly power or status. The priest is – wonderfully yet simply – the Lord’s instrument.
We shall hear these words about Priesthood in the Preface of today’s Mass: “They are to lead your holy people in charity, to nourish them with the word and strengthen them with the Sacraments. As they give up their lives for you and for the salvation of their brothers and sisters, they strive to be conformed to the image of Christ himself and offer you a constant witness of faith and love.”
This is a beautiful expression of the life of the Priest, centred as it is on the Eucharist – “the renewal, in His name, of the sacrifice of redemption.” The priest is called to nothing less than the ministry of Christ that we see in the Synagogue in Nazareth.
May our prayer today be that all the priests of our Diocese continue to find strength in faith, confidence in hope and renewal in the love of Christ who calls us, that our ministry will continue to bear fruit much. May all whom our priests serve experience the Good News, the peace, freedom and liberty and the favour of the Lord that Christ came to bring – the new life that is the will of the Father for all humanity.