Homily given on 15 April 2025 at Westminster Cathedral for the Chrism Mass
In this solemn Mass of Chrism, our eyes are firmly fixed on the person of Jesus, the anointed one, the Christ. It is he, the anointed High Priest, who gives us, the Church, our fundamental character and mission. Today we seek renewal in our priesthood, both that which arises from our baptism and that to which those who have received priestly ordination have been called.
In doing so, the liturgy gives us both the universal sweep of this priesthood and its expression here in this diocese. Paul proclaims powerfully that Jesus is the 'ruler of kings on earth' and ‘Alpha and Omega' of all creation. Yet, at the same time, Jesus is rooted in Nazareth, bringing his priesthood into that small village, just as he brings it here into every part of our Diocese of Westminster.
Let us look at the very essence of the priesthood, into which we are drawn, well described in the Letter to the Hebrews. Jesus is our high priest, for he is of our stock, our flesh and blood. As our priest 'he has entered the sanctuary, once and for all' (Hebrews 9:12). United with him, we priests of the New Covenant, whether through baptism or ordination, 'have the right to enter (the sanctuary of God) by a new way... through the opening of his body' (Hebrews 10:19-20). In entering and opening this pathway into the presence of God, he 'leads us in
our faith and brings it to perfection' (Hebrews 12:2). Thus 'we have been given possession of an unshakeable Kingdom' and we are to 'hold onto the grace' we have been given (Hebrews 12.28). This is the work of priesthood for each of us: to stand before God in prayer and self-offering; to bring before God all with which we have been entrusted.
In this ceremony today we celebrate the gifts of this priesthood in its different forms. We bless the chrism through which the priesthood of baptism is given, strengthened in confirmation. It is the calling of all the baptised, you my sisters and brothers, to make every day, every experience, an offering to God. As we offer ourselves to God, we also embrace all those we know and meet. They may not yet understand that this life is a gift of God and will find its fulfilment in God, through Jesus our Blessed Lord, the 'Alpha and Omega' of all life. Today we also bless the oil of the anointing of the sick, for through suffering we can be more closely united to Christ in offering to God all that we have to bear. For this reason, we are urged 'not to lose sight of Jesus who leads us in our faith and brings it to perfection' (Hebrews 12:2).
In understanding our priesthood, we come to the most profound truth of this Jubilee Year with its call to us all to be 'Pilgrims into Hope'. The radical hope we treasure is indeed the hope of heaven. This is the sure and certain hope that we will stand before the majesty of God, with Jesus at our side, and enter its eternal fulfilment. With this hope, we make our pilgrimage on Earth with all its joys and sorrows.
And to help us on this journey, the good Lord entrusts to some the task of being ordained to the ministry of representing him as Head and leader of his Body, the Church. All to be fed and nurtured on his Word and Sacraments through the ordained ministry. We priests, then, are gathered here, this morning, seeking renewal and fresh resilience for our calling.
My brothers in this sacred ministry, Jesus calls us to be the 'Sherpas' of the people entrusted to our care, walking with them in this pilgrimage of Hope. We fulfil this mission here, in this diocese, just as Jesus sought to do so in Nazareth. It is here, in this place, that we have been planted. It is here that we are to flourish in our mission. The soil of this place is to be under our fingernails, for we do not seek to turn away from the culture of our society, but rather to dig into it, to find its goodness and fruitfulness. We must also resist the spread of features of that culture that rob people of their inheritance of true hope and cast a shadow of darkness in their lives. It is here, in our Diocese of Westminster, that together, we renew our ministry and our commitment and fidelity to each other. As we do so we can ask ourselves: Is our ministry anchored in the proclamation of the presence of Jesus among our people? Is it centred on his saving sacrifice, so often reflected in selfless love? Does our ministry consistently point people to the fulfilment of heaven? These are the criteria by which we shall be judged. So, we must resist the temptations of wishing to be elsewhere, of being preoccupied with our own security and comfort, or of reducing heaven to an earthly well-being.
I take this opportunity of thanking you, each and every one of the priests ministering in this diocese. I thank you for your dedication and your resilience in the face of complexities and difficulties, your support for one another and your focused and generous service to those entrusted to you. And, I know that everyone here wants to support you with their love and prayers, as I do too.
Throughout this Holy Week, then, let us keep our eyes on Jesus as our sole Lord and Master. Without a deep, personal relationship with him, we are lost, left without the one true foundation, the one essential source of nourishment. This closeness to the Lord is about intimacy, standing open before the Lord, with a simple gaze, given and received, conveying our love for him and his unwavering love, his encouraging embrace, his flow of compassion and his restoring forgiveness. Unless this is in the heart of each one of us - and of you all, my sisters and brothers - the particular challenges that face us, in this time and place, will surely overwhelm us at some point. Jesus alone is our rock and our salvation. Today we all renew our dedication, and we ordained priests do so before you, sisters and brothers, as our witnesses.
Photo: Mazur/cbcew.org.uk