Anointed with Holy Oil

Friday, April 22nd, 2011

Do we see the importance of our Baptism? Do we ever stop and think that on our Baptism day we were signed with the Oil of Catechumens?

Do we ever see ourselves as a gift of holiness for our family, friends, work colleagues………do we know that we light up the world with our kindness, joy, gentleness and forgiveness?

Archbishop John Dew reflects on the symbolism of oil that is used to anoint in the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Priesthood.

Four years ago, in my Confirmation homily I told the story of King Louis IX of France. Louis IX was baptised at what was then a little French village outside Paris, called Poissy. In later life as King, he never ever signed anything “Louis IX”, he always signed “Louis of Poissy.” Once when he was asked about that and why he did it he replied, “Poissy was the place where I was baptised and that day of my Baptism was a far greater day and far more important than the day I was crowned King of France in the great Cathedral at Rheims.”

Louis IX was anointed at Baptism, in Confirmation and again as King…

Tonight we have our four diocesan Seminarians with us. It is an opportunity for them to be involved in a diocesan celebration, an opportunity for them to meet the priests they will one day work with, and to meet you whom they will serve one day as priests. It is wonderful to have them with us.

In the six years I have been your Archbishop I have ordained one priest, David Dowling who proclaimed tonight’s Gospel. In Cardinal Tom’s first six years as Archbishop he ordained 32 men to the priesthood. I wonder if young men today are given the chance to reflect on their Baptism and Confirmation, or if we as priests talk much about the powerful and privileged God-given moments we are honoured and blessed to share with so many people.

All of those 32 men, Fr David and the four seminarians were signed and sealed with Oil of Catechumens and Oil of Chrism…such as the oil which will be blessed and consecrated tonight. We have all been anointed with Oil of Catechumens and Chrism at Baptism, with Chrism again at our Confirmation, and for we priests – Chrism at Ordination. It is my deep prayer and firm hope that others who are anointed with the Oil of Catechumens and Sacred Chrism at Baptism and Confirmation will also one day be anointed with Chrism in Ordination.

It all goes back to Baptism.
God takes gifts from our ordinary everyday lives and they become signs of the Risen Lord, water, bread, wine, oil become signs of a new creation and a new way of living. Key points of our lives …Baptism, Confirmation, Ordination…….are made holy by very ordinary gifts of the earth…..water, bread, wine, oil…….

Do we see the importance of our Baptism? Do we ever stop and think that on our Baptism day we were signed with the Oil of Catechumens, such as will be blessed this evening?

At Baptism the priest says:
“We anoint you with the oil of salvation in the name of Christ, may he strengthen you with his power…”

Tonight I will say when blessing the oil of Catechumens………“Bless this oil, give wisdom and strength to all who are anointed with it in preparation for their Baptism………God’s wisdom and God’s strength have already been given to us, through our anointing at Baptism.

The prayer then says: “Bring them to a clearer understanding of the Gospel, help them to accept the challenge of Christian living…” At our Easter Vigils we will renew our Baptismal Promises and once again accept the challenge of the Gospels. Are we ready for that?

We are anointed with Sacred Chrism…..at Baptism and Confirmation, and for some at Ordination. Tonight gives us the opportunity to think about the fact that on our Baptism day, Confirmation Day, Ordination Day we were signed and sealed with the Oil of Chrism, such as will be blessed this evening?

At Baptism we also say:
“God anoints you with the Chrism of salvation. As Christ was anointed Priest, Prophet and King, so may you live always as a member of his body……..

We have the privilege of living ALWAYS as a member of the Body of Christ, being His disciples at ALL times

I will pray when consecrating the Sacred Chrism….

“Let the splendour of holiness shine on the world from every person, place and thing signed with this oil…..

Do you ever see yourselves as a gift of holiness for your family, friends, work colleagues………do you know that you light up the word with your kindness, joy, gentleness and forgiveness?

God entrusts us with gifts, – we all know well the Gospel story of the talents. We are stewards of those gifts which made us disciples and priests of Jesus Christ. The oil of Baptism and Confirmation requires us to make the response of a disciple, to be intentional every day and decide every day to be disciples in ALL that we say and do. We have the chance as God’s chosen; God’s anointed to shine with the splendour of holiness.

All of this is about our Baptism and Confirmation, anointed as disciples as Louis of Poissy anointed with the oil of Catechumens and Chrism something wonderful is entrusted to us. Just like Jesus….the Spirit of the Lord has been given to us …has anointed us. We are invited and challenged to be a part of the mission of Jesus: to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives, and to the blind new sight, to set the downtrodden free.

Following Jesus and living as he did is the work of a life time. Being a disciple of Jesus is not just something else to do, alongside the many other things we are engaged in, it is a total way of life and asks of us to make a daily choice and a conscious choice to live as a disciple. We cannot do that on our own, but anointed and strengthened by God Spirit we can.

We priests are anointed too: Many years ago I copied out the quote by the Dominican theologian Lacordaire, he wrote

“The priest is a man anointed by tradition to shed blood, not as the soldier, through courage, not as the magistrate through justice, but as Jesus Christ, through love. The priest is a man of sacrifice; by it, each day, announcing to every soul the primordial truths of life, of death, and of resurrection.”

Please pray for us tonight, and every day. Every day we as your priests say “This is my body, this is my blood,” please pray that we will know deep in our hearts that we are anointed to give our lives too, as Jesus did

-not as the soldier, through courage,

-not as the magistrate through justice,

-but as Jesus Christ, through love.