Priests in the Diocese of Arlington renewed their priestly promises at the annual Chrism Mass, celebrated by Bishop Michael F. Burbidge April 4 at All Saints Catholic Church in Manassas. During the sacred liturgy, the faithful also asked God to bless their priests and guide them as leaders in the church.
In his homily, Bishop Burbidge thanked the religious and faithful for their prayerful service in the diocese. He praised the 46 seminarians studying for the priesthood and congratulated the eight transitional deacons, announcing that he had called them to the order of the priesthood. Prior to the renewal of priestly promises, he encouraged diocesan priests to stay close to Jesus.
“In renewing your priestly promises, you are actually renewing your trust in God’s call for you. As our beloved Pope Benedict XVI said in his final Chrism Mass homily, ‘Today, God speaks to you as he did on the day of your ordination. And he says, ‘you belong to me, you are under the protection of my heart and my hands. Stay in my hands and give me yours.’ Dear brothers, our church, our diocese needs you to stay in the hands of Jesus and to give him yours in service of the Gospel,” Bishop Burbidge said.
Following the renewal of priestly promises, Bishop Burbidge blessed the Oil of Catechumens and the Oil of the Sick. Before the blessing of the Sacred Chrism, Bishop Burbidge poured balsam, a mixture of fragrances, into the olive oil. He then breathed over the oil and prayed for God to sanctify and instill in it the power of the Holy Spirit. After the Mass, priests gathered the holy oils for administering rites and sacraments at local parishes across the diocese throughout the year.
“The Chrism that will be consecrated and the oils that will be blessed remind us that we have been chosen and strengthened and nourished to proclaim the Lord’s love, even in the midst of the challenges and sufferings that we face,” Bishop Burbidge said. “The sacred oils that will be used in the celebration of the sacraments of baptism and Confirmation and Holy Orders and anointing of the sick are signs that it is truly and really Jesus Christ who anoints us and sends us forth to bring glad tidings to the lowly, to heal the broken-hearted and to comfort those who mourn. Only by the Lord’s anointing can we find the courage and the strength to be effective evangelizers.”
The Chrism Mass is the second of several liturgies to be celebrated by Bishop Burbidge during Holy Week, which began with the April 2 Mass for Palm Sunday, and includes the April 6 Mass of the Lord’s Supper; the April 7 Good Friday Solemn Liturgy of the Passion of Our Lord; the Holy Saturday Easter Vigil April 8; and Easter Mass April 9.
This story has been updated.
