“I am convinced that each priest here today, in his own unique way makes a difference to the lives of so many.”
Reflection by Bishop Michael at the Mass of Chrism 2023, Cathedral of St Brendan, Loughrea, and Our Lady Assumed Into Heaven, Galway
Some of you may have heard the story before. Father Stephen was a determined man who always seemed to be in a hurry. As the parish priest at the Mission Station, his goal was to travel deep into the jungle to a remote village to start the building of a new church. He assembled a large group of local helpers to carry supplies and skilled guides who knew the route. Although the distance was great, he was adamant that they could make it in just five days. The first day they travelled at a steady pace. The second day, Father Stephen pushed them to go faster and further. On day three, they went twice as fast as the first day and covered twice as much ground. Around the campfire that night, Father Stephen and the other curate Father Tony congratulated themselves on the progress made. The next morning they rose early to find the local helpers and guides sitting in a circle. They were refusing to budge. “What is wrong?” asked Father Stephen, “We need to get going!” It was then that Mutale spoke up: “We cannot go any further today!” “Why not?” said Fr Stephen, “everyone seems fit and well!” “Yes”, replied Mutale, “but we went so quickly yesterday, we must wait here for our souls to catch up with our bodies!” “Father! Yes wait we must here for our souls to catch up with our bodies!”
The Mass of Chrism is special indeed. There are few other events during the year where we gather as one – bishop, priests and people –as the Church in this particular part of the Lord’s vineyard, we call the Diocese of Clonfert. We gather to renew and refresh the sacred oils that will be part and parcel of our sacramental life as the year unfolds. The strengthening Oil of Catechumens that will be used throughout the Diocese to prepare candidates for baptism. The healing Oil of the Sick with which our priests will anoint the head and hands of those who are sick and dying bringing with it God’s solace in our human illness and death. The conforming Oil of Chrism used to anoint the newly baptised as a sign of their dignity as members of God’s family. Used to convey the gifting of the heavenly Spirit at our Confirmation ceremonies or to seal the unique calling of a priest or a bishop at ordination. During the months ahead, through these Holy oils, which we bless today, the Spirit of God will reach out in a tangible way into the lives of so many of our people bringing, in each and every sacramental encounter, God’s powerful help to those involved.
Each year, the Mass of Chrism, not only offer us an opportunity to renew and refresh these sacred oils but it also offers us priests – as ministers of the Sacraments - an opportunity to renew and refresh our commitment to our priestly calling. Every generation has to grasp new opportunities and affront particular challenges. For many priests, the world and the Church into which we were ordained are very different from the world and the Church we find ourselves in today. Perhaps one of the defining characteristics of the modern era is that change comes at a faster pace than it did before – what used to take centuries now seems to happen in mere decades. The rapid secularisation of Irish society with the consequent weakening of faith and decrease in faith practice seems almost to have taken us by surprise. As individual priests and as a Diocese we find ourselves often struggling to make sense of the undoing of parish structures and practices that we thought almost eternal. We can now no longer replace a priest with a priest. I read an article recently. The main title was “what do you give a priest who has everything?” The sub title was “… another parish!” Surely, the solution cannot be to load more and more on the aging and the few. These days call for courage to stop doing so many of the things that served us well in the past but that no longer serve us now. In like measure, these days call for bravery. Bravery to start doing new things that will better nourish and truly grow our local Christian faith communities into an exciting future. Before the hectic activity and the immensity of it all – I am sure that, as priests, there are days when we might feel like Mutale and his fellow trekkers – days when we just want to sit down – days when we feel the need for our souls to catch up with our bodies. How you might ask? How might this be done? I might offer three suggestions.
First of all, as priests, I think, we need, above all else, to return over and over again to be refreshed and renewed at the well of our relationship with God. Surely, it was that sense of God, the joy of his presence, the experience of his closeness and the excitement of his call that set us off on the road of priesthood in the first place. This relationship with God is nourished and strengthened through prayer. I am not sure there is one of us here today that would not agree that we need to pray more. Amid the hectic activity of being a priest today and the uncertainty of it all -we need, above all, to prioritise our spiritual lives. We need to create a space for God and we need to spend quality time with him.
Secondly, I think we need to honour and reverence the God-given gift of our individual humanity. Believe it or not priests and even bishops are human. No two priests are the same. In the Past – for a variety of reasons – the ideal priest seemed to be someone who had almost fled from and conquered their humanity to become something almost otherworldly. History has taught us that such is possible only for a few and that a better road to tread would be to work to accept, value and transform our own feeble humanity with its flaws and all. For it is that particular humanity, our particular person and character that the Holy Spirit transforms and uses in his own particular way through the gift of Priesthood to make this world a better place. How are we tending to our humanity? How can I carve out time for myself – a space to build up “who I am” at the age I am. A space to cultivate deep healthy friendships – to rest and recuperate – to genuinely better myself as a human being?
Thirdly – I think that we need to rediscover a profound sense of our priestly calling. The Prophet Isaiah in the First Reading and Jesus in the Gospel exude a confidence:
“the Spirit of the Lord has been given to me, for he has anointed me.
He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor,
to proclaim liberty to captives
and to the blind new sight,
to set the downtrodden free.
to proclaim the Lord’s year of favour.”
Although merely human and often flawed – priests are called to a life –that makes a qualitative difference to the world in which we live. I am convinced that each priest here today, in his own unique way makes a difference to the lives of so many. I invite you to focus on the small joys in your ministry. I am sure there are many. The unique access you have to people’s lives at times of new beginnings and great challenges. The children you baptised, the couples whose weddings you celebrated. The sick you consoled, the dying you helped along the way. The sad and confused you brought light and direction to in the confessional. The word from a homily that often unknown makes a difference, the little kindnesses that lightened a load. Although it may not be paraded on our television screens or reflected in the headlines of our newspapers, know that the day-in day-out the ministry of a priest is still deeply appreciated by so many.
(1)Focusing on our relationship with God (2) accepting, nourishing and enhancing our individual humanity and (3) fostering a sense of our unique calling can, I believe, assist us in these both challenging and exciting times. Times, when often our souls need to catch up with our bodies. I pray that not only the oils for use in the sacraments but the very ministers of those Sacraments themselves many be powerfully renewed and refreshed today and in these sacred days. Amen.