HOMILY - CHRISM MASS
HOLY THURSDAY - 2004
Archbishop Buti Tlhagale
OMI
Dated: 8th April 2004
Addressing the priests of the diocese and those gathered for the Chrism Mass at the
Cathedral of Christ the King, Johannesburg, on Holy Thursday, Archbishop Buti Tlhagale,
Bishop of Johannesburg, told priests they should celebrate the Eucharist as if they
expected the Master to return on the following day.
We need to remain fervent because we do not know when he will return, but we do know that he will. He will return to ask us about the promises we made to him. He will return to ask us about the gifts he gave us, about the responsibility of being shepherds, and so we gather in this Cathedral to renew our priestly promises, our obedience to Christ indeed, but especially to renew our integrity, to reinforce our brotherhood, our unity and community of purpose in carrying out the mission of Jesus Christ.
Encourage vocations
Archbishop Buti said that the Holy Father, since the beginning of his pontificate and in the letters to the priests on this day, is wont to say that the priests gather in the upper room to break the bread.
Today we think individually, as priests, and collectively, of our ordination to the priesthood. Like in the upper room where Christ met with his disciples, we listen to the Word of God every year. We are reminded that we should take care of the Church, of proclaiming God's word, encourage the sacramental and moral order of Christian living, that we should promote vocations, priestly vocations and vocations to the religious life. If we dont do that we threaten the future of the local Church and therefore it is an obligation on all of us, on you the people of God, to encourage vocations in families, in your communities.
Cynicism of today
The priesthood calls for integrity of life and service especially in the environment of today when people have become cynical, we do need to remember that there are times when we drive them to that cynicism by our own lack of faith, our own callousness, our own fatigue, our own mediocrity. We are reminded today that we exercise the sacred power in the name, in the person of Christ. We offer this Eucharistic sacrifice every day in the name of the people of God, he said.
Care and commitment
Priests are rightly expected to have a care and commitment which are far greater and differ from those of any lay person. This is because we share in the priesthood of Christ and our sharing in the priesthood of Christ differs from that of lay people, not only in degree, as we know, but also in essence.
The priesthood of the people of God
While we celebrate the priesthood of priests, I think we need to find out ways of celebrating collectively, the priesthood of the people of God. Lay people also share in the priesthood of Christ. It is the basis for lay people to be involved as Christians in society, to promote privately and publicly the Christian values by witnessing to the Gospel in a challenging secular environment.
A challenge to lay organizations and laity in general
I therefore challenge lay organizations and laity in general that we should think about ways and means of celebrating the priesthood of lay people, so that it becomes an occasion for renewing and for developing our understanding of the priesthood of lay people and the role of lay people as sharing in the priesthood of Christ. What are the implications of the priesthood of lay people and how can we celebrate this in a meaningful manner?
Patterned on the Master
As priests, we derive our identity from the priesthood of Christ. Ordination gives us the character of the priesthood. We are, by definition, patterned on the Master. We are, by definition, men of prayer. Some say we are men of the cloth, I gather, though many of us have long abandoned the cloth and settled for ties and jeans, even when we celebrate the Eucharist, regrettably.
The image of the man of prayer
If the secular image of the modern priest were to be superceded, or even overshadowed by the visible image of the priest of prayerit would make a difference, and therefore it is not so much a man of the cloth but rather a man of God who will emerge. A man who has and lives by the courage of his convictions as a priest and who seeks to be recognized as sucha priest.
Thirst for spiritual strength
Todays world, todays communities, thirst, long for such a prayerful presence of the priest, where a priest is, there should be a source of prayer, of support, of spiritual strength, an oasis of spiritual peace and so, when the Carmelite Sisters gather in their house in Benoni, in their church, the climax of the day for them is when they gather for prayer. Prayer is the climax of the day, prayer has to punctuate all our main activities.
An empty shell
Without prayer, we are no longer priests, we are no longer deacons, we are just an empty shell performing a meaningful ritual, performing it because we were once upon a time ordained as priests, and each one of us as priests, knows that. We know deep in our hearts when we no longer function as priests. This is perhaps harsh, but thats the truth, we know.
Christ is our standard
Christ is the source of our identity. Christ is our measure. Christ is our standard and we dare not lower that standardon the contrary, we are expected to raise the bar, otherwise the Christian way of life would have no impact on our communities.
Matthews Gospel Chapter 5, says that Christ has brought a new standard, higher than the old, for I tell you, if your virtue does not go deeper than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven.
Let your Yes be yes
Let your Yes when you make these promises be Yes and your No be No. Christ is our
standard of behaviour, and so we are told in the Gospel that after he had cured the paralytic, he said, Get up and pick up your bed and then Matthew follows with a comment: a feeling of awe came over the crowd when they saw this and praised God for giving such power to man for giving such power to priests. Elsewhere, in curing the dumb demoniac, the people, were told, were amazed. nothing like this had ever been seen in Israel, they said Mark tells us, and his teaching made a deep
impression on them, because unlike the scribes, he taught them with authority. After he had cured the demoniac and the people were so astonished, they said: Here is an teaching that is newand with authority.
This is the standard set by Jesus Christ, this is what is expected of the priests, a spiritual authority that makes a difference to peoples spiritual life.
A store of goodness
There is a need for a spiritual authority backed by a life of integrity and service, a life of faith and so this morning, we bless the oils, amongst those the oils of the sick.
Cure the sick
And He said, go proclaim the Kingdom of God, cure the sick, raise the dead, cast out devils. In order for healing to take place, the faith of the sick person is important, but also the faith of the healer-priest is needed. Healing will not take place unless the healer himself believes in the power of the oils that carry with them the power given to them by the Church.
Give without charge
Before I conclude, I mention this funny note. Today we do have nuns and some priests who claim to be traditional healers drawing strength from their role as priestsand this makes you money. This troubles us. We urge you not to deceive people, not to exploit people, or the least we can say is, quoting the Bible: You have received without chargegive without charge.
Be careful in mixing the Gospel with tradition. The two do not always go together. Behold, I have given you a priest until the end of time.