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CV NEWS FEED // This morning at 9:30 local time, on the anniversary of Holy Thursday, His Eminence Cardinal Domenico Calcagno presided over the Holy Chrism Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City.
The solemn liturgy, a central event in the Catholic calendar, gathered 1,880 priests who work, visit, or study in Rome. During the Eucharistic celebration, these priests renewed the promises they made at the moment of their ordination. The Mass also included the blessing of the oil of the sick, the oil of catechumens, and the sacred chrism, which will be used in sacraments throughout the coming year.
The homily, prepared by Pope Francis and read by Cardinal Calcagno after the proclamation of the Holy Gospel, invited priests and faithful alike to reflect on the meaning of their vocation and the hope found in Christ. Drawing from the Book of Revelation, the homily emphasized the enduring presence of Jesus: “‘The Alpha and the Omega, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty’ [Rev 1:8], is Jesus himself.”
Pope Francis, through Cardinal Calcagno, encouraged priests to see their ministry as a journey of hope: “If only we let him teach us, our ministry becomes one of hope, because in each of our stories God opens a jubilee: a time and an oasis of grace. Let us ask: Am I learning how to read the story of my life? Or am I afraid to do so?”
The homily highlighted the importance of reading one’s life in the light of Christ.
“Each of us has a word to fulfil,” the Pope wrote. “Each of us has a long-standing relationship with the word of God. We put it at the service of others only when the Bible remains our first home.”
Reflecting on the mission of priests, the homily recalled Jesus’ proclamation in the synagogue: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor … to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.”
Pope Francis reminded the assembled clergy that their priesthood is a “jubilee ministry, like his, accomplished without fanfare but through a devotion that is unobtrusive, yet radical and gratuitous. It is that of the Kingdom of God, the one recounted in the parables, effective and discreet like yeast, silent like seed.”
The celebration concluded with a call to the faithful: “Dear members of the faithful, people of hope, pray today for the joy of priests. May all of you experience the liberation promised by the Scriptures and nourished by the sacraments. Many fears can dwell within us and terrible injustices surround us, but a new world has already been born. God so loved the world that he gave us his Son, Jesus. He pours balm upon our wounds and wipes away our tears. ‘Look! He is coming with the clouds’ (Rev 1:7). His is the Kingdom and the glory forever and ever. Amen.”
