by Cardinal Sebastian Francis
Isaiah 61:1-3,6,8-9
Psalm 88
Apocalypse 1:5-8
Luke 4:16-21
The very first homily given by Jesus at Nazareth in a synagogue was read just now, taken from the Gospel of Luke. And it is addressed to the poor, to the captive, to the blind and to the downtrodden. The poor captive, blind and downtrodden as understood by Saint Luke.
These oils are for us, for us who are poor, captive, blind and downtrodden. These oils are meant to anoint us, all of us, for mission and for communion. The Oil of Catechumens, the Oil of Chrism (Sacred Chrism) and the Oil of the Sick.
The first time this oil was applied on us, probably all of us received it, was at baptism, maybe as a child, maybe as an adult. When we were fresh and newly born and welcomed into this world by our loved ones. And this is what the priest said at the baptism when this Oil of Catechumens was applied on you. The priest said or the deacon or the bishop:
We anoint you with the Oil of Salvation. This Oil of Catechumens is the Oil of Salvation. In the name of Christ our Saviour, may He strengthen you with His power who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
And so from the time we were little babies, little children, we were already anointed with the oil of catechumens so that we will be strong and grow up strong.
At our baptism, whether as children or as adults, we also received the Sacred Oil of Chrism. And this is what the priest or the deacon or the bishop who anointed you said when the Chrism was applied on you at your baptism:
God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has freed you from sin and given you a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit and welcomed you into His holy people. He now anoints you with the Chrism of salvation.
As Christ was anointed priest, prophet and king. (We are all priests, prophets and kings by virtue of our baptism.) So may you live always as a member of His body, sharing everlasting life.
Then we grew up from being little babies, little children, we grew up and we became teenagers, young adults. And once again the Sacred Chrism was applied on us at our confirmation. And what did the bishop say at your confirmation? He said:
Be sealed. Be sealed (when Chrism was applied on you) with the gift of the Holy Spirit.
When we were young and energetic and vibrant like the 1,600 young people who gathered in Sabah for the Malaysian Youth Day.
Then some of us we received the Chrism again when we were ordained priests and when our hands were anointed by the bishop. And this is what the bishop said when he anointed our hands, those of us who are ordained priests:
The Lord Jesus Christ whom the Father anointed with the Holy Spirit and power guard and preserve you that you may sanctify the Christian people and offer sacrifice to God.
when your hands, dear Fathers, was anointed by the bishop.
Bishop Selva and myself, we had one more anointing, anointing with the same Oil of Sacred Chrism when we were ordained Bishops. And I remember Archbishop Murphy Pakiam who ordained me, he said these words:
May God who had made you a sharer in the high priesthood of Christ Himself pour out upon you the Oil of Mystical Anointing and make you fruitful with an abundance of spiritual blessings.
Called from among the holy people of God, each of whom was anointed priest, prophet and king with Sacred Chrism at baptism and confirmation, the new Bishop by this anointing will act in the person of Christ the high priest on behalf of the people entrusted to him by God.
Again these Sacred Oil of Chrism was used to anoint altars and walls of new churches. And we were delighted to do this at two new churches recently in Permatang Tinggi and in Jelapang. And one more to be blessed and the church of Christ the King or the Chapel of Christ the King in Buntong Tiga.
And this is what the Bishop said when he used that Oil of Chrism to anoint the altar. The Bishop said:
We now anoint this altar and this building. May God in His power make them holy visible signs of the mystery of Christ and His church.
Then we grew up. At confirmation we were young and vibrant and energetic. At ordination we were still somewhat young. When we were anointed Bishops, maybe a little older.
Then once again these oil was applied on us. This time when we were most vulnerable, when we were sick, when we were ill at the rite of the anointing of the sick, the anointing of the sick with the Oil of the Sick. And this is what the priest who anointed you said:
Through this holy anointing (using the Oil of the Sick), may the Lord in His love and mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit (when he anointed your forehead).
And then he moved towards your hands and he anointed your hands when you were at the most weak and vulnerable point in your life. And he said:
May the Lord who frees you from sin save you and raise you up again.
And he ends the anointing of the sick with this prayer:
Father in heaven, through this holy anointing, grant our brother/our sister, comfort in his or her suffering. When he/she is afraid, give him/her courage. When afflicted, give him/her patience. When dejected, afford him/her hope. And when alone, assure him/her of the support of Your holy people. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
So dear brothers and sisters, feel the fragrance of these oils. They are for us. Feel the touch and the gentleness of these oils that were used to anoint us from the time we were babies till the time we were old.
These oils have journeyed with us through life, with the priest, with the deacons, with the Bishops, with the religious men and women, with the laity, with young, with old, with the healthy, with the sick. Nobody is forgotten. Nobody is left out so that the Holy Spirit will make us stronger and stronger and stronger even if the body becomes weaker and weaker and weaker.
And that is what we are here to celebrate today. This great anointing of God’s people. And these oils are only used by deacons, by priests and by bishops. So we are here to celebrate all these.
So let us get on with the celebrations.
Click below to listen to homily and watch video
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