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April 4, 2023Abu Dhabi.
The priests of the Vicariate gathered at St. Joseph's Cathedral Abu Dhabi today, for the Chrism Mass and renewed their vows of the priesthood. Bishop Paolo Martinelli presided over the Mass in which the Holy oils (Oil of the Sick and the Oil of Catechumen) were blessed and the Chrism was consecrated.
Below is the full text of the homily delivered during the occasion.
The words of the prophet Isaiah resound a particular way today in our cathedral during this Chrism Mass. Around the bishop is gathered the presbytery from different parishes of our apostolic vicariate. I thank all the priests present, especially those from distant places. We also feel profound unity with the priest who has recently arrived in Yemen to serve the Church in that suffering country.
I also thank the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Christophe, for his presence, and Bishop Paul, who is always ready to support me. I also thank the deacons present as members of our clergy. I also thank the faithful present who join us in our chrismal celebration, especially the consecrated persons.
Indeed, the words Jesus in the synagogue about the prophecy of Isaiah are also valid for us today in this Church: "This text is being fulfilled today even as you listen". We, first, recognize our priestly anointing, the one we received on the day of our ordination. We recall that there is a profound link between the baptismal priesthood and ministerial priesthood, as written in Lumen Gentium: "Though they differ from one another in essence and not only in degree, the common priesthood of the faithful and the ministerial or hierarchical priesthood are nonetheless interrelated: each of them in its own special way is a participation in the one priesthood of Christ. The ministerial priest, by the sacred power he enjoys, teaches and rules the priestly people; acting in the person of Christ, he makes present the Eucharistic sacrifice, and offers it to God in the name of all the people".
Therefore, the anointing we have received is not for ourselves but for the holy people of God. We are consecrated to serve the people. So, our priestly consecration is for the mission. As Pope Francis reminds us, “My mission of being in the heart of the people is not just a part of my life or a badge I can take off; it is not an “extra” or just another moment in life. Instead, it is something I cannot uproot from my being without destroying my very self. I am a mission on this earth; that's the reason why I am here in this world”.
Having received the anointing of the Holy Spirit in the sacrament of Orders implies that our whole life has been taken at the service of the mission: soul and body, mind, feelings, and affections. We no longer belong to ourselves but to Christ. We too are sent "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 favor".
Of course, we are never sent generically. Being sent always means being sent by someone, with someone, and to someone who lives in a precise geographical and social context. We were sent to bring the good news to these territories, to the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia, which for us means, above all, taking pastoral care of the faithful who live in this territory. Not only those who attend the Church, our communities, and groups but also those who have distanced themselves from the Church for different reasons. We, too, are called to be an outgoing church and not a passive waiting church. The synodal process that Pope Francis has been guiding these years asks us to go out to meet all our brothers and sisters and journey together.
Furthermore, interreligious and ecumenical dialogue for promoting peace and justice is part of our mission in a country like this. We live among people of different religions. We need to walk together.
Dear Priests, we serve our people through our priestly ministry. We are a Migrant Church made up of people from different nations, cultures, languages, and rites, but we are called to be one family, one Church. We are part of a larger community: the Holy Catholic Church spread throughout the world. There is no greater good than the unity of believers, as Jesus tells us in his priestly prayer.
Likewise, it is easy to observe that our presbytery is also made up of priests from different nations, cultures, and rites, as well as from various religious institutes. I remind you of what the Second Vatican Council affirmed in this regard: “Priests by virtue of their ordination to the priesthood are united among themselves in an intimate sacramental brotherhood. In individual dioceses, priests form one priesthood under their own bishop" (PO 8). This makes us understand that to exercise the ministerial priesthood authentically, it is necessary to have unity among all priests. Priests united around the bishop can help the people to be united and walk together. A disunited clergy makes the journey of the people very difficult. In the same way, every priest in the vicariate must be for all faithful and not just for a particular group or linguistic and ritual community, even though their ministry may concentrate on a specific ecclesial reality. In this spirit, I ask you to renew your commitment to the priestly service.
Finally, in this holy mass, I will bless the oils and consecrate the chrism, which will be used for the priestly service. May these sacred rites help us rediscover the profound meaning of our priestly consecration and allow us to rediscover the apostolic zeal we need to live our mission with enthusiasm. May the anointing of the Spirit be renewed in us. Apostolic zeal is reborn in relation to the intensity of our spiritual life. Let us leave all mediocracy and rediscover our love for Christ and our faithful by joyfully placing ourselves at their service.
We must rediscover the living presence of Christ among us: who is he for us, for me, and for you? I am the Alpha and the Omega' says the Lord God, who is, who was, and who is to come, the Almighty. These words from the book of the apocalypse are essential. In a world troubled by conflicts and changes that frighten and make us insecure, let us look to Christ, the profound meaning of history. He is our reliable hope, by whom we are called to be witnesses among our people and for all humanity.
Dear Priests, thank you for your daily pastoral commitment to the Vicariate. May the Lord bless and sustain you and give you peace and joy.