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Last week, we celebrated the Chrism Mass, which is always one of the highlights of the year for me.

This liturgy brings together all facets of our Diocese - urban, suburban and rural; married and single; oung, middle-aged and seniors; the baptized and catechumens; priests, deacons, religious and laity - as we celebrate that we are God's anointed people, blessed and consecrated to fulfill the mission of Jesus in our world.

In this liturgy, we bless the oil of the sick, which is used throughout the year to impart healing, peace, inner serenity and forgiveness to those who are infirm or terminally ill.

This sacred oil will be a source of spiritual consolation for those who are experiencing pain and suffering - either physical, emotional or spiritual - and for those who are making the transition from this life to that the eternity of life for which our loving God has destined us.

Oil of welcome
We also bless the oil of catechumens, which is used to initiate Christians into the life of faith. On the first Sunday of Lent, we had the ceremony of the Rite of Election, welcoming those preparing for the Easter mysteries we will celebrate this week.

In the non-baptized and those seeking full communion with our Church, we witness the power of this oil to be the beckoning call of Christ.

This year, more than 300 new members will be received into our diocesan family and will celebrate the sacraments of initiation, Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist at the Easter vigil Mass. This is a sign of the vibrancy the Church in our Diocese of Albany and that the oil of catechumens still serves its purpose in our increasingly secularized society.

Oil of chrism
Finally, we consecrate the oil of chrism which anoints the baptized as they become members of our Christian family; confirms the Spirit, primarily in our adolescents and young adults; and seals our priests and bishops for their empowering ministry on behalf of God's people.

Chrism takes its name from "Christ," which means "the anointed one." All of us who are anointed with this oil - the baptized, confirmed and ordained - have the sacred responsibility of fulfilling the mission of Christ in our day.

That mission was foretold by Isaiah, and fulfilled by Jesus: the mission "to bring glad tidings to the poor; to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind; to let the oppressed go free and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord" (Is 1:1-2; Lk 4:18-19).

At our chrism liturgy, all present renew our commitment to embrace this mission in our respective states of life. I am grateful to all the members of our Diocese for the manifold ways you fulfill that mission.

Thank you, laity
First, I thank our laity who serve as parish life directors, pastoral associates, faith formation coordinators, youth ministers, catechists, Catholic school teachers and administrators, lectors, eucharistic ministers, ministers of hospitality, musicians, choir members, pastoral care ministers to those who are homebound or in hospitals and nursing homes, and service ministers who engage in outreach to the incarcerated in our jails and prisons, to the disadvantaged in our soup kitchens, food pantries and thrift shops, as well as providing emergency assistance to the needy and advocating for social justice.

Today, despite the decline in vocations to the ministerial priesthood and religious life and in church attendance, we have more ministry taking place in our Diocese than ever before. This is because our laity have come to understand and appreciate that they too are called to share in the priestly, prophetic and regal ministry of Jesus.

This commitment on the part of our laity to fulfill the mission of Jesus was evidenced:

• in the overwhelming donations of nearly $800,000 for the people of Haiti in the wake of the devastating earthquake which killed close to 200,000 people and left so many others destitute

• in the participation of our Immigrant Refugee Postcard Campaign, during which more than 6,000 cards were sent to Congress and our president, urging a safe path to citizenship for the more than 12 million undocumented immigrants living in our midst, for greater family reunification, and for a more rational immigration policy which both meets our own domestic needs and addresses the root social and economic causes which lead people to migrate from their homelands;

• in response to the bulletin request and email alerts to advocate with Congress for healthcare reform which is accessible, affordable, and would not expand taxpayer support for abortion;

• in contributions of more than $7.2 million to our annual Bishop's Appeal and more than $3 million to the restoration of our Mother Church, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Albany; and

• in the response to the Called to Be Church Planning process which, while painful for many, has gone far better than in most other dioceses, with a minimum of understandable anger and feelings of betrayal, but by and large with a generous spirit of acceptance, welcoming and hospitality.

This generous sharing of time, talent and treasure is amazing, and the contributions which I have cited are just a few of the tangible manifestations of our laity's living out of Isaiah's vision and Jesus' witness within the Church itself.

A much longer litany of thanksgiving would need to include the way you laity bring Christ's values and ideals to the world of business, finance, law, education, medicine, social services, science, technology, government and the arts.

Thank you, religious
Second, I salute our men and women religious who embrace the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience and serve the needs of God's people in our parishes, schools, colleges, human service agencies, hospitals and nursing homes, as well as in diocesan administration and service to the members of their respective religious communities.

Recently, the Smithsonian Institution opened an exhibit titled, "Women and Spirit: Catholic Sisters in America," commemorating the 300 year history of women religious in the United States, who over these three centuries were besieged by pirates, robbed by bandits, attacked by nativists, harangued by bishops and taken for granted by those whom they were dedicated to serve.

But, serve valiantly they have, and, in the process, have been the foundation for the largest private education and healthcare system in the world.

The same accolades can be directed to their male counterparts in religious life. So I thank our religious for their presence in our midst and for keeping alive Jesus' spirit of prayerfulness, servanthood and single-minded dedication in seeking to build up the kingdom of God.

Thank you, deacons
I salute, too, our deacons and their spouses and family members. Most of them blend the sacrament of marriage with the sacrament of orders. They balance work and family responsibilities with service to God's people as ministers of the Word, sacrament and charity.

They witness to the Good News in the home, the workplace, the parish, correctional and healthcare institutions. The members of our diaconate community are pioneers, called to restore an ancient ministry of the Church and make it relevant to meet the needs of our high-tech but increasingly dehumanized and depersonalized society.

They have exercised this ministry with audacity, integrity, creativity and pastoral sensitivity. For this, I am most grateful.

Thank you, priests
Finally, I salute my brothers in the presbyterate of our Diocese of Albany. Theirs is a privilege of standing among the people of God as an "alter Christus."

They are living the priesthood of Jesus Christ in tremendously challenging times: given the decline in vocations to the ministerial priesthood; the blurring of ecclesial roles and responsibilities and even priestly identity; the attrition of the faithful in Mass attendance and celebration of the sacraments, especially reconciliation, marriage and even Christian burial; the dissipation within our society of moral values and civility; the intramural squabbles in the Church and the scandal of misconduct which has tarnished the image of priests and the priesthood.

Despite these and other challenges our priests face, they have responded with a resiliency, flexibility, steadfast determination, patient endurance and courage of which they can be justifiably proud. I am confident that future generations will hail their manifold accomplishments in these turbulent times as among the greatest in the history of the Church and its priesthood.

So I thank our priests profusely for their sterling ministry. During this "Year for Priests," I ask all the people of our Diocese to express their appreciation for the heroic service of our priests and to pray for their well-being - and for other laborers to come forward to share both the joy and burdens assumed by priests of the new and eternal covenant.

Forward in hope
In the second reading of the Chrism liturgy, taken from the Book of Revelation, we are told that Jesus "has made us a royal nation of priests in the service of his God and Father" (Rev. 1:6).

Thus, assured that we are so loved and empowered, let us embrace the challenges that the future presents - not with fear and apprehension; not with uncertainty and doubt; not with anger, suspicion and mistrust; but with the hope and optimism that comes from Him who is "the Alpha and the Omega, the one who is, who was and who is to come, the Almighty" (Rev. 1:8).

Standing on this foundation and with the Spirit's wind at our back, may we strive to fulfill our sacred responsibility to be God's anointed people today, tomorrow and for the rest of our lives.

(04/01/10) [[In-content Ad]]

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