We belong to Christ and we live his priesthood, not our own
Photos and video from Chrism Mass 2026 at St George’s Cathedral with Archbishop John
Priests, deacons and faithful from across the Archdiocese gathered at St George's Cathedral for the Chrism Mass, as Archbishop John Wilson blessed the holy oils to be used in parishes throughout the coming year.
Preaching at the Mass, Archbishop John said:
This is a wonderful celebration in the life of our Archdiocese. We are, each of us, united in Christ through the sacrament of Baptism which is the foundation of the whole Christian life. Baptism is the gateway to life in the Spirit, which we live together in the communion of the Church. Baptism is the door of access to all the other sacraments and the source of every vocation.
Baptised through water and the Holy Spirit, we are all anointed to evangelise. We rightly share a common dignity as a priestly, prophetic, and royal people. Christ has “made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father” (Rev 1:6) such that “the whole community of believers is … priestly.”
Through our baptism, and our confirmation, and strengthened by the Holy Eucharist, we each participate in Christ’s mission according to our calling.
Speaking directly to priests in our Archdiocese, Archbishop John said:
I hope that uppermost in your evolving sense of priestly vocation and ministry is the unwavering truth that the Lord Jesus loves you. Only in loving friendship with Jesus can we hope to find happiness and holiness as a priest. Only by sustaining an inner life of prayer, rooted in the scriptures, and in Eucharistic Adoration, can a priest find the nourishment he needs to nourish others. Only by personally inhabiting the self-giving sacrifice of Jesus can we announce the Good News freely and serve with compassion...
Beloved brothers, I encourage you to renew your priestly promises, not merely in words, not purely as a formality, not just superficially on your lips, but from deep within your heart. There, in that place where you are most truly yourself, your discipleship is rooted. There, your priesthood is anchored. In your heart, in each moment, your love for Christ, and Christ’s love for you, is nurturing your priestly identity and mission.
We belong to Christ and we live his priesthood, not our own. We are ordained for service as the Church desires and needs us to serve, not as we choose. Using our human frailty and inadequacy, as well as our skills and talents, Christ builds up his holy people. We are not competitors, but collaborators, something we will strengthen through Called to Bear Fruit as, together, we enhance our co-responsibility for mission.
What is the Chrism Mass?
The Chrism Mass
The Chrism Mass is the largest diocesan celebration of the year. Priests, deacons and people gather with the Archbishop for the blessing of the holy oils used across the diocese in the year ahead. At its heart is the fulfilment of the words proclaimed by Christ in the synagogue at Nazareth:
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor." (Luke 4:18)
The Holy Oils
Three oils are blessed at this Mass. The Oil of the Sick is used in the anointing of the sick; the Oil of Catechumens is used for those preparing for baptism. The third - Sacred Chrism - gives the Mass its name, and is not merely blessed but consecrated. As the Archbishop prays the prayer of consecration, all the priests present extend their hands towards the vessel containing it, a gesture that expresses their shared participation in the one priesthood.
"We have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God." (Hebrews 4:14)
Chrism is used at baptism, confirmation, the ordination of priests and bishops, and the dedication of churches and altars. Balsam is mixed into it, giving it a distinctive fragrance which is a reminder of the odour of sanctity to which all the baptised are called.
The Renewal of Priestly Promises
The Chrism Mass also offers an occasion for the priests of the diocese to renew the promises they made at their ordination. Gathered with the faithful, they make their public commitment to the service of God and his Church once more. Deacons and people offer their prayerful support in return — mindful of Saint Paul's exhortation:
"Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you." (1 Timothy 4:14)
Archbishop John's Chrism Mass 2026 homily
Dear friends
This is a wonderful celebration in the life of our Archdiocese. We are, each of us, united in Christ through the sacrament of Baptism which is the foundation of the whole Christian life. Baptism is the gateway to life in the Spirit, which we live together in the communion of the Church. Baptism is the door of access to all the other sacraments and the source of every vocation. (Cf. CCC 1213)
Baptised through water and the Holy Spirit, we are all anointed to evangelise. We rightly share a common dignity as a priestly, prophetic, and royal people. Christ has “made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father” (Rev 1:6) such that “the whole community of believers is … priestly.” (Cf. CCC 1546)
Through our baptism, and our confirmation, and strengthened by the Holy Eucharist, we each participate in Christ’s mission according to our calling. (Cf. CCC 1546) With one baptism and one faith, this is a day of rejoicing for all of us who are disciples of the Lord Jesus within his one holy, catholic, and apostolic Church. The holy Oil of Chrism, which we consecrate, and the holy oils of Catechumens and of the Sick which we bless, give new birth to our sacramental and liturgical life in Christ this Easter and throughout the coming year.
From among God’s holy people, who share Christ’s priesthood by baptism, some are called to ordained ministry as priests. It is a priest’s particular vocation, as a co-worker with his bishop, to act in the person of Christ the head of the Church. (CCC Cf. 1562;1563) This is both a beautiful and profound undertaking, one to which the priests here today will commit themselves again, renewing the promises they made at their priestly ordination.
It is, therefore, to you, dear brother priests, with love and gratitude, that I wish to speak in a special way. This is not to exclude the lay people, consecrated women and men, or deacons, but, with them, to reflect with you on what it means to be a priest. The oil we present for consecration and blessing today is the fruit of the olive, an image that can perhaps help us.
Olives, like priests, are not created fully formed. They need time to grow through a process of interior and exterior development. From small white flowers, the first tiny, green olive emerges. Just consider, my brothers, the story of your vocation, from its first beginnings to its continuing growth. Whether you have been ordained one year or fifty years, or anywhere in between or beyond, take a moment now to remember when and how you first experienced the Lord Jesus call you to the priesthood. What attracted you to offer yourself for priestly ordination? And, as importantly, what continues to inspire you to offer yourself as a priest today?
I hope that uppermost in your evolving sense of priestly vocation and ministry is the unwavering truth that the Lord Jesus loves you. Only in loving friendship with Jesus can we hope to find happiness and holiness as a priest. Only by sustaining an inner life of prayer, rooted in the scriptures, and in Eucharistic Adoration, can a priest find the nourishment he needs to nourish others. Only by personally inhabiting the self-giving sacrifice of Jesus can we announce the Good News freely and serve with compassion. It is the overwhelming love of Christ that prevents us simply living as bachelors who retreat into our comfort zones. To borrow the sentiment of the spiritual writer Fr John Dalrymple, the priesthood costs nothing less than everything; but in return, the Lord gives more than we will ever need or imagine.
And so, beloved brothers, I encourage you to renew your priestly promises, not merely in words, not purely as a formality, not just superficially on your lips, but from deep within your heart. There, in that place where you are most truly yourself, your discipleship is rooted. There, your priesthood is anchored. In your heart, in each moment, your love for Christ, and Christ’s love for you, is nurturing your priestly identity and mission.
From the tiny olive, the full fruit grows. I wonder what is your abiding memory of your priestly ordination, when you were “signed with a special character and configured to Christ the priest.” (CCC 1564) Of many things I remember from my own priestly ordination is when all the priests laid hands on me. I kept my eyes closed so I was unable to tell which priest was which. Some laid their hands solemnly and forcefully – even more so than the bishop. Others laid hands softly, with a lightness of touch. Some were prolonged, others momentary. This was all a metaphor for how God’s grace would unfold in my priesthood.
Sometimes, with fullness and conviction, we sense God’s power and strength in our ministry. At other times, there is a gentleness when God invites us to be instruments of his kindness. Despite our vulnerability and limitations, God works through us. The Spirit of the Lord may come insistently or fleetingly, but the Lord never abandons us. We belong to Christ and we live his priesthood, not our own. We are ordained for service as the Church desires and needs us to serve, not as we choose. Using our human frailty and inadequacy, as well as our skills and talents, Christ builds up his holy people. We are not competitors, but collaborators, something we will strengthen through Called to Bear Fruit as, together, we enhance our co-responsibility for mission.
Of course, an olive cannot produce oil without being crushed. As the olive ripens, the stone inside hardens; then it’s harvested, crushed, and refined. I want you to know, my brothers, that I understand the challenges you face in living the priesthood today. Thank you for taking to heart St Paul’s counsel to “be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and steadfast in prayer.” (Rom 12:12)
Without doubt, we receive countless joys and blessings in our ministry as priests. There are also times when labouring in the vineyard feels unrewarding and exhausting. Maybe, like the olive, we can feel bruised, even crushed. For our mistakes, of course, we must apologise; but sometimes, we just feel used.
Reflecting on the priesthood, St John Henry Newman titled his discourse “Men, not Angels the Priests of the Gospel.” Men, not angels. If angels were priests, wrote Newman, how could they sympathise with the struggles of those they serve; how could they show compassion and tenderness. (See: Discourse 3 to Mixed Congregations).
Thank you for remaining faithful to your people and to the Church when the pressure is on. When there are struggles within, and around, thank you for retaining a generous heart out of love for Christ. I have always found that when life and ministry is tough, there are three simple ways to make it better. The first is to pray; the second is to go to confession; and the third is to visit people who are sick and in need.
There is another supernatural reality at play when we feel bruised or crushed. Without over spiritualising, or suffering in silence, we nonetheless must remember that we are no greater than our Master. In these holy days of his suffering, passion, and death, the Lord Jesus will continue to love faithfully. Uniting our suffering to him is part of our sanctification. The situations and people that test us most offer us a place in the school of holiness, although not always comfortably so.
It takes anything up to 4000 olives to produce a litre of oil. The olive gives itself away to create something nutritional, anti-inflammatory, and good for the heart. That oil’s natural purity is elevated today, by consecration and blessing, to serve the sacraments of new life. By the grace of the priesthood our humanity is raised in Christ to fulfil our sacred duties. We act in Christ’s person, movingly so in the Eucharist and when we pronounce absolution. We teach and shepherd in his name. And we do this united in the Church as priests with their bishop, and with the deacons, religious, and lay faithful. For your sustained commitment to Christ and to making him known, and loved, and served in our missionary Archdiocese, I extend to each of you the gratitude of my heart.
Finally, my brothers, there is a line in the Gospel today that we must draw life from each day as, with God’s people, we shape our communities in missionary discipleship. “And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.” (Lk 4:20) We can do nothing unless our eyes – the eyes of our mind and the eyes of our heart - are fixed on the Lord Jesus. He is the cause and continuance of our priestly joy, the “Alpha and Omega, who is and who was, and who is to come.” Amen.
