Chrism Mass 2013

Yesterday, with our bishop, the priests and faithful of the Diocese of Salina gathered at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Salina to celebrate the Chrism Mass. The Mass is a beautiful one and I always look forward to it. One, we get to witness the bishop blessing the holy oils that will be used in our parishes over the next year- Oil of Catechumen, Oil of the Sick, and Sacred Chrism. Secondly, the priests of the diocese renew their promises of priestly service. As I type this blog today, there is the feeling of joy and of being renewed in the priesthood that God has called me to live. We are also grateful for the jubilarians who offer an example to all of us. One priest is celebrating 50 years, two priests are celebrating 40 years, and one priest is celebrating 25 years. This year of 2013 marks my 16th year as a priest. As our bishop talked about in his homily, the senior priests have much to offer to our junior priests, while the junior priests have much to offer to our senior priests! We can learn from each other as we live this priestly fraternity together. If you ever get the chance to attend the Chrism Mass, I would encourage you to do so. It is a wonderful time to thank God for the gifts that He has given to the Church and to thank Him for the call to the priesthood! The Chrism Mass prepares us to enter fully into Holy Week next week. May God richly bless our journey!!!