The readings today are about anointing.
And about what that anointing means.
Isaiah says:
“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me.”
Anointed for a purpose.
Not for honour. Not for status. But for mission.
“To bring good news to the poor… to bind up the brokenhearted…
to proclaim liberty to captives.”
Anointing is not decoration. It is consecration.
It sets someone apart for God’s work.
And in the Gospel, Jesus takes these words and applies them to Himself.
“Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
In other words: This is who I am. The one anointed by the Father. The one sent.
Everything begins with Christ. He is the true Anointed One.
The Christ. The Messiah.
And the second reading tells us what follows.
“He has made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father.”
From His anointing flows ours.
This is the heart of today. There is only one priesthood: Christ’s.
And we share in it.
The faithful share in it through baptism.
The ordained share in it through a distinct and sacramental calling.
But it is one priesthood. One source. One mission.
And today, in a particular way, we look at the ministerial priesthood.
Because this is the day when the oils are blessed and consecrated.
The oil of the sick. The oil of catechumens. The sacred chrism.
These oils touch every part of Christian life.
Birth into grace. Strength in weakness. Consecration for service.
And at the centre of it all stands the priest. Not as the source.
But as the instrument.
This is where clarity matters.
A priest is not simply a leader. Not simply a teacher. Not simply an organiser.
A priest is one who has been anointed to act in the person of Christ.
To preach His word. To forgive sins. To offer the sacrifice.
Not his own words. Not his own authority. Christ’s.
That is why the promise of Isaiah is so important.
“To bring good news to the poor… to bind up the brokenhearted.”
Because the priest is not sent to manage a community.
He is sent to bring Christ. And that shapes everything.
It means the priest must first be a man who listens.
Isaiah says: “The Lord has given me the tongue of those who are taught.”
Before speaking, he must receive. Before teaching, he must listen.
It means he must be a man of prayer.
Because you cannot give Christ if you do not remain close to Him.
It means he must be a man of truth.
Not adjusting the Gospel to fit the times.
But proclaiming it clearly and faithfully.
And it means he must be a man of sacrifice.
Because the priesthood is not comfortable.
It is not self-directed.
It is not his own.
It belongs to Christ.
And for the faithful, this matters.
Because the priesthood is given not for the priest, but for you.
So that the Gospel is preached. So that sins are forgiven.
So that the Eucharist is offered. So that Christ is present.
Revelation says: “To him who loves us
and has freed us from our sins by his blood…”
That is what the priest serves. Not himself. Not an institution. Christ.
And that brings us to something very simple.
The priesthood only makes sense if Christ is real.
If Christ is not who He says He is, then the priesthood is unnecessary.
But if Christ is the one who says: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,”
if He is the one who forgives sins,
if He is the one who gives His Body and Blood, then the priesthood is essential.
Because Christ continues His work through those He has anointed.
So today is not only a day for priests. It is a day for the whole Church.
To pray for priests.
That they may be faithful. That they may be clear. That they may be holy.
And for priests, it is a day of renewal. Not of ambition. But of identity.
To remember: This is not mine. This is His. Not my priesthood. His priesthood.
Not my mission. His mission.
Not my words. His word.
And the standard is not success. It is fidelity.
To stand where Christ stands.
To speak what Christ speaks.
To give what Christ gives.
And so the final word belongs to the Gospel.
“Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”
Not only then. Now.
Christ still speaks.
Christ still heals.
Christ still forgives.
Christ still offers Himself.
And He does so through the anointing He has given.
So let us pray today: For priests,
that they may be faithful to what they have received.
And for all of us, that we may recognise and receive
the gift Christ continues to give His Church.
Because the Spirit of the Lord is still at work.
And the anointing is still for mission.
St. Mary's, St. John Bosco and St. Edward's 