Faithful, priests to gather for annual Chrism Mass on April 4

Daniel Cardinal DiNardo prays over the holy Chrism prepared and consecrated April 12, 2022, during the Chrism Mass at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in Houston. Chrism Masses are celebrated annually during Holy Week, and involve the blessing of the oil of catechumens and the oil of the sick and the consecration of the oil of chrism. The next Chrism Mass is set for April 4. (File photo by James Ramos/Herald)

HOUSTON — Every year during Holy Week, the faithful of the Archdiocese are invited to gather with Daniel Cardinal DiNardo for the celebration of the Chrism Mass — one of the most solemn and significant events of the liturgical year.

Cardinal DiNardo will preside over the Chrism Mass on Tuesday, April 4 at 7 p.m. Hundreds of priests from the Archdiocese are expected to concelebrate the Mass, when all of the oils used in sacramental ministry throughout the Archdiocese are blessed and the Sacred Chrism is consecrated by Cardinal DiNardo.

According to the Roman Missal, “Chrism is a sign: by Baptism Christians are plunged into the paschal mystery of Christ; they die with Him, are buried with Him, and rise with Him; they are sharers in His royal and prophetic priesthood. By confirmation Christians receive the spiritual anointing of the Spirit who is given to them.”

The Oil of the Sick is used within the celebration of the Anointing of the Sick in order to bring God’s strength to those in need. Chrism is also used in the ordination of priests and in the consecration of altars and churches.

The Chrism Mass is one of the principal expressions of the fullness of the bishop’s priesthood and signifies the close unity of the priests with him.

In his Chrism Mass homily last year in Rome, Pope Francis told priests that “the Lord is inviting [priests] to be faithful to Him, to be faithful to His covenant, and to let ourselves be loved and forgiven by Him.”

“‘Fixing our gaze on Jesus’ is a grace that we, as priests, need to cultivate,” he said on April 14. “At the end of the day, we do well to gaze upon the Lord, and to let him gaze upon our hearts and the hearts of all those whom we have encountered.”

The pope told the priests to be cautious and aware of hidden idols in life and said: “allow the Lord to destroy those hidden idols.”

“We should keep these things in mind and be attentive, lest the weeds of these idols that we were able to hide in the folds of our hearts may spring up anew,” he said.

All are invited to attend the Chrism Mass at the Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, located at 1111 St. Joseph Parkway in downtown Houston, on April 4 at 7 p.m. The Mass will also be livestreamed online at www.archgh.org/live.

For more Lenten resources and information online, visit www.archgh.org/lent.