The CATHOLIC DIOCESE of DODGE CITY

Serving the People of Southwest Kansas

Diocese celebrates Mass of Chrism

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By David Myers

Southwest Kansas Register

On March 17, representatives from parishes across the diocese gathered at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe for the Mass of Chrism, after which they took home to their parishes small containers of blessed oil to be used throughout the liturgical year.

The holy oils are closely tied with sacred rituals of the Church. The Oil of the Sick is used to anoint those who are ill; the Oil of Catechumens is for the anointing of those preparing for baptism; and the Sacred Chrism is used for the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, ordination, and the dedication of a church and altar.

The Mass also celebrated the ministry of priests and Religious, inviting all the priests gathered to renew the commitment they professed at their ordination.

Bishop Gilmore also asked the rest of those gathered – and all laity — to support the priests through prayer.

Bishop Gilmore’s homily, which was presented in English and Spanish, tied together the works and words of priests, Religious and artists through "sacramental poetics," a relationship between religious and poetic practices.

"The priest says a word on the day of his ordination," Bishop Gilmore said. "He gathers up the best that is within him, distills it into a word, and gives it to the Lord and the Church. He thus entrusts himself to the adventure of circumstance and of time ….

"The Religious says a word on the day of her final profession. She gathers up the best that is within her and gives it to the Lord, to her community, and to the Church. What she does is to express her deep-running desire to be like the Lord in his essential characteristics. …

The artist, he said, "gathers up the best that is within him and gives it to the making of the work. She gathers up the best that is within her and plunges it into the material, drawing form from it. And there is the age-old story of God and man: they find new dimensions to their work in it. Theirs, too, is an adventure, and it is an adventure into the very creativity of God."

Following Mass, a roast beef lunch was served in the Fellowship Hall.

 

The Homily of Bishop Ronald M. Gilmore on the occasion of the Chrism Mass, March 17, 2005, at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Dodge City

Scott Cairns is a professor of American literature and creative writing, at KSU some years ago, and now at MU in Columbia. He is also a published poet. Over the last decade or so, he has been talking about sacramental poetics, a relationship between religious practice and poetic practice. That relationship can help us tie priest, religious, and artist together on this special day.

The poem, Cairns said, is the place where our own words teach us what we have not yet apprehended. Think about that place, that special place. Our very words do not simply express what we already mean to say: they lead us into understanding. The words of our mouths do this. The words of our lives do this.

The priest says a word on the day of his ordination. He gathers up the best that is within him, distills it into a word, and gives it to the Lord and the Church. He thus entrusts himself to the adventure of circumstance and of time. Kindly Providence itself will lead him into what he has not yet apprehended of his priesthood. Daily dialogue with the Spirit will creat something out of the substance of his life.

The Religious says a word on the day of her final profession. She gathers up the best that is within her and gives it to the Lord, to her community, and to the Church. What she does is to express her deep-running desire to be like the Lord in his essential characteristics. He was poor, he was celibate, he was obedient … these tend to define him. Hers too is an adventure, and it is an adventure of love. Kindly Providence will lead her into what she has not yet apprehended of her vowed life. Daily dialogue with the Spirit will create something out of the substance of life.

The artist says a word, and on several different levels. There is the word of the work. He gathers up the best that is within him and gives it to the making of the work. She gathers up the best that is within her and plunges it into the material, drawing form from it. And there is the word of the work at the service of religion. The artists take inspiration from the age-old story of God and man: they find new dimensions to their work in it. Theirs, too, is an adventure, and it is an adventure into the very creativity of God. Kindly Providence will lead them into what they have not yet apprehended of their own creative lives. Daily dialogue with the Spirit will create something out of the substance of their lives.

Another poet has said when I have received the first intuition of a poem, and I am writing this poem, I listen constantly to this intuition in me all the time I am writing, so that the expression shall be exactly faithful to the first intuition. I listen … so as not to sing a false note. Pray for our priest today, pray for our religious today, pray for our artists today … that they may listen with the substance of their lives, and move with the sure step into the adventure, into the mystery.