Monastery of Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk
May 2, 2024
As we conclude the liturgy, I would like to address with my greeting and my gratitude all those hierarchs and other clergy who have traveled here as visitors in order to participate in the consecration of the holy chrism.
Your Eminences, Your Graces, Very Reverend and Reverend Fathers,
During the season of the Fast, we have heard the Psalms of Ascent often in Church, including the well-known verses: “How good and pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity. It is like oil upon the head, running down on the beard, on the beard of Aaron, to the collar of his robes.”
Together we have manifested that brotherly unity through concelebration and, indeed, through the consecration of chrism, the most sacred high priestly oil, the sealing of the Spirit’s gifts.
Chrism is a sign of the fullness of the unity of Christ that abides among and within the Churches through the presence of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Unity whose grace gathers us together. When someone is joined to the church—whether through Baptism or through the Rite of Reception of Converts—we seal that person as a member of the Body, a vessel of the Spirit, a temple of the Trinity. Chrism confirms us in the unity that we share by virtue of our birth from one Font as from a common mother.
Thus, it is only right that the grace of the Holy Spirit has gathered us together today, bishops and presbyters, in order to participate in this service where the Holy Spirit’s gifts are poured out into the newly-consecrated chrism in order to be shared with and distributed throughout the entire Body.
I am grateful to each of you for your willingness to participate in this awe-inspiring rite, taking time away from your cathedrals and parishes in order to play your part in this holy service, joining your prayers to mine, imploring Christ, upon whom rests the Spirit who proceeds from the Father, to send the Holy Spirit down upon us and never to take him away from us.
Wherever this holy chrism is used, may the Spirit come and provide his invisible and spiritual seal. May each person who is sealed with this oil be filled with abundant spiritual gifts, for the upbuilding of the entire Body.
To Christ our true God, who is going to his voluntary Passion so that he might send another Comforter into the world, together with his Father, who is without beginning, and that same Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, who proceeds from the Father and comes into the world through the Son, be all glory and adoration, now and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Once again, allow me to extend my warm greetings to each of you, both as my concelebrants and as visitors to my most sacred stavropegial monastery, to whose Abbot, Archimandrite Sergius, and all the brothers, we offer our gratitude for the extension of their monastic hospitality to the many clergy who have travelled here over these first few days of Holy Week. I also express my gratitude to all those in my office who labored diligently on this particular task, beginning with my chancellor, Archpriest Alexander Rentel, who has overseen this entire process, as well as Priest John Mikitish who re-translated and clarified the language of the service book that has been used, and, together with Deacon Alexander Woodill, labored diligently in the gathering of material, the securing of the many (and often rare) spices and oils, and the preparation of those ingredients over the past few weeks. I offer my thanks also to Fr. John Parker, the Dean of the Seminary, and to the seminarian clergy who have assisted us, in particular Fr. Gregory Fedorchak who served as the local coordinator of this week’s activities. Finally, we also offer our gratitude to Archpriest Michael Hatrak, now from the Diocese of Western Pennsylvania, for his presence and wisdom this week. Fr. Michael represents the continuity of the practice of the confecting of chrism since on many previous such occasions he worked with Archpriest Joseph Martin, of blessed memory, on this sacred task.
May God’s blessings accompany you abundantly during the coming days of the Lord’s Passion and his all-glorious Resurrection.