His Excellency, Most Rev. Jean Marie Speich, Apostolic Nuncio to Ghana, has called on Priests to use the Chrism Mass to renew their “Yes” to God’s call and endeavour to live in the light of God.
The Nuncio made the call in a homily at this year’s Chrism Mass in the Keta-Akatsi Diocese.
He stressed that “With great gratitude for the vocation and with humility for all our shortcomings, we renew at this hour our “Yes” to the Lord’s call: ‘“Yes”, I want to be intimately united to the Lord Jesus, in self-denial, driven on by the love of Christ’.
Archbishop Speich appealed to Priests to be ministers of unity, reconciliation, holiness and testify to God’s love for humanity.
He asked them to answer ‘ “Yes,” I want to purify my memory and go forward with my Bishop. “Yes”, I want to be a good, and excellent Priest of the Keta-Akatsi Diocese.’
Archbishop Speich touched on the importance of the blessing of the three Oils – Catechumens, Anointing of the Sick and Sacred Chrism – and explained that they express three essential dimensions of the Christian life.
The Oil of Catechumens which is used for the first anointing, is a way by which the Lord draws people closer to Himself and “tells us that it is not only we who seek God: God Himself is searching for us”, he added.
The Papal Representative to Ghana urged Christians to constantly journey towards God, longing for Him and always open to receive new knowledge and love from Him.
He noted that healing was one of the fundamental tasks entrusted to the Church following the example that Jesus gave as He travelled throughout the land healing the sick. He added that the oil for anointing the sick is the visible sacramental expression of this mission.
He commended people who throughout the world bring healing and love to the sick, irrespective of their status or religious affiliation.
Explaining the importance of the Oil of Chrism, Archbishop Speich said it is a mixture of olive and aromatic vegetable oils used for anointing Priests and Kings, in conformity with the Old Testament traditions of anointing. In the Church, this oil serves chiefly for anointing during Confirmation and Ordination.
Archbishop Speich called on Christians as priestly people to make the living God visible to the world, bear witness to Him and lead people towards Him.
The Nuncio lamented that many Christians whether Catholics, Laity or Priests were following idols in the forms of money, sex, clerical power, voodooism, or wrongly elevating themselves as self-idols.
“We have reason to cry out at this time to God: Do not allow us to become a ‘non-people’! Make us recognize you again! Truly, you have anointed us with your love, you have poured out your Holy Spirit upon us. Grant that the power of your Spirit may become newly effective in us, so that we may bear joyful witness to your message” he prayed.
