Words matter. The words we use to convey our thoughts and feelings matter. Several weeks ago, as it became evident that my dad’s life is drawing to a close, I received some sage advice from Msgr. Halfacre as I prepared to travel for a visit to my dad. He said, “Think about what you want to say.” Indeed, I spent many hours praying and reflecting, even prior to receiving such good advice of what I would say in my last conversation with dad. In the end, after recalling so many experiences that we had shared, our times of fun and the times when life was not so fun, I knew that the words that I needed to say were simply “Thank you” and “I love you.” Words matter.

Today, we come together for this Chrism Mass. This sacred liturgy during which we bless and consecrate the Holy Oils used in the Sacramental life of the Church and when our priests renew their priestly promises. Words Matter!

Priests gather throughout the Diocese of Peoria to affirm their response to what they’ve been asked to do.

Indeed, we will pray that the grace of the Holy Spirit will pour out upon the Church the power of these Holy Oils to be a witness of God’s love for us. Similarly, in repeating their affirmative response to what they’ve been asked to do, our priests will witness again to abiding presence of Jesus in service of one another. Our Words Matter.

Yet these words spoken here today in the Cathedral will echo on in the life of the Church for years to come. Each time these Holy Oils are used, words accompany them which speak of God’s abiding presence, mercy, grace and love.

In the Sacrament of Baptism, the first anointing uses the Oil of Catechumens, and the child is anointed on the breast with these accompanying words:

May the strength of Christ the Savior protect you. As a sign of this we anoint you with the oil of salvation in the same Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

Close to the heart, we pray that Christ watch over this life that has been claimed. Knowing the challenges our world presents, knowing the Evil One is still at work, we pray for strength, for protection, for safety on one’s soul for salvation. Words matter.

The second anointing, during the Sacrament of Baptism, this time with the Sacred Chrism after rising from the waters of Baptism, we pray:

Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, has freed you from sin, given you new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, and joined you to his people. He now anoints you with the Chrism of salvation, so that you may remain as a member of Christ, Priest, Prophet and King, unto eternal life.

Yes – free from sin, yes united to God’s people in the Church, and yes made one with Christ Jesus; the newly baptized is now configured to a life in freedom and a mission, truly as a child of God – a disciple of Jesus! Words Matter.

During the Sacrament of Confirmation, the confirmand is anointed on the forehead while hearing:

Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.

The bond with Christ is tightened. The outpouring of the Spirit, given first to the apostles on the day of Pentecost, now given through them and their successors, to the Church, empowers and equips. The gifts of wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety and fear of the Lord are locked in for us to utilize as we seek to live out our calling. Words Matter.

At the ordination of a priest, his hands are anointed with the admonishment:

May the Lord Jesus Christ, whom the Father anointed with the Holy Spirit and power, guard and preserve you, that you may sanctify the Christian people and offer sacrifice to God.

To make people holy and to offer fitting worship and praise to God is at the core of a priest’s life. Only through his hands, hands that have been anointed with Sacred Chrism, do we witness the miracle of the Eucharist, the freedom of God’s forgiveness in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the peace and comfort of the Healing presence of Jesus. His hands are most certainly powerful when he acts in the person of Jesus Christ. Words Matter.

And finally, in the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, the Oil of the Sick is used to first anoint one’s forehead,

Deacon Joseph LaHood brings forth the Oil of the Sick.

Through this holy anointing may the Lord in his love and mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit.

followed by the anointing of the hands:

May the Lord who frees you from sin save you and raise you up.

Bringing comfort and peace, uniting one’s suffering to that of the Lord’s, profoundly experiencing again the presence of Jesus with the overwhelming love of God. Words Matter!

Our gathering today has a dual purpose: to bless and consecrate the holy oils that will be used in the sacramental life of the Church, and to witness the renewal of priestly promises by our ordained clergy. The beauty of the day is shown by the intimate connection that these two purposes display. The priest, through ordination, becomes a instrument of God’s grace in his ministry, particularly as he uses the sacred oils to impart the gift of life given to us through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Our Scripture passages today recall for us that God has anointed – the prophet, the Son. The anointing is never for a purpose unto itself but is rather and outpouring to commission the anointed to announce God’s favor. Hence the words and actions of the Church, through the symbol of blessed and consecrated oils, as well as through the ministry of priests conveys to the world what God has “thought about saying.” That is to communicate the depth of love we experience in Jesus Christ, with whom we are united to and on mission with. This is all the more reason for us today, to “think about what you want to say.” For it is through the Church that we hear and witness God’s Word. And we know: Words Matter.