By Gretchen Keiser

My brothers and sisters Pray for your priests. Ask the Lord to bless them with The fullness of His love, To help them to be faithful ministers Of Christ the High Priest, So that they will be able To lead you to Him, The fountain of your salvation. (A Prayer from the Chrism Mass)

On Holy Thursday each year a Mass is celebrated at the Cathedral of Christ the King, during which much begins anew in the life of the church.

The priests of the archdiocese gather to concelebrate the Mass for the Blessing of Oils and Consecration of the Chrism, with Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan as principal celebrant. Traditionally 140 to 150 priests from the diocese come together for the Chrism Mass.

This gathering of those who minister emphasizes and renews the relationship of priests to the bishop, and the relationship of ministers to the people of God gathered around the archdiocese into parishes. This renewal happens during the morning hours of Holy Thursday, the day when "we celebrate the memory of the first Eucharist, at which our Lord Jesus Christ shared with his apostles and with us his call to the priestly service of his Church," a Chrism Mass prayer says.

During the Mass, the priests renew their commitment to the priesthood, to the celebration of the Eucharist and other liturgical services and to the teaching of the faith.

The archbishop also, after having lead the renewal prayers, asks for prayers for his own faithfulness to "the office of apostle which Christ has entrusted to me."

Following the renewal of commitment and during the Eucharistic celebration, the oils and chrism to be used throughout the archdiocese during the coming year are blessed or consecrated.

The oil and chrism of this Mass will touch and transform the church in the Atlanta archdiocese during the coming year, touching the people who are the church and the places where the people gather.

The first oil to be blessed during the Chrism Mass is the oil of the sick, which will be used throughout the year to anoint those who are suffering from illness "that they may be freed from pain and illness and made well again in body, mind, and soul."

The second oil to be blessed is the oil of catechumens, which will be used to anoint those preparing for baptism. The prayer of blessing asks that those who are anointed with the oil be given wisdom and strength to prepare for the new birth of baptism, which will join them to the church.

Then the chrism, which is a mixture of olive oil and fragrances, is consecrated. The consecration prayer asks that those who will be anointed with the chrism will be "inwardly transformed and come to share in eternal salvation." The chrism will be used to anoint those receiving the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and holy orders during the coming year.

With the oil of catechumens, the chrism will also be poured into the baptismal water during a service at the Easter Vigil. The chrism will also be used to anoint the walls, the door and the altar of a new church, when the building is dedicated.

The consecration prayer of the chrism speaks of the Old Testament origin of the church's use of oil and chrism as a sign of the Christ’s role as king, priest and prophet in the world. The prayer also speaks of the outward signs that will reveal the interior transformation, noting that the anointing brings radiance and joy. "The prophet David sang of the life and joy that the oil would bring us in the sacraments of your love."

Following the Chrism Mass, the oils and chrism are carried back to the parishes and on Holy Saturday evening, at the beginning of the Easter Vigil, will become a part of the renewal of joy and rebirth that the church celebrates in Christ's Resurrection.