https://econe.fsspx.org/fr/news/messe-chrismale-2024-43794Unofficial. Loose translation from the French Audio. 11 minutes.
Sermon of Bishop Tissier de Mallerais *, Chrism Mass - 28 March 2024
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
My dear faithful, dear seminarians, and you dear confrères in the priesthood who have come to encircle me at the consecration of these Holy Oils, and then to take them to confer the sacraments in your priories.
Evidently, we may be astonished that these material elements which the Holy Oils are, the Church prays God that they may be infused of the Holy Ghost, and to bless them with His grace.
However the Church does not err. Already in the Old Testament Moses, ordered by God, had blessed and consecrated Holy Oils to render holy the things of the tabernacle of the Ancient Alliance, and now the Church in her wisdom, obeying Our Lord Jesus-Christ, asks that the bishop in his diocese, surrounded by his clergy, consecrate the Holy Oils, which we will do by imitation, and by supplication, because in fact, nowadays, it is difficult to surround the diocesan bishop in light of the '70s upheaval of all the rites by Pope Paul VI. Thus We will proceed in this consecration of the Holy Chrism, of the Oil of the Catechumens and the Oil of the Infirm.
We are encircled by numerous priests and deacons - quite unexpected really! - they are more numerous, stemming from the fact that Mgr. Vitus Huonder, who was to consecrate the Holy Oils with the full accord of the General House of the Fraternity in Zaitzkofen, has suddenly fallen grievously sick...please pray my dear faithful, pray much for him. I believe he is actually in hospital, in Chur, in his former diocese.**
That said, I will speak a few minutes about the Holy Chrism - this most important Oil, the most worthy Oil that I will consecrate.
Holy Chrism is composed of olive oil and of balm. Olive oil - it is a vegetable oil and will thereby apply its unctuous properties. Oil enlightens in the small oil lamps, therefore spiritually speaking, oil also enlightens our faith in the divinity of Our Lord Jesus-Christ. And then, oil enlightens when it burns in the lamp, so spiritually it shines, it burns principally...spiritually it burns all these sins which we have committed, and they will be consumed by the flame of the oil. Finally the oil anoints, which means it is a balm to calm the pains of our wounds from original sin...the three concupicenses of original sin, it will calm by Baptism, not suppress, but diminish the three concupicences of original sin. Voilà. This sums up the effects that the holy, blessed Holy Oil will produce in souls...eventually applied, especially by Baptism.
Subsequently this olive oil, vegetable oil, has a property of not flowing, and remains fixed to the forehead, or on the head...on an object on which it is applied. It has a special viscosity, which is why we refuse the other vegetable oils lacking these properties.
Oil. The Church is wise. Furthermore olive oil has very important significations, because it is produced by crushing in an oil press, which signifies the crushing of Our Lord on the cross...the spiritual signification of the crushing of the olives to produce oil. Equally, it thereby evokes the agony of Our Lord Jesus-Christ and His crucifixion, wherein He shed His Blood.
Then we add some balm. So we will have oil from olives, plus the balm. Balm is a liquid obtained by pressing, obviously, a dry bark, producing a resin. Resin originating from a dry bark of a tree or shrub, still firmly rooted, so it seems...
This balm, it is named a "teardrop". Yes, in the Pontifical, the Roman Pontifical Ritual, a “teardrop” from a dry bark, which signifies then the tears of our sins. In particular the tears of St. Mary Magdalen wiping the feet of Jesus with her hair and pouring on His feet the balm which fills the entire house. Well, I think that in fact, this balm expresses the tears of our contrition, and at the same time our lively charity such as was that charity of St. Mary Magdalen, in order to become the "sweet odor" of Jesus-Christ. The baptized, marked by the anointing of the Holy Oil and Balm become the "sweet odor" of Our Lord Jesus-Christ. He receives sanctifying grace which radiates this interior grace, and the character imprinted in his soul and the character of Christ. This character is a spiritual power to accomplish the divine cult as St. Thomas Aquinas mentioned, yes...a simple baptized has himself a mission to accomplish the same - if you please, yes, you the faithful - the divine cult according to the religion of the Christian life, in you please, of the Christian life! In other words ‘your religion, our religion’ as St. Thomas said, well, it is first and foremost the religion of our life, which is likened to an homage, an homage to the Good God, by Baptism. Therein is the role, the spiritual power of the baptized. It is its character. He will not consecrate the host - that is the privilege of the priest of course, nevertheless he will dedicate his life, consecrate his life to God. Voilà! every single day by his virtues, the actions of his virtues.
Voilà my dear faithful, the beautiful properties of the Holy Oils blended with balm applied spiritually to the souls, because the sacraments are sensible signs that produce the effect that they signify. Voilà!
So, for the baptized, the Holy Chrism reproduces these effects. It is utilized equally for the consecration of bishops, if you please, plus the consecration of chalices and of patens which hold - the chalice, the Precious Blood; the paten, the Body of Our Lord Jesus-Christ. You notice that the Church willfully consecrates these objects, particularly sacred, utilized in the sacrament of the Eucharist...which matter is, please realize this! – (is) are the Holy Species of bread and wine that persevere after the consecration, I recall to your mind, in plain sight of the priest, after the consecration, thus he beholds the holy Host under the appearance of bread, and in the chalice the wine with the appearance of wine, and these appearances of the bread and the wine, distinct and separated from each other, signifies...realizes exteriorly the separation, spiritually speaking, mysteriously, the separation of the Body and Blood of Jesus during His passion...During His passion... present, distinct, separated on the altar after the consecration, produces, according to the divine acceptation, and divine institution, spiritually, a renewal...mysterious, of the sacrifice of the Cross on the altar.
Voilà! Therefore my dearest confrères, admire the divine Providence of God Who has instituted these great Sacraments, beginning with Baptism to the greatest of the sacraments - the Blessed Eucharist - in order to sanctify our souls, to purify them of sin, and to merit for us eternal life. Amen.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
* R.I.P. +Monseigneur Tissier de Mallerais, Sept 14, 1945 - October 8, 2024 AD.
** R.I.P. April 21,1942 – April 3, 2024
Recent Posts
