His Holiness Pope Leo XIV at Chrism Mass: Priests must spread Christ’s peace where death reigns

At the Chrism Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV invites Priests, Bishops, and all Christians to embrace their challenges with trust in God and “spread the fragrance of Christ where the stench of death reigns.”

By Devin Watkins

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV presided at the Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday in St. Peter’s Basilica, joined by hundreds of bishops and priests who renewed the promises they made at their ordination.

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV at Chrism Mass: Priests must spread Christ’s peace where death reigns (@Vatican Media)

In his first Homily for the Chrism Mass as the Bishop of Rome, the Pope reflected on the mission to which God calls every Christian, which he said is the very same mission as that of Jesus.

“Each of us takes part in it according to our own vocation in a deeply personal obedience to the voice of the Spirit, yet never without others, never neglecting or breaking communion!” he said.

Ahead of the Easter Triduum, which begins with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper later on Holy Thursday, Pope Leo said the culmination of the Christian Liturgical year has the power to transform human pride, heal wounds, reconcile us, and gather us together.

The Holy Father went on to reflect on three aspects of the Christian mission: detachment, encounter, and the possibility of misunderstanding and rejection.

As members of Christ’s Body, Christians—and especially ordained ministers—are sent out in service of His people, which requires us to leave behind attachments that are familiar and certain so that we can venture into something new.

“There is no mission without reconciliation with our past, with the gifts and limitations of the upbringing we have received,” he said. “But, at the same time, there is no peace without setting out, no awareness without detachment, no joy without risk.”

In self-emptying, we discover a fundamental secret of mission, which is that everything we let go of is given back to us multiplied in ways we cannot imagine.

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV then spoke about “the law of encounter,” which he said has often been distorted historically by a desire for domination.

“It is now a priority to remember that neither in the pastoral sphere nor in the social and political spheres can good come from abuse of power,” he said.

Many great missionaries have borne witness, he said, to “quiet, unobtrusive approaches, whose method is the sharing of life, selfless service, the renunciation of any calculated strategy, dialogue and respect.”

The Holy Spirit makes Jesus present to His priests, working harder and better than they do and teaching them to welcome and follow Christ, he said.

“To establish this harmony with the transcendent,” he said, “we must go where we are sent with simplicity, respecting the mystery that every person and every community carries within them.”

Christians are guests, wherever they are, added the Pope, noting that in places where secularization has taken hold, we must learn to learn ways to communicate the Gospel of Jesus effectively…

This report was originally published on the Website of Vatican News. Please click here to read the full text.