Thai archbishop urges priests be “true” witnesses of the Risen Christ

(April 1, 2010) Priests must announced the Good News through their life, even before they do it through words; they must be “true witnesses” of Jesus to the laity and the faithful, said Thai Archbishop Francis Xavier Kirengsak Kovithavanij of Bangkok, as he spoke during Holy Thursday Mass to 140 priests and religious from various dioceses and provinces. At the end of the liturgy, the prelate blessed the water and the chrism or holy oil used in the various rites throughout the year.
Archbishop Kovithavanij stressed the importance that clergymen have “as living witnesses” in “raising awareness about the Gospel” before doing so using words. Union with Christ, he said, is a task for those who have been consecrated, to “lead the laity on the right path, against the challenges and pitfalls of modern society.” In order to fulfil their pastoral duties, priests must be able to “read, meditate and contemplate” the Word of God, the prelate said. They must “meet once a while to nurture the spirit of communion,” he added, and reflect on the value “of communion in the life of the [Universal] Church”. The archbishop of Bangkok extended to all present happiness and good wishes for Easter. “May the Risen Christ be present in your family and Christian community always so that the culture of love that Jesus Christ brings into the world can emerge in the Church of Bangkok,” the archbishop added.
The annual Chrism Mass is the celebration of the institution of priesthood by Christ at the Last Supper. It is a day when priests of a diocese gather around their bishop in his cathedral in a symbolic gesture of unity to celebrate their priesthood. The bishop and priests renew the promises they made on the day of their ordination. The blessing of the holy oil or chrism that is used in the various sacraments during the year takes place during the Chrism Mass. Later on Holy Thursday is celebrated the liturgy of the Lord’s Supper during which the main celebrant washes the feet of 12 people, in imitation of Christ’s gesture of service at the Last Supper.