Homily given by Archbishop Anthony Randazzo
Prefect of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts & Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Broken Bay
Chrism Mass 2026
31 March 2026
My brothers and sisters in Christ, today, in our Cathedral Church, we gather as one people, bishop, priests, deacons, and Christ’s faithful, drawn together by the Word of God and around the altar of sacrifice.
This is a moment of deep communion: communion with Christ, communion with one another, and communion in the one mission entrusted to the Church. The Chrism Mass makes visible who we are, a people anointed, a people sent, a people called into the peace of Christ.
The prophet speaks words that resound with meaning for us today: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me.” (Isaiah 61:1) This anointing is not simply a sign; it is a mission. It is a mission of peace, not a fragile or passing peace, but a peace that restores, transforms, and endures. We hear of the one who is sent “to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom for captives, to comfort all who mourn.” (Isaiah 61:1-2)
This is peace as healing and restoration. It is God entering into the wounds of the human heart, grief, loss, sin, and division, and bringing wholeness where there has been fragmentation. It is the Lord who takes ashes and gives beauty, who turns mourning into joy, and despair into praise.
This is the peace we all long for: a peace that reaches into the deepest places of our lives and makes us whole again. And this peace is not abstract. It is made real through the anointing we celebrate today.
The holy chrism, which I will consecrate, will be used to anoint the newly baptised, to seal those confirmed in the Holy Spirit, to consecrate priests and bishops, and to dedicate altars and churches. The oil of catechumens will strengthen those preparing for baptism. The oil of the sick will bring comfort and courage to those burdened by illness.
In each of these sacred moments, the Church continues the mission of Christ: to heal, to restore, to reconcile. Through these oils, the peace of Christ stirs human lives in concrete ways. The child or adult elect for baptism, the young person sealed in confirmation, the sick person seeking strength, the man ordained to serve, each is drawn into that same peace: a peace that is not merely the absence of conflict, but the presence of God.
We are reminded also that peace is inseparable from justice. The Lord declares, “I love justice; I hate wrongdoing.” (Isaiah 61:8) True peace cannot be built on falsehood or injustice. It requires righteousness, integrity, and a commitment to what is right. As the People of God, anointed and set apart, we are called to be bearers of that peace in our world, a world that is often restless, divided, and searching.
Peace is also relational. It is the restoration of our relationship with God. We are reminded that Christ “loves us and has freed us from our sins.” (Apocalypse 1:5) Here is the deepest source of peace: reconciliation.
Sin divides, wounds, and unsettles the human heart. But Christ, through his sacrifice, removes that barrier and restores us to communion with the Father. This is the peace that endures, the peace that no circumstance can take away.
My dear brothers in the priesthood, today we renew our promises. Our anointing is not for ourselves, but for the service of God’s people. We are called to be instruments of Christ’s peace, to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim freedom, to bring comfort. This is both a privilege and a responsibility. The people entrusted to our care look to us not for perfection, but for faithfulness, faithfulness to Christ, to his Gospel, and to the mission we have received.
To you, my sisters and brothers, the faithful of this Diocese: you too are anointed. In baptism and confirmation, you have been sealed with the Holy Spirit and sent into the world. Your vocation is lived in many different ways, in families, workplaces, parishes, and communities, but the source is the same. You are called to live holy lives, to be witnesses of hope, and to carry the peace of Christ into every corner of society.
This is the beauty of the Church: many vocations, one anointing; many paths, one mission; many members, one Body in Christ.
As we journey together, we do so as citizens of heaven, seeking the fullness of life promised to us. The peace we receive now is a foretaste of that eternal peace, a peace secured by God’s enduring promise, a peace that will one day be complete. Today, as we bless and consecrate these oils, might we renew our openness to the grace they signify.
With one united voice we ask Our Lord for hearts that are ready to be healed, lives that are ready to be transformed, and spirits that are ready to be sent. May the Spirit of the Lord rest upon us anew. May we be a people of peace, restored, reconciled, and renewed, and may we bring that peace to a world in need. Amen.