Chrism Mass explained: Why priests renew their promises

Every year, from Holy Monday to Holy Thursday, dioceses in the Philippines and around the world celebrate the Chrism Mass — a solemn liturgy marked not only by the blessing of sacred oils but also by the renewal of priestly promises.

This renewal is not merely ceremonial.

It is a profound act rooted in the meaning of Holy Thursday — the day the Church commemorates Christ’s institution of the priesthood at the Last Supper.

By renewing their promises on this day, priests return to the origin of their calling, reaffirming their communion with Christ and their mission in the Church.

When ordained, priests and deacons commit themselves to Christ, to their bishop and to the Church, promising a life of celibacy, obedience and service.

They renew these promises at the Chrism Mass not because they have expired but because their vocation demands constant recommitment.

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After the homily, the bishop formally invites this renewal, asking: “Beloved sons, on the anniversary of that day when Christ our Lord conferred his priesthood on his Apostles and on us, are you resolved to renew … the promises you once made?”

The timing and setting of this renewal are deeply significant.

According to the Church’s liturgical books, the Chrism Mass — concelebrated by the bishop and his priests — manifests the communion of the presbyterate with its bishop. It is within this celebration of unity that priests renew their promises, expressing that their ministry is not individual but shared in communion with the Church.

The Mass also includes the consecration of the holy chrism and the blessing of other sacred oils, which will be used throughout the year in the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, ordination and the anointing of the sick. These oils symbolize sanctification and mission — realities that priests themselves are called to embody.

“Presbyters are brought together and concelebrate this Mass as witnesses and cooperators with their bishop,” the breviary explained, “because they share in his sacred office of building up, sanctifying and governing the people of God.”

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Thus, the renewal of priestly promises takes place not in isolation but at the moment when the Church most visibly expresses the unity of Christ’s priesthood — a unity priests are called to live out in their ministry.

This is why priests from across the diocese gather for the Chrism Mass: to make visible their shared identity and mission.

In a homily at a Chrism Mass in the Diocese of Ilagan on Holy Tuesday, March 31, Cabanatuan Bishop Prudencio Andaya, CICM, emphasized that the renewal is grounded in mission.

“The mission of Christ is not distant from us,” he said. “It is the very mission we have received.”

Through ordination, he explained, priests share in the same Spirit and anointing of Christ and are entrusted with the same mission. This realization, he added, calls them to deeper fidelity.

“The priesthood is never our personal project; it is always God’s work,” Andaya said. “Every assignment we receive becomes a sacred test — not simply of our abilities but of our obedience, maturity and fidelity.”

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For him, the renewal of promises is a renewed “yes” to this mission — especially when it demands sacrifice.

“It is easy to serve where we are comfortable, but the true measure of our vocation is our willingness to go where we are most needed,” he said.

Obedience, he added, is not mere compliance but “a loving surrender to the will of God” — a trust that Christ himself goes before every priest in his mission.

Ultimately, the Chrism Mass highlights that this renewal is not only for the clergy but is intimately connected to the entire Church.

“Holiness is not reserved for priests or religious; it is the vocation of all the baptized,” Andaya said.

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As one Body of Christ, the faithful and their priests journey together in faithfulness and love. In that shared journey, the renewed promises of priests serve as both witness and call — to live out the unity, mission and sacrifice of Christ in the world. /dm