|
|
The Lord has anointed me.
|
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news
to the oppressed,
to bind up the broken-hearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and release to the prisoners;
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn;
to provide for those who mourn in Zion—
to give them a garland instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.
The word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
|
This reading is from the Roman lectionary for the rite of ordination of a priest.
|
Questions for Reflection or Discussion
|
|
Choose the question(s) that appeal to you, either because it spontaneously grabs you, or perhaps because it seems too difficult.
Try jotting down your answers. The act of writing both organizes and generates thought.
|
We receive the Spirit of the Lord—both in our initiation (baptism-confirmation) and in our ordination—through the sacred sign of
the anointing with chrism.
- How has my experience of being anointed with the Spirit of God developed since the day of my ordination until now?
- In preaching and teaching the anointing with chrism as I help people prepare for baptism and confirmation, how might I better communicate enthusiasm for the gift of the Spirit? Even to the shell-shocked and camera-fiddling parents at the baptism of infants?
- To what extent is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the presbyterate of this diocese evident today? What might we do as priests united in the presbyterate to give witness to a corporate sense of calling, with its joys and challenges?
Consider the five points of the commissioning, these five aspects of ordained priestly ministry:
- To bring good news to the oppressed
- To bind up the broken-hearted
- To proclaim liberty to captives and release to prisoners
- To proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God
- To comfort those who mourn
- To which of the five do I feel especially called to at this point in my ordained priestly ministry? Why?
- Which of the five frighten or challenge or irritate me the most? Why?
- Which of the five do the people under my pastoral care do well? Need support and challenge to do better?
Proclaim a year of favor!
- What am I doing / would I like to do to celebrate this Year for Priests and renew my own sense of zeal?
- Which priests in the local presbyterate are in deepest need for some good news in a year of favor right now? How might we brother priests respond?
Return to the Read, Reflect, Respond index page.
Return to the Year for Priests Welcome page.
|
|
|
