Dear Redeemer Faithful,

As I write this Holy Week invitation, I am preparing myself for a rite particular to the ordained, known in ecclesiastical shorthand as "The Chrism Mass". In the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, the Tuesday of Holy Week is set aside as a special moment for priests and deacons to gather under the care of their bishops for the reaffirmation of ordination vows and the reception of holy oils (blessed by the bishops) for parish use throughout the year. These oils are for the anointing of the sick, the anointing of the baptized, and a variety of sacred, solemn, and intimate pastoral rites that arise over the course of a given year.

This Holy Tuesday is very different from others. Our Diocesan Bishop, the Right Reverend Alan M. Gates, will celebrate his final Chrism Mass as our chief pastor. It is a bittersweet moment as those of us who love and care for him will no longer have the same relationship with him as we once had. Sure, we will see him from time to time at diocesan events, but his time among us in this particular role is drawing to a close. I will miss him, but we are not left without hope. As we prepare to welcome a new shepherd, we are reminded that the work of the Church transcends any one leader, grounded in the eternal presence and loving-guidance of God. Together, in that grace we will travel this time of transition with faith and hope.

In the rite for the Ordination of a Priest in the Book of Common Prayer, a series of questions are put before the candidate. They include a commitment to respect the bishop, study the scriptures, offer the sacraments, pattern life in a holy fashion, pastor the faithful, and persevere in prayer. And at the end of these commitments, the bishop offers this prayer:

"May the Lord who has given you the will to do these things give you the grace and power to perform them."

It reminds me (every time I read them) that ministry, for both lay and ordained, comes from God. The grace that flows through ministry, and the power required to undertake and complete it, are sourced not through human hands but through Divine Love. God is at work directing and empowering the work of the Church, no matter who the bishop might be. The work of the Church is first the work of God, and without God, the work of the Church is both a misguided and misbegotten thing.

This week in the life of the Church serves as the lodestone for everything we say and do in the life of the Church. I offer no hyperbole when I say that this week is the defining reality for anyone who considers themselves a Christian and, by extension, the Church that Christians create by their common life. In this Holy Week, we are given the reminder of the extent of God's love; born of a human mother by the Holy Spirit, lived, preached, healed, loved, crucified, and raised from the dead on the third day. Christianity is born this week in the commemoration of the Last Supper, the Garden tribulation, the arrest and suffering, the crucifixion, the silence, and the eternal joy of the Feast of the Resurrection.

I invite you to take part in this great week of weeks. Join Jesus and his disciples as they travel to the Upper Room, to Pilate's chambers, and to the pain of Golgotha. This is an invitation to partake in the work of God, to immerse ourselves in the story that defines our faith and to witness firsthand the love that God has for each of us. And no matter how distant or ill-equipped we may feel to participate in this ministry we must remember that it is not we who guide and govern it. God is at work. God is moving in and through it. Divine Love empowers it, blesses it, and kneads it into the deepest recesses of our souls. And through our God-empowered prayer and devotion, grace will pour abundantly into our hungry souls. We need only say 'yes'.

"May the Lord who has given you the will to do these things give you the grace and power to perform them."

Faithfully and Fondly,

Mike+