Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Gaël Rangain
Published on 2024-03-29 10:00:24
The traditional Chrism Mass of Holy Thursday was celebrated at St. Louis Cathedral yesterday. This celebration, which also coincides with the priestly feast, was presided over for the first time by the Bishop of Port-Louis, Bishop Jean-Michaël Durhône. He was accompanied by Cardinal Maurice E. Piat, emeritus bishop, Deacon Cédric Lecordier, who will soon be ordained a priest, and all the priests serving in the diocese of Port-Louis.
Bishop Durhône took the opportunity to thank the bishops, priests, and deacons for their friendship and support since his appointment on Friday, May 19 of last year and his episcopal ordination on Sunday, August 20, 2023. “It is a day of celebration for us, on this day when Christ institutes the sacrament of the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Three words resonate in my heart as a thanksgiving and a call: consecration, mission, and maturation,” he affirmed.
The Mass was also marked by the consecration of holy oils and Sacred Chrism that will be used in parishes for baptisms and other consecrations. In his homily delivered before a packed cathedral, the Bishop of Port-Louis emphasized the meaning of consecration.
“Consecration is first and foremost an action and initiative of God. It calls for our yes, but it is fundamentally the work of the Holy Spirit. To be consecrated is to let oneself be acted upon by God himself to become what he calls us to be. Consecration is, therefore, always a free gift from God inviting us to gratitude. Our consecration is based on the equal dignity of our baptism. Baptism plunges us into the death and resurrection of Christ. All – lay people, deacons, priests, religious, and bishops – have been consecrated by our baptism,” highlights the bishop, emphasizing that “consecration is always a mission.”
During this Mass, the priests renewed the promises of their ordination.
“Let us regain confidence in our respective vocations and in ourselves. Let us welcome the gift of God. Let us all dare the mission together for this journey together: children, youth, and adults. Consecration and mission are paths of human and spiritual growth or maturation,” reiterates Bishop Jean-Michaël Durhône.
The Mass was animated by the cathedral choir.
Read the original article(French) on Le Mauricien
