But David said to Abishai, “Do not harm him,
for who can lay hands on the LORD’s anointed and remain unpunished?”
Our sacramental language as Catholic Christians is a language of signs and symbols. Through bread and wine, water and oil, the spoken word and physical gestures, the grace-filled presence of the Lord in his unbounded mercy is experienced.
Each year at the Holy Week Chrism Mass, the Bishop of every Diocese blesses and consecrates the oils that will be used in the sacramental celebrations throughout the year in his Diocese. Oil of Catechumens is used as an ancient pre-baptismal anointing of the heart of those to be baptized. Oil of the Sick is used as a comforting and healing balm in the Sacrament of the Sick. Sacred Chrism is placed on the crown of the head of the newly baptized, on the forehead of those who are confirmed, on the hands of a priest on the day of his ordination and poured on the head of a newly ordained Bishop on the day of his ordination. Sacred Chrism signifies that one is now set apart for a special mission as a Christian. That missionary journey begins for every Catholic on the day of his or her baptism when, like Kings and Queens of old, the newly baptized is anointed on the crown of their head symbolizing the marvelous inner transformation that has taken place through God’s amazing grace. One is now a Christian intimately bound to God the Father as his beloved son or daughter, with Jesus as his or her brother and all Christians as their family. In essence, no Christian is ever a stranger to one another for we are all family – the family of God.
With this unsurpassable dignity, the words of today’s Gospel taken from St. Luke should take on dramatic meaning. Our Lord is giving us a litany, if you will, of the implications that such a dignity should call forth from each one of us.
In an age, culture and society where incivility has risen to ideological hatred of our neighbor because they believe differently from what we believe, Jesus, once again places before us the sobering reminder that we will be judged by such hardness of heart. There is no equivocation in the words of Jesus:
“Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning, and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give, and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.
For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you.”
Every Lord’s Day is an opportunity for recommitment to the mission we received at Baptism when we were called not to be just ordinary Christian but extraordinary Christians practicing the love and mercy so generously shown us by the one whose name we bear. Let us pray for the strength and courage to truly be what we are by grace this day and every day of our lives.