Speaker: The Sacrament of Baptism anoints Catholics

Friday, Apr. 03, 2015

SALT LAKE CITY — The anointing of Catholics at baptism and confirmation calls them to continue the ministry of Jesus, said Scripture scholar Dianne Bergant, C.S.A., at a public lecture March 25 in the Cathedral of the Madeleine.

She also spoke to the diocesan priests on March 26; in introducing her, Bishop John C. Wester said he has copies of three of the books she has written. Later, he said she gave a moving presentation on the liturgy of the Chrism Mass.

That liturgy was also her topic on March 25. Sister Bergant described the symbolism of the anointing priests and kings in the Biblical world, then connected that tradition to the sacraments of the Catholic Church, many of which incorporate oil that is blessed by the bishop at the annual Chrism Mass.

Catholics, through the sacraments, have all been anointed, said Sr. Bergant, who teaches at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. However, “anointing gives us responsibilities, just like the anointing of the priest or the anointing of the king. Responsibilities, not simply honor.”

In the Biblical world, anointing a king was a symbol of God’s giving strength, she said, explaining that, although the king was a political figure, he also had religious responsibilities because the monarchy was believed to have been established by God. Therefore, the king was expected to not only hold off the enemy but to help the Israelites be better people, she said, and although they were always disappointed they believed the Scriptures in which God promised that there would be a time when this would occur. 

The Hebrew word for messiah means “anointed one,” but many different kinds of messianic expectations existed at that time, she said. Among them were those outlined in the first reading for the Chrism Mass, Isaiah 61:1-9: “The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me … to bring glad tidings to the lowly, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners. …”

In the Chrism Mass’ second reading, Luke 4:16-21, after Jesus reads this passage to those gathered in the temple, he states, “Today this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”

“He is saying, ‘I’m the anointed one; I’m the one you’ve been expecting,’” Sr. Bergant said. “But he’s also saying something else: ‘I’m the one who is anointed and I’m the one who is going to bring glad tidings to the poor, who will proclaim liberty to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, let the oppressed go free and proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.’”

These works are the responsibility of Catholics today, because, having been baptized, they are called to carry on Jesus’ messianic ministry, Sr. Bergant said.  

All of these are social, not doctrinal, issues, she pointed out. The challenge of being a follower of Jesus is not simply understanding theologians, it’s asking “what have we done?” she said. “You’ve got to figure out how your family is better because you’re a part of it. You’ve got to figure out how your workplace is better because you’re a part of it. How your parish is better because you’re part of it – not simply ‘What can I get from it?’ it’s ‘What can I give to it?’”

Being compassionate is difficult, she acknowledged. “It’s a hard thing to hold people’s hand. Now, it’s not hard to hold them once, but how many times do you have to hold their hand before they get on with their life? And the answer is, as long as they need you to hold their hand. That’s what it means to be anointed, because that’s the description of Jesus, the anointed one.”

Among those who attended the presentation was Tami Bernstein, who, while a graduate student at the Catholic Theological Union, had Sr. Bergant as a professor.

“I would not miss the opportunity to hear her speak for anything,” said Berstein, adding that Sr. Bergant’s lecture gave her several ideas for teaching anointing and confirmation through the RCIA program at Saint Thomas More Parish.