Chrism Preface

[LWegman]

I am getting material ready for a CCD class. Part of the presentation involves the prayers for the Chrism Mass on Holy Thursday. I can’t seem to find anywhere on the internet the Preface for the Chrism mass. Can anyone help me?

 

[FrCorey]

OPENING PRAYER
Let us pray.

Pause for silent prayer
Father,
by the power of the Holy Spirit
you anointed your only Son
Messiah and Lord of creation;
you have given us a share in his consecration
to priestly service in your Church.
Help us to be faithful witnesses in the world
to the salvation Christ won for all mankind.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, you Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

See Lectionary for Mass, n. 39.
In his homily the bishop should urge the priests to be faithful in fulfilling their office in the Church and should invite them to renew publicly their priestly promises.

Would you like the whole mass?

 

[LWegman]

The words I have for this prayer as follows.
"Father, it is our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give to you thanks, O Lord, Almighty and Eternal God. In the beginning. you, among all the other gifts of your kindness, commanded the earth to produce fruit trees, and and among these, the olives that give us this precious liquid which makes the sacred chrism.

When you had taken away the sins of the world with the flood, the dove announced that peace had been returned to the earth, indicating by means of a branch your future gifts.

These gifts are the realization of new times, when all the sins committed are wiped out by the waters of baptism and this anointing of oil comes to bring peace and joy.

Moreover, you ordered your servant, moses, to purify his brother Aaron with water and to consecrate him priest with the anointing of oil.

You added to this an even greater dignity when your son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, wanted to be baptized by John in the water of the Jordan River. Then you sent the Holy spirit over him in the form of a dove, and through your voice, made the proclamation that Jesus was your only Son and the object of your Love.

Then we pray, Holy Father, Almighty and Eternal God, through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord,

Sanctify with your blessing this oil you have created. Fill it with the power of your Holy spirit throught Christ, Your son. It is from him that chrism takes its name and with chrism you have anointed for yourself priests, kings, prophets, and martyrs. Through this sign of chrism grant them with incorruption. Let this be indeed the chrism of salvation for those who will be born again of water and the Holy Spirit. May they come to share eternal life in the glory of your kingdom."

The class I teach is the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd. I always check my material, because the Episocopal’s have found this program to their liking. It seldom happens, but sometimes my info for the Catholic Mass gets mixed up because of this. Does this prayer sound right? I am at a loss where to find it. Could it possibly be in the Sacramentary, or because this is one only done by the Bishop, do I need to go to his office for info?

 

[AJV]

See here for the texts of the Chrism Mass.

There is an alternative blessing that goes like this:

Father, we thank you for the gifts you have given us in your love: we thank you for life itself and for the sacraments that strengthen it and give it fuller meaning. In the Old Covenant you gave your people a glimpse of the power of this holy oil and when the fullness of time had come you brought that mystery to perfection in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son. By his suffering, dying, and rising to life he saved the human race. He sent your Spirit to fill the Church with every gift needed to complete your saving work. From that time forward, through the sign of holy chrism, you dispense your life and love to men. By anointing them with the Spirit, you strengthen all who have been reborn in baptism. Through that anointing you transform them into the likeness of Christ your Son and give them a share in his royal, priestly, and prophetic work.
And so, Father, by the power of your love, make this mixture of oil and perfume a sign and source + of your blessing. Pour out the gifts of your Holy Spirit on our brothers and sisters who will be anointed with it. Let the splendor of holiness shine on the world from every place and thing signed with this oil. Above all, Father, we pray that through this sign of your anointing you will grant increase to your Church until it reaches the eternal glory where you, Father, will be the all in all, together with Christ your Son, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.

 

[LWegman]

That gets me on the right track. I appreciate the help of both of you.