Sunday, July 31 : Faustus of Rome

Our Saviour became Christ, or Messiah, in his incarnation and he remains true king and true priest… Among the Israelites, priests and kings received anointing with oil…; they were called “anointed ones” or “christs”. Whereas our Saviour, who really is the Christ, was consecrated by the anointing of the Holy Spirit… We know this to be true from the Saviour himself. When he took the book of Isaiah, he opened it and read there: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me,” then he declared that this prophecy had now been fulfilled for those who heard it. Peter as well, the prince of the apostles, has taught us that this holy oil, this chrism, through which the Lord revealed himself as Christ, is the Holy Spirit, otherwise known as the power of God. In the Acts of the Apostles, when he spoke to that man full of faith and compassion who was the centurion, he said: “This began in Galilee after the baptism that John preached. God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the holy Spirit and power. Wherever he went he accomplished miracles and wonders and delivered all those who had fallen into the power of the devil,” (10,37f). So you see, Peter said the same thing: This Jesus, in his incarnation, received the anointing that “consecrated him with the Holy Spirit and power.” This is why Jesus himself, in his incarnation, has been made Christ, he whom the anointing of the Holy Spirit has made king and priest for ever.

maronite readings – rosary,team