You prize justice and abhor wickedness,
Therefore God, your God, has anointed you
With the oil of gladness, above your peers.

Dilexisti justitiam is the Introit for the Chrism Mass where the Sacred Oils are blessed every year during Holy Week. After experiencing the extremely lengthy entrance procession during my first Chrism Mass here in Orlando, I decided to write an extended musical setting of the introit that would lead easily into the hymn Lift High the Cross.

Scored for double choir, the composition may be performed with brass quartet playing the second choir. Hear a recording generated by Finale below.