Olive oil is used in our Church rituals. There are three oils: Oil of the Sick, Oil of Catechumens, and Sacred Chrism. All of them use olive oil. Chrism adds a special fragrance of balsam to the oil. The three are blessed by the diocesan bishop annually at the Chrism Mass, on or near Holy Thursday.
In my experience, oil is the liturgical symbol we think about the least, perhaps because we don’t think about all of its common uses in the same way ancient people thought about it. What do we do today with different kinds of oil?
We burn oil producing energy, light, and heat. We lubricate machine parts so they work together better. We apply it as a lotion to soften skin. Body lotion seals the skin against its enemies, such as sun, water, wind, and cold. It also can heal, repairing the wounds of chapped, cracked, or broken skin. Oil is a frequent ingredient in cooking and in flavoring dishes. It is also used as in fragrances to please our sense of smell.
We always DO something with our symbols – we anoint with oil. There are many Old Testament stories about people being anointed with oil. They anointed holy objects, and they anointed people as priests, Aaron, Exodus 30:22-33; as prophets, Isaiah, Is 61:1-3; and as kings, David, 1 Sam 16:4-13.
What does it mean to be anointed? It means to be chosen or set apart for a special task. We share in the mission of Christ - we are walking the earth as Christ – we can’t get the oil out; we are marked forever. The name “Christ” means “anointed one.”
Another way to talk about being anointed is to talk about receiving a “seal.”
A seal is a symbol of a person, a sign of personal authority, or ownership of an object. Hence soldiers were marked with their leader’s seal and slaves with their master’s. A seal authenticates a juridical act or document and occasionally makes it secret. Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1295-1296
We are marked with Sacred Chrism at Baptism and at Confirmation. Chrism is also used in ordinations and in the Dedication of a Church to anoint the altar and the walls of the church.
Spend time in prayer reflecting on how you use oils in your own life and on what it means to you to be anointed as a disciple of Christ.
More to come about the symbol of oil next week.
