Oil of catechumens

Last updated
Detail from the Seven Sacraments Altarpiece by Rogier van der Weyden. In the lower left the priest is anointing an infant before it is baptized. Rogier van der Weyden- Seven Sacraments Altarpiece - Baptism, Confirmation, and Penance; detail, left wing.JPG
Detail from the Seven Sacraments Altarpiece by Rogier van der Weyden. In the lower left the priest is anointing an infant before it is baptized.

The oil of catechumens, also known as the oil of exorcism, is the oil used in some traditional Christian churches during baptism; it is believed to strengthen the one being baptized to turn away from evil, temptation and sin.

Contents

The oil of exorcism was mentioned in the ancient Christian apostolic tradition as being "used before baptisms to put to flight any contagions that might obstruct the impending baptismal graces". [1] The Egyptian Church Order teaches that it is blessed during the Easter Vigil, the first liturgy of Eastertide. [1]

The catechumen, the person prepared for baptism, is also anointed as a symbol of being the heir of the Kingdom of God, as kings and queens are anointed at coronations, and empowered for their Christian life as prophets were anointed for their ministry.

The oil of catechumens is intended to help strengthen the person about to be baptized, and prepare them for the struggle ( ascesis ) of the Christian life, the way a wrestler in ancient Greece and Rome was anointed before a wrestling match.

Eastern Orthodoxy

In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the oil of catechumens is blessed by the priest during the baptismal rite. After the consecration of the baptismal water, a vessel of pure olive oil is brought to the priest by the deacon. The priest breathes on the oil three times and blesses it thrice, and says the prayer of blessing.

O Master, Lord God of our fathers, Who didst send unto them that were in the ark of Noah the dove, having in its beak a twig of olive, the token of reconciliation and of salvation from the flood the foreshadowing of the mystery of grace; and didst provide the fruit of the olive for the fulfilling of Thy holy Mysteries; Who thereby fillest them that were under the Law with Thy Holy Spirit, and perfectest them that are under grace: Do Thou Thyself bless also this holy oil with the power, and operation, and indwelling of Thy Holy Spirit, that it may be an anointing unto incorruption, an armour of righteousness, to the renewing of soul and body, to the averting of every assault of the devil, to deliverance from all evil of those who shall be anointed with it in faith, or who are partakers thereof; unto Thy glory, and the glory of Thine Only-begotten Son, and Thy most holy and good and life-creating Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

The priest then pours a portion of the oil into the baptismal font, making the sign of the cross with the oil three times, as all sing Alleluia. The priest gathers some of the oil floating on the surface of the water onto the first two fingers of his right hand and anoints the catechumen, making the sign of the cross on the brow, breast, between the shoulders, on the ears, hands and feet. The catechumen is then immediately baptized.

This anointing before baptism should not be confused with chrismation, which is a separate sacrament, though it is usually performed immediately after baptism.

Roman Catholicism

In the Roman Catholic Church, the oil of catechumens is specially blessed by a bishop or a priest along with chrism and oil of the sick at the Chrism Mass which takes place on Holy Thursday.

During the baptismal rite, the priest or deacon says the following words as he anoints with the oil in the shape of a cross: "We anoint you with the oil of salvation in the name of Christ our Savior; may he strengthen you with his power, who lives and reigns for ever and ever."

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anointing of the sick</span> Religious anointing/sacrament

Anointing of the sick, known also by other names such as unction, is a form of religious anointing or "unction" for the benefit of a sick person. It is practiced by many Christian churches and denominations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anointing</span> Ritual act of putting aromatic oil on a person

Anointing is the ritual act of pouring aromatic oil over a person's head or entire body.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chrismation</span> Initiation rite also known as confirmation

Chrismation consists of the sacrament or mystery in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches, as well as in the Assyrian Church of the East initiation rites. The sacrament is more commonly known in the West as confirmation, although some languages such as Italian and Portuguese normally use the terms cresima and crisma ("chrismation") rather than confermazione or confirmação, respectively ("confirmation").

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Epiclesis</span> Christian Eucharistic prayer

The epiclesis refers to the invocation of one or several gods. In ancient Greek religion, the epiclesis was the epithet used as the surname given to a deity in religious contexts. The term was borrowed into the Christian tradition, where it designates the part of the Anaphora by which the priest invokes the Holy Spirit upon the Eucharistic bread and wine in some Christian churches. In most Eastern Christian traditions, the Epiclesis comes after the Anamnesis ; in the Western Rite it usually precedes. In the historic practice of the Western Christian Churches, the consecration is effected at the Words of Institution though during the rise of the Liturgical Movement, many denominations introduced an explicit epiclesis in their liturgies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy water</span> Water blessed by a religious figure

Holy water is water that has been blessed by a member of the clergy or a religious figure, or derived from a well or spring considered holy. The use for cleansing prior to a baptism and spiritual cleansing is common in several religions, from Christianity to Sikhism. The use of holy water as a sacramental for protection against evil is common among Lutherans, Anglicans, Roman Catholics, and Eastern Christians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chrism</span> Consecrated oil used in various Christian churches

Chrism, also called myrrh, myron, holy anointing oil, and consecrated oil, is a consecrated oil used in the Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Assyrian, Nordic Lutheran, Anglican, and Old Catholic churches in the administration of certain sacraments and ecclesiastical functions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Entrance (liturgical)</span>

In Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic churches, an entrance is a procession during which the clergy enter into the sanctuary through the Holy Doors. The origin of these entrances goes back to the early church, when the liturgical books and sacred vessels were kept in special storage rooms for safe keeping and the procession was necessary to bring these objects into the church when needed. Over the centuries, these processions have grown more elaborate, and nowadays are accompanied by incense, candles and liturgical fans. In the liturgical theology of the Eastern Orthodox Church, the angels are believed to enter with the clergy into the sanctuary, as evidenced by the prayers which accompany the various entrances.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chrism Mass</span> Solemn Mass for blessings Holy Oils

The Chrism Mass is a religious service held in certain Christian denominations, such as Roman Catholicism, Lutheranism, and Anglicanism. It is usually celebrated each year on Maundy Thursday or on another day of Holy Week. During the ceremony, the holy oils used for sacraments and rituals are blessed or consecrated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anointing of the Sick in the Catholic Church</span> Sacrament of the Catholic Church

In the Catholic Church, the anointing of the sick, also known as Extreme Unction, is a Catholic sacrament that is administered to a Catholic "who, having reached the age of reason, begins to be in danger due to sickness or old age", except in the case of those who "persevere obstinately in manifest grave sin". Proximate danger of death, the occasion for the administration of Viaticum, is not required, but only the onset of a medical condition of serious illness or injury or simply old age: "It is not a sacrament for those only who are at the point of death. Hence, as soon as anyone of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, the fitting time for him to receive this sacrament has certainly already arrived."

The Lity or Litiyá is a festive religious procession, followed by intercessions, which augments great vespers in the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic churches on important feast days. Following a lity is another liturgical action, an artoklasia, and either of these terms may be used to describe both liturgical actions collectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church of Saint Elian</span>

The Church of Saint Elian is a church in Homs, Syria, located along Tarafa bin al-Abd Street near the Gate of Palmyra. The Feast of St. Elian is held annually at the church on February 6 and attracts a large number of pilgrims from all around Syria. Elian is also known in English as Julian. The only other Orthodox Christian church in the world named after St. Julian/Elian is in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, United States, and named St Ellien Antiochian Orthodox Church, built in 1917.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coronation of the French monarch</span> Legitimation ceremony in the Kingdom of France

The accession of the King of France to the royal throne was legitimized by a ceremony performed with the Crown of Charlemagne at the Reims Cathedral. In late medieval and early modern times, the new king did not need to be anointed in order to be recognized as French monarch but ascended upon the previous monarch's death with the proclamation "Le Roi est mort, vive le Roi!"

The Lutheran sacraments are "sacred acts of divine institution". They are also defined as “an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace.”.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy water in Eastern Christianity</span>

Among Eastern Orthodox and Eastern-Rite Catholic Christians, holy water is blessed in the church and given to the faithful to drink at home when needed and to bless their homes. In the weeks following the Feast of Epiphany, clergy visit the homes of parishioners and conduct a service of blessing by using the holy water that was blessed on the Feast of Theophany. For baptism, the water is sanctified with a special blessing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blessed salt</span> Salt used in Christian worship

Blessed salt has been used in various forms throughout the history of Christianity. Among early Christians, the savoring of blessed salt often took place along with baptism. In the fourth century, Augustine of Hippo named these practices "visible forms of invisible grace". However, its modern use as a sacramental remains mostly limited to its use with holy water within the Anglican Communion and Roman Catholic Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sacraments of the Catholic Church</span> Catholic visible rites

There are seven sacraments of the Catholic Church, which according to Catholic theology were instituted by Jesus Christ and entrusted to the Church. Sacraments are visible rites seen as signs and efficacious channels of the grace of God to all those who receive them with the proper disposition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Order of Christian Initiation of Adults</span> Christian conversion process

The Order of Christian Initiation of Adults (Latin: Ordo initiationis christianae adultorum), or OCIA, is a process developed by the Catholic Church for its catechumenate for prospective converts to the Catholic faith above the age of infant baptism. Candidates are gradually introduced to aspects of Catholic beliefs and practices. The basic process applies to adults and children who have reached catechetical age. In many English speaking countries, it is called Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). In the United States, the name was changed to the OCIA in 2021 to reflect greater fidelity to the original Latin, although this change has yet to be officially approved by the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian laying on of hands</span> Christian method of invoking the Holy Spirit

In Christianity, the laying on of hands is both a symbolic and formal method of invoking the Holy Spirit primarily during baptisms and confirmations, healing services, blessings, and ordination of priests, ministers, elders, deacons, and other church officers, along with a variety of other church sacraments and holy ceremonies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minor exorcism in Christianity</span>

The expression minor exorcism can be used in a technical sense or a general sense. The general sense indicates any exorcism which is not a solemn exorcism of a person believed to be possessed, including various forms of deliverance ministry. This article deals only with the technical sense which specifically refers to certain prayers used with persons preparing to become baptised members of the churches which makes use of such rites. These prayers request God's assistance so that the person to be baptised will be kept safe from the power of Satan or protected in a more general way from temptation.

<i>Book of Common Prayer</i> (1549) 1st Anglican liturgical book

The 1549 Book of Common Prayer (BCP) is the original version of the Book of Common Prayer, variations of which are still in use as the official liturgical book of the Church of England and other Anglican churches. Written during the English Reformation, the prayer book was largely the work of Thomas Cranmer, who borrowed from a large number of other sources. Evidence of Cranmer's Protestant theology can be seen throughout the book; however, the services maintain the traditional forms and sacramental language inherited from medieval Catholic liturgies. Criticised by Protestants for being too traditional, it was replaced by the significantly revised 1552 Book of Common Prayer.

References

  1. 1 2 "Chrism Mass". Catholic Review. Archdiocese of Baltimore. March 27, 2008. Archived from the original on 13 April 2017.