By Father Jeremy Miller, OP

Sacred oils play an important role in the sacramental life of the Church. On Holy Thursday morning, at a special liturgy in the cathedral in each diocese, called the “Mass of the Chrism,” three sacred oils are solemnly blessed by the bishop in the presence of the priests of the diocese. This blessing occurs within a Mass concelebrated by the bishop and his priests.

The Mass of the Chrism suggests, if I may put it paradoxically, the ideas of “setting apart” and “joining together.” When one looks at the purposes of the sacred oils, one finds the theme of consecration which in its biblical roots carries the suggestion of being set apart. When the setting is considered in which the oils are blessed, viz., the yearly “Mass of the Chrism,” the unity of the sacramental life of the diocese, centered around the bishop, is set forth. Let us look more closely at both of these rich themes.

In biblical times, anointing with oil had many purposes. In hot and arid Palestine it brought health and comfort to the body. It was a sign of respect (Mt. 26:7). Above all, anointing was used to consecrate an object or set apart a person for service to the Lord. Jacob anointed the stone at Bethel (Gen. 28:18); Elijah anointed Elisha to succeed him as prophet (I Kings 19:16); Moses anointed Aaron and his sons to serve as priests (Ex. 28:40); the kings of Israel were anointed into their office (2 Kings 9:3)

Christ, whose very name means “the Anointed One,” fulfilled preeminently the roles of prophet, priest and king. Christians, reborn in Him, participate in these roles, roles to which anointing set them apart. Every Christian, at Baptism, is anointed with the oil of catechumens (blessed olive oil) and the oil of chrism (blessed mixture of olive oil and balsam). We are again anointed with chrism in confirmation. One’s hands are anointed with the oil of catechumens in priestly ordination. At his consecration a bishop is anointed with chrism. The infirm are anointed with the “oil of the sick” for healing.

Suggesting the roles of prophet, priest and king, these annointings consecrate us, set us apart, not in the sense of removing us from the world, but of strengthening us to engage it as Christ did.

This brings us to our second theme of “joining together.” The sacraments in which we are anointed are Church actions. They are actions not only of the parish community in which they happen but also of the wider Church, the diocese, whose pastor the bishop is. (Furthermore, the dioceses are in communion with one another in the universal Church whose pastor is the pope.)

At the Mass of the Chrism, the priests of the local parishes come together to concelebrate the Mass with their Bishop and to renew their priestly commitments in his presence. They pray with him in the blessing of the three oils (chrism, catechumens, the sick). They carry back to their parishes these sacred oils for use in the sacramental life of those parishes.

The parishes are not separated units of sacramental life. They are joined together in the one sacramental life of the diocese. They are joined to the pastoral ministry of the bishop who has sent priests to them and who, in the fellowship of these priest, blesses each Holy Thursday the anointing oils for the sacramental life of each parish.

The unity, the joining together of the whole diocese is seen very beautifully and profoundly in the Mass of the Chrism. The setting apart and consecration of the diocesan community to the prophetic, priestly and kingly roles (cf. Lumen Gentium, chapters 2-4) are seen in the significance of the sacred oils. The liturgy of Holy Thursday morning carries these twin moments.