Essential Oils

Lavender, Eucalyptus, and Rosemary are just a few essential oils that are believed to promote health and well-being. These oils have become so popular that some medical doctors are using them to help their patients recover. Essential oils are thick saps that have been extracted from plants. They are used in aromatherapy, massage therapy and holistic medicine. Enthusiasts claim they help ease all kinds of maladies, from anxiety to arthritis.

The interest in the value of oils is not new. Ancient athletes covered themselves with olive oil before training or competition, and physicians prescribed it for a number of ailments.

Consider the ways we use all kinds of oil today. We use lotion to heal our skin and protect it against the cold and dryness. We use motor oil to keep our car running smoothly, and we use  cooking oil to help nourish and strengthen us.  

The Church, too, has long known the benefits of oil, and we use our own essential oils in many of our sacramental rites. These oils, the Oil of the Sick, the Oil of Catechumens and the Sacred Chrism, are olive oils that have been blessed by the Bishop at the Chrism Mass. 

The Oil of the Sick is used to anoint persons who are infirm. The word anoint comes from a Latin word meaning to smear or rub. In the Rite of Anointing, the priest rubs the Holy Oil on the forehead and on the hands of the sick.   

The Oil of Catechumens is used on children about to be baptized. The ancient Greeks believed that the human race received the olive tree as a gift from Athena, the goddess of wisdom and strength. It was thought to confer wisdom, power and strength. The words used during the pre-baptismal anointing reflect this: 

“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 forever and ever. Rite of Baptism for Children (1969)

The Oil of Catechumens is also used on adults and children of catechetical age who are preparing for baptism. In the ancient world, it was believed that catechumens were particularly susceptible to the powers of evil. So in order to make them slippery enough to escape the grip of the devil, their entire bodies were anointed with the Oil of Catechumens. This anointing freed them to be baptized into Christ who had already won the victory over evil. This oil strengthens the catechumens on their journey of faith.

After baptism, the newly baptized are anointed with Sacred Chrism, olive oil scented with balsam. The newly baptized are now the anointed of the Lord, something St. Cyril of Jerusalem spoke of in an ancient homily to the neophytes:

“Next after removing your garments you were rubbed with exorcised oil from the hair of your head to your toes, and so you became sharers in Jesus Christ, who is the cultivated olive tree.”

Chrism is also used in the Sacrament of Confirmation as a seal of baptism, in the Rites of Ordination of Priests and Bishops, and in the Rite of the Dedication of a Church to anoint the new altar and the walls. 

As we use our common oils in everyday life, may we appreciate more deeply the role of oils in the sacred liturgy, and trust God’s power to heal and strengthen us through them.