Sacred oils

Fewer smells are more familiar to Catholics than the sweet, earthy aroma of the sacred chrism oil. But, where does the oil come from and when is it blessed to be considered “holy oil?”
 
The Church makes use of three sacred oils for sacraments: the oil of the sick, the oil of catechumens and the chrism oil. The first two are blessed and the bishop consecrates the third during the annual Chrism Mass held during Holy Week, traditionally on the Monday of Holy Week in the Diocese of Bismarck. It’s where ordinary oil becomes an extraordinary gift to the church signifying the life-giving grace bestowed by the Holy Spirit.
 
The sacred oil has a distinctive purpose in the Church connected to the sacraments. Each is pure olive oil with the balsam being mixed with the chrism oil. Once blessed, the oils are more than mere extracts of plants; they signify healing, comfort and strength to all who receive them.
 
Oil of the sick
 
The oil of the sick is used for the sacrament of the anointing of the sick during which the priest lays his hands on the sick person. He says special prayers and anoints the person by placing the oil on the forehead and hands.
 
The urn containing the oil of the sick is placed near the altar during the Chrism Mass and is blessed during the Eucharistic Prayer within the Mass.
 
The blessing prayer is this: “O, God, Father of all consolation, who willed to heal the infirmities of the weak through your Son, listen favorably to the prayer of faith: send forth from the heavens, we pray, your Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, upon this oil in all its richness, which you have graciously brought forth from the verdant tree to restore the body, so that by your holy blessing everyone anointed with this oil as a safeguard for body, soul, and spirit may be freed from all pain, all infirmity, and all sickness. May your holy oil, O Lord, be blessed by you for your sake in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord.”
 
Oil of catechumens
 
The oil of catechumens is used for infant and adult baptism. Adult baptism usually takes place during a process where the person is preparing for baptism as part of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults or RCIA.
 
Near the end of Mass, the oil of catechumens, generally placed in an urn beside the chrism oil, is blessed by the bishop with this prayer: “O God, strength and protection of your people, who have made the oil you created a sign of strength, graciously bless this oil, and grant courage to the catechumens who will be anointed with it, so that, receiving divine wisdom and power, they may understand more deeply the Gospel of your Christ, they may undertake with a generous heart the labors of the Christian life, and, made worthy of adoption as your sons and daughters, they may rejoice to be born anew and to live in your Church. Through Christ our Lord.”
 
Chrism oil
 
The chrism oil is mixed with fragrant balsam to represent the “aroma of Christ” noted in 2 Corinthians 2:15, “For we are the aroma of Christ for God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing…” Anointing with chrism oil signifies the gift of the Holy Spirit and is used to consecrate someone or something to the service of God.
 
The sacred chrism is used at the sacrament of confirmation when the bishop traces the sign of the cross on the forehead of the candidate saying, “Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
 
Sacred chrism is also part of the baptismal rite. A cross with chrism oil is traced on the crown of the child’s head. Chrism oil is also used during baptism of adults. Other instances where chrism oil is used is during the sacrament of holy orders. In the ordination rite of a priest, the bishop anoints with chrism the palms of the new priest. In the ordination rite of a bishop, the consecrating bishop anoints the head of the new bishop. Chrism oil is also used in the consecration or dedication of a church or blessing of an altar and vessels used at Mass.
 
The ritual for consecrating the sacred chrism is slightly different from the other oils. At the end of Mass, the bishop says a prayer to consecrate the sacred chrism oil during which he breathes on the oil at the opening of the urn signifying the presence of the Holy Spirit.
 
A longer prayer of consecration is used for the chrism oil. The first portion reads, “Let us pray, dear brothers and sisters, to God the almighty Father, that He bless and sanctify this oil, so that all who are outwardly anointed with it may be inwardly transformed and come to share in eternal salvation.”
 
The Chrism Mass
 
Each year, the bishop blesses new oils for the 97 parishes in the diocese during the Chrism Mass. After the Mass, the oils are bottled into smaller vessels and distributed to each parish to be used in administering the sacraments during that year.
 
Due to the coronavirus restrictions, the Chrism Mass looked quite different with only a handful of diocesan priests in attendance. This Mass is known for the renewal of priestly promises they made on the day of their ordination. The Mass was live-streamed from the Cathedral’s side chapel to the public and diocesan priests were asked to participate remotely in unity with the faithful.