Being Catholic: Sacred Things, Holy Oils

Holy Oils

Exodus 30:22-25 "And the Lord spoke to Moses, Saying: Take spices, of principal and chosen myrrh five hundred sicles, and of cinnamon half so much, that is, two hundred and fifty sicles, of calamus in like manner two hundred and fifty. And of cassia five hundred sicles by the weight of the sanctuary, of oil of olives the measure hin: And thou shalt make the holy oil of unction, an ointment compounded after the art of the perfumer..."

James 5:14 "Is any man sick among you? Let him bring in the priests of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord."

There are three kinds of sacred oils, all of which signify the work of the Holy Spirit and symbolize it in that oil "serves to sweeten, to strengthen, to render supple" (Catholic Encyclopedia). The three holy oils are:

The Oil of Catechumens ("Oleum Catechumenorum" or "Oleum Sanctum") used in Baptism along with water, in the consecration of churches, in the blessing of Altars, in the ordination of priests, and, sometimes, in the crowning of Catholic kings and queens.
The Holy Chrism ("Sanctum Chrisma") or "Oil of Gladness," which is olive oil mixed with a small amount of balm or balsam. It is used in Confirmation, Baptism, in the consecration of a Bishop, the consecration of a various things such as churches, chalices, patens, and bells.
The Oil of the Sick ("Oleum Infirmorum"), which is used in Unction

The blessing of oils is performed by the Bishop of each diocese on Maundy Thursday ("Holy Thursday") in the diocese's cathedral during a "Chrism Mass." The oils are kept in metal or glass bottles called "chrismatories," "chrismals," or "ampullae." These vessels are then stored in a cabinet called an "ambry," which is usually fixed to the wall of the sanctuary. Priests also have a portable "oilstock" which has a section for each of the three holy oils. Lay people are not to handle the holy oils, even to carry them, except in emergencies.

Just for fun

Legends surround the ampullae used to hold the holy oils used, in addition to the oil of catechumens, in coronating the monarchs of England and France. La Sainte Ampoule

A French legend relates that the holy oil used in crowning the French monarchs was brought down from Heaven by a dove bearing an ampulla at the Baptism of Clovis, the warring Salic Frank, by Bishop Remigius ("Remi") at Reims on Christmas Day, A.D. 496. The conversion of Clovis to Christianity was the beginning of France's status as "elder daughter of the Church." The dove-borne vial, known in France as the "Sainte Ampoule," is reserved at the cathedral of Reims to this day.

In England, the Blessed Virgin is said to have appeared to St. Thomas à Becket and The Ampulla of England's Kings given him an eagle-shaped ampulla filled with holy oil, and a golden spoon to be used to crown England's Kings. The ampulla was lost for two centuries, but was discovered before Henry IV's coronation in 1399. When the oil it contained was used on the Protestant Queen Elizabeth I in 1559, it is said to have gone rancid; she is said to have remarked that "the grease smelt ill." Whether these legends are true or not, the eagle-shaped ampulla is now reserved at the Tower of London with the rest of the Crown Jewels.

My pastor spoke about the Holy Oils at the beginning of the Holy Thursday Mass. Later, just as he was beginning the sermon, a man in the congregation had chest pains, shortness of breath, and dizziness. Father grabbed the Oil of the Sick and immediately performed the Sacrament of Anointing.

My second son, Tom, was the server, and he was in awe. “Father gave him Anointing of the Sick, and then he was feeling much better! It worked!” (An ambulance was called, too, of course.

Then this morning, while we were helping to set up the church for the Easter Vigil, Tom got too close to the stand that holds the oils (he’s big and rather clumsy) and almost knocked it over :=). I hope he doesn’t change his mind about being a priest; he has such a sense of the supernatural.

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