Talks on the Sacramentals, by Msgr Arthur Tonne - Holy Oils

"But I, as a fruitful olive tree in the house of God, have hoped in the mercy of God forever, yea for ever and ever." Psalm 51:10.

The best news picture of 1948 had the title, "Comfort For The Afflicted." It showed a young woman lying on a Brooklyn street, spattered with blood, agony on her face. She had been struck down by an automobile. Kneeling on one knee beside her is a priest, the Rev. James Scott, assistant pastor of St. Augustine Catholic Church, Brooklyn. He is administering Extreme Unction to the victim, Miss Jenny Dalpiaz.

Just as the padre was anointing the left hand with holy oil a newspaper photographer, Jesse Strait, snapped the picture and won with it the coveted award. "The Best Picture of the Year." The judges described his photo as "a study of solace reaching out, gently, to give hand to agony."

To Catholics such ministrations of the priest have an even deeper significance. They are spiritual helps as well as physical. Incidentally, the young lady so critically injured recovered.

Anointing with oil the seriously sick and the critically injured is just one of the many uses of holy oils in the Catholic Church. Oils are sacramentals spoken of in Sacred Scripture. They consist mainly of olive oil, blessed by the bishop. They are used in the administration of certain sacraments, and in various consecrations and blessings of persons and things.

1. There are three kinds of oil:

a. The oil of catechumens is also simply called holy oil. It is used in Baptism, in blessing the baptismal water on Holy Saturday, in the consecration of churches, in the blessing of altars, in the ordination of priests, and in crowning Catholic kings and queens.

A catechumen means an instructed convert who is about to receive Baptism. In this sacrament of Baptism the sign of the cross is made with oil on the breast and between the shoulders to show that the catechumen must henceforth profess his faith before all men and carry on his shoulders the cross and yoke of Christ.

b. The holy chrism is olive oil mixed with a small portion of balm or balsam. It is used in Confirmation.

Holy chrism is also used in Baptism when the priest makes a small sign of the cross with it on the crown of the head. It is used in the consecration of a bishop and of a church and in the blessing of chalices, patens, baptismal water and church bells.

c. The oil of the sick is used in Extreme Unction and also in the blessing of bells.

2. The blessing of the holy oils for each diocese takes place on Holy Thursday in the cathedral. Only the bishop can confer this blessing, which is surrounded with elaborate ceremony. Assisting him are twelve priests wearing priests' vestments. seven others vested as deacons, and seven others again vested as sub-deacons. Acolytes and chanters help in the solemnity.

3. The greatest care is prescribed in keeping the oils. They are kept in metallic or glass bottles which are placed in an ambry or locked box fixed to the wall of the sanctuary. You can see our ambry right there beside the high altar. On the door are the words Olea Sancta, which mean, holy oils. A small quantity of the oil of catechumens and of holy chrism is kept at the baptismal font for Baptism. Each priest also has what is known as an oilstock. This has a section for each of the three holy oils. After each Holy Thursday the oils of the previous year are burned. Lay people are not to handle the holy oils, or even to carry them, except in extreme necessity.

4. The spiritual meaning of oil is deep and rich. Through the centuries oil has provided food, medicine, heat and light for man. This is particularly true in the East, where great use is still made of the juice of olives.

a. Olive oil entered into the preparation of most foods. Just as it is a source of physical nourishment, so its spiritual use is a source of spiritual nourishment.

b. It was used as medicine both internally and externally. Oil, for example, was rubbed on the limbs of athletes to make their muscles supple and their bodies more slippery and hard to hold. Spiritually oil helps the Christian to resist the enemies and opponents of his soul.

c. Oil gives heat, a symbol of God's love which is fed through the sacraments and sacramentals.

d. Oil is used for light, showing forth the light of God's truth and God's grace brought to us through the saving sacraments of His Church.

e. The balsam mixed in holy chrism is sweet-smelling. Formerly it was used as a medicine and preservative, especially for embalming the dead. Fittingly Mother Church uses it to preserve the soul from corruption and decay. The sweet odor of balsam also represents the fragrance of a virtuous life.

No wonder Mother Church makes such a devoted use of oil in her ceremonies and sacraments. Among the sacramentals few receive the honor and care given to the three sacred oils--the oil of catechumens, the oil of the sick, and of holy chrism.

No wonder the psalmist sang of himself as a fruitful olive tree in the house of God, as the source of many hopes and blessings. May the best picture of 1948 impress itself upon your mind, so that you may always understand the deep meaning of the holy oils, that you may always reverence and respect them as means, a material means, it is true, but a significant and symbolic means of many graces and blessings. Amen.