Wine, milk, and bread all appear in today’s first reading. Sounds a bit like a shopping list. Of course, water is there too, and in the responsorial psalm. That’s what you’d expect on the feast of the Baptism of the Lord.
But one thing is missing from this list of very basic ingredients. Oil. And that’s what I’d like to talk about today.
You might ask why. The answer comes in the Preface of today’s Mass, where we ask God that through the Holy Spirit “we might know that Christ your Servant has been anointed with the oil of gladness.”
We know all about the powerful symbolism of the water with which Jesus was baptized. But where does oil come into the story?
The “oil of gladness” comes from one of Isaiah’s great prophecies, the famous passage in chapter 61 that begins “The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me.” This is the text that Jesus read in the synagogue at Nazareth early in his ministry.
And in the tenth chapter of Acts, St. Peter speaks of “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power.”
Jesus was baptized with water—the Gospel makes that very clear. But he was anointed too, although there’s not a drop of actual oil in the story.
The symbol of oil deserves more attention than we usually give it. For one thing, oil is central to three sacraments—Confirmation, Holy Orders, and the anointing of the sick—and oils are used in a fourth, Baptism, where babies are anointed with the oil of catechumens before and with the oil of chrism after.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us a lot about the richness and symbolism of oil. In the Bible and in ancient times generally, oil is a sign of abundance and joy; it was used in bathing, much as bath oil is today, and to help loosen up the muscles of athletes and wrestlers.
Oil was a healing ointment, soothing to bruises and injuries—remember how the Good Samaritan pours oil and wine of the wounds of the injured man. And it was used in cosmetics, to make people shine with beauty and health, and strength. (See n. 1293)
Even today, the Catechism teaches, anointing with oil has all these meanings in the sacramental life.
“The pre-baptismal anointing with the oil of catechumens signifies cleansing and strengthening; the anointing of the sick expresses healing and comfort. The post-baptismal anointing with sacred chrism in Confirmation and ordination is the sign of consecration.
“By Confirmation Christians, that is, those who are anointed, share more completely in the mission of Jesus Christ and the fullness of the Holy Spirit with which he is filled” (n. 1294).
I thought it might be good, therefore, to take a break from talking about water on the feast of the Baptism of the Lord this year, and to think about oil instead.
What does it mean for us that Jesus was anointed with the oil of gladness at his Baptism, and that we have been anointed with oil at our baptism, and especially at Confirmation?
We find some good answers in the rites of baptism and confirmation.
When an adult convert is anointed with the oil of catechumens, the priest or deacon begins by recalling that Jesus was anointed by the Spirit and asks him to strengthen the person with his power.
In the baptism of children,
the celebrant prays that God protect the child through life before using the
same anointing prayer used with catechumens.
After baptism, oil takes on an even more special meaning.
In the Old Testament prophets were anointed. Priests were anointed. Kings were anointed. And so, the post baptismal prayer for infants says, “As Christ was anointed Priest, Prophet and King, so may you live always a member of his body, sharing everlasting life.”
In the confirmation of adults at the Easter Vigil, we pray that God will pour out the Holy Spirit to strengthen the newly baptized with his gifts and anoint them to be more like Christ.
Even with its rich Old Testament background, the anointing at Confirmation can only be fully understood in relation to the primary anointing of Jesus by the Holy Spirit.
The descent of the Holy Spirit on Jesus at his baptism was the sign that he was the Messiah, which means the anointed one. But “this fullness of the Spirit was not to remain uniquely the Messiah’s but was to be communicated to the whole messianic people” (CCC 1286).
We are that messianic people, sharing in Christ’s own anointing by the Holy Spirit.
With all this in mind, we might wonder why the holy oils don’t get more attention, even physically, in our parish. After all, we bless ourselves with holy water every time we come into church—or at least we used to!
Thanks to the encouragement of one of our dedicated sacristans, and the talents of a generous parishioner, I am delighted to tell you that the holy oils will now have a place of honour at Christ the Redeemer—to serve as a constant reminder of the sacramental graces that they symbolize.
When Rina Teo suggested the baptismal font in the Holy Family chapel should have an ambry—ambry is the fancy name for a repository for the holy oils—she started a ball rolling in the direction of Donal O’Callaghan.
Donal, an architect and a talented carpenter, took on the project from design to completion. Last week during a special ritual blessing we placed the three holy oils—the oil of the sick, the oil of catechumens, and the sacred chrism—in the three hand-crafted cabinets.
Let’s give thanks for the anointings we have received in baptism and confirmation, and may receive in future through the healing sacrament of the sick, as we watch the short blessing now.
May we all be more like Jesus, anointed with the oil of gladness by the Holy Spirit!
No comments:
Post a Comment