Fr. Johann+ Since the more learned clergy did not chime in to lighten our darkness, I once again Consulted the Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. Seriously, I had absorbed some of this information over the years, but hadn't really looked it up. This is a successful day. I had a little fun (please forgive) and learned 2 or 3 things. Charles+ --------------------------- CHRISM (GREEK: XRISMA, FROM XRIW, ANOINT) A mixture of olive oil and balsam, used in the ritual of the Greek and Latin Churches. The use of special oils for liturgical functions such as the consecration of priests and kings was familiar in the O.T. The practice was taken over by the early Church,and its use in Baptism and Confirmation is attested by several early Fathers, e.g. Tertullian, St. Ambrose, and Theodoret. St. Cyril of Jerusalem refers to it as ' the mystic chrism" (TO MUSTIKON XRISMA)AND THE COUNCIL OF Laodicea as "holy chrism". To St. Agustine Confirmation is the "Sacrament of the Christm, to which a special power is attributed, conferred by the Holy Ghost, while the Apostolic Constitutions name it 'the strength of confessors' and St. Gregory the Great the 'chrism of salvation.' The strength-giving richness of the oil and the fragrance of the balsam, representing the fullness of sacramental grace and the gifts of the Holy Ghost as well as the sweetness of Christian virtue, made it a favorite subject of allegorical interpretation to Dyonysius the Ps. Areopagite and later writers. The early Schoolmen held that the chrism was a purely ecclesiastical institution, but St. Thomas Aquinas and Duns Scotus both teach that its liturgical use, though not mentioned in the NT, goes back to Christ himself. The Council of Trent followed this view, claiming for it the support of early authorities such as Pope Fabian (250 AD). The texts adduced, however, have since been recognized as apocryphal. Of the two ingredients required for the Chrism; oil is the older element. In the Eastern Church a variety of perfumes is used in addition to balsam. From the early Middle Ages chrism is distinguished from other holy oils, e.g. that used for the unciton of the sick, to which balsam is not added. Only bishops have the right to consecrate the chrism, as is already stated by the Second Council of Carthage (390 AD, canon 3), an injunction repeated by several later councils. In the Eastern Churches it became the privilege of the Patriarchs only. By the end of the fifth century, the rite of its consecration had developed into a very impressive ceremony. According to the present Latin usage, which dates in its essentials form the 8th century, it is consecrated by the bishop, assissted by representative priests and deacons (when available), on Maundy Thursday. Before 1966 the consecration took place during the Mass of the Day, after the Communion, but the Ordinal of Pius XII provided a special Mass of the Chrism to be celebrated in Cathedral Churches in the morning. Chrism is used in the three Sacraments that confer a character, viz. at Baptism, Confirmation, and Holy Orders, as well as at the consecration of churches, altars, chalices, and patens, and in the solemn blessing of church bells. CHRISMATORY. a small vessel, in use since the Middle Ages, for keeping the three kinds of holy oil, viz. oil of the catechumens, oil of the sick, and chrism, from which last the name is derived. Of the vessels used for these oils one set, preserving the supply for the year,is kept in the sacristy of the cathedral. Another set containing oil for parochial use is kept in a locked cupboard in the chancel of the parish church. ------------------------------ Since perfume is involved, you may not want to use the oil as a lubricant for your frying pan. The eggs will taste funny. Charles+