Sacred Oils: Signs of Divine Encounter and Diocesan Unity
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me…” (Luke 4:18)
Protocol
Preamble
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, gathered here in the unity of the Holy Spirit: this morning, we celebrate the Chrism Mass for the Jubilee Year 2025. We celebrate a sacred moment when the Church renews her priesthood, blesses the holy oils, and recalls the indelible mark of God’s grace poured out through the sacraments. As we all know sacraments are the centre of life of the Church. This is obviously true for those of us who are priests and deacons as our whole life revolves around the celebrations of the sacraments. And so, sometimes the laity refer their life in the church as “making a sacrament” or “receiving a sacrament.” As we celebrate this Chrism Mass, I will like us to go back to one of the basic questions that we were asked during catechism: “What is a Sacrament?”
According to the Catechism of Christian Doctrine, “A Sacrament is an outward sign of inward grace, ordained by Jesus Christ, by which grace is given to our souls.” One of the blessings of the Vatican Council II is that it explains sacraments as places of encounter with Jesus Christ. It is a place where we meet him or better yet, a place where he comes to meet us; a place where he leads us to himself. The sacraments are not just ceremonies or points of graduation in Christian life but encounters with Jesus Christ.
In the sacraments, God touches us through material things which we can see and which He takes into His service. In some of the sacraments, the material things are human beings – like the Sacrament of Matrimony, it is your spouse who is the sacrament of Christ’s presence and love you. In the Sacrament of Penance, God uses the instrumentality of the priest, another human being to bring us his healing and his saving grace. In the other sacraments, God uses things rather than persons in order to touch us – the gifts of creation – water, bread, wine, and oil. The meaning of water, bread and wine is somewhat obvious, it is a common part of our human experience. But it is a little bit difficult to understand the meaning of oil which is at the centre of our Eucharistic celebration today, as part of our ordinary life. But in the Mediterranean world of Jesus Christ, oil had huge significance.
The Significance of Oil in Ancient World
In the ancient world, oil was no mere commodity. It was life itself: a source of light in flickering lamps, a balm for weary bodies, a mark of honour for kings and guests. In the dry, sun-scorched lands of the Ancient Near East, oil softened what was parched, healed what was broken, soothed wounds, prepared soldiers for battle, crowned kings, and signified abundance where scarcity reigned. The ancients understood its power, and God, in His wisdom, took this simple substance and made it holy.
The Use of Oil in the Scriptures
In the Old Testament, oil became a sign of divine election. Aaron was anointed as high priest, his garments glistening with oil as a visible mark of God’s presence (cf. Exodus 29:7). Kings like David were set apart with the anointing of oil, chosen not by human merit but by divine call (cf.1 Samuel 16:13). Prophets, too, were anointed, their voices empowered by the Spirit to speak God’s truth. Oil was the bridge between heaven and earth, a tangible sign that God was near, working through His chosen ones.
Then came the New Testament, where the Anointed One—Christ, the Messiah—fulfilled all that oil had ever signified. Jesus, anointed not with oil but with the Holy Spirit at His baptism (cf. Luke 3:22), became the source of all anointing. “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me…” (cf. Luke 4:18). St. Irenaeus aptly puts it: “By the name ‘Christ’ we understand the one who anoints, the one who is anointed, and the anointing itself. For in fact the Father anoints, and the Son is anointed in the Spirit who is the anointing.” He healed the sick with a touch, fed the hungry with bread, and poured out His life on the cross. In Him, the ancient promises found their yes and amen. Pope Benedict XVI explains that “Jesus Christ is the true Prophet, the true Priest, and the true King, and that is why only he now is the Anointed One in the full sense.” The Early Christian communities understood this deeply that is why they anointed the baptized, the confirmed, the sick, and their priests, not as a mere ritual, but as a participation in Christ’s own anointing. St. Cyril of Jerusalem wrote: “You were anointed with oil, a visible sign of the invisible grace you received.” Through oil, the Holy Spirit moved, binding believers to Christ and to one another. St. Irenaeus writes: “The Spirit of God came down upon him [Jesus], so that we, sharing in the abundance of that anointing, might be saved.” Consequently, oil acquired a new meaning in the Christian Sacraments.
The Sacred Oil Used in the Sacraments
According to Raniero Cardinal Cantalamessa, “In the Old Testament the anointing was present as a figure; in the New Testament it was present as an event; now in the Church, it is present as sacrament… Like the anointings of the Old Testament it makes use of material element (oil, or chrism which is perfumed oil), and it is from Christ that it gets its effectiveness for salvation.” Today, we see this mystery unfold in the four sacraments where oil is used: Baptism, Confirmation, Holy Orders, and the Anointing of the Sick.
In Baptism, the Oil of Catechumens strengthens us, preparing us to renounce sin and evil and embrace our identity as God’s children, while Sacred Chrism anoints us as priest, prophet, and king.
In Confirmation, Chrism again is traced on our forehead, invoking the Spirit’s sevenfold gifts. Like the apostles at Pentecost, the confirmed are anointed for mission, becoming “the aroma of Christ” (cf. 2 Cor. 2:15) in the world. The Sacred Chrism seals us with the Holy Spirit, marking us as witnesses to Christ’s love in the world – soldiers of Christ.
In Holy Orders, the bishop anoints the hands of priests and the head of bishops with chrism, consecrating them as living icons of Christ the High Priest. Through their hands, God blesses, absolves, and transforms bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Christ. Holy chrism is also used in the rites of anointing pertaining to the dedication of churches and altars.
And in the Anointing of the Sick, the Oil of the Infirm brings comfort and healing, uniting us with the suffering of the Anointed One who suffered for us all – it is the medicine for soul and body.
In each sacrament therefore, oil is not just a symbol—it is a conduit of grace, a way God touches us through things and through people. In other words, in the oil used in the sacraments, God touches us through matter and ministry.
The Chrism Mass and the Priesthood
Today, these oils are solemnly blessed, a sign of our diocese’s unity and the centrality of the priesthood. This Mass manifests the communion of the priests with their bishop. For my brother priests: this is our day. We renew the promises of our ordination, recalling that we are anointed not for ourselves, but for the flock of Christ. The chrism, fragrant and enduring, reminds us of our calling: to preserve the “aroma” of our anointing.
The world offers us many oils—oils of distractions, temptations, weariness—that seek to dilute our consecration. And I wish to ask: “Are you tired?” “Has your oil run dry?” Nonetheless, the “oil of gladness” (cf. Is 61:3) we received at ordination is stronger, for He who is the Anointed One has “anointed us with oil of gladness above other kings” (cf. Ps.45:7). It is the Spirit who sustains us, who makes our ministry a labour of love, not a burden. Do not lose heart when trials come. Return to the Upper Room, to the Eucharist, to the quiet moments of prayer where the Father replenishes your oil. As you renew your priestly promises, recommitting yourselves to serve as Christ served, may the oils, blessed and distributed, flow from this altar to every parish, touching lives in moments of joy, struggle, and transition. Amen.
To you, my dear people of God: these oils which will be blessed, renew our shared mission. Whether we are anointed as infants, as youth, or in sickness, we are all part of this priestly people, called to offer our lives as a living sacrifice (cf. Romans 12:1). We priests cannot live our vocation without you. Pray for us—that we may remain faithful, joyful, and pure. Support us not only with words but with collaboration. As the Psalmist says, “don’t provide the oil of the wicked” (cf. Ps.141:5) for your priests. The “oil of the wicked” is the oil of distraction, discouragement, confusion, fighting, resistance. Do not bring ‘back to sender oil’ for your priests to bless. We are Catholics!
I urge you to share in the mission of the Church and ministry of your priests through your gifts: teach, serve, collaborate, participate, evangelize, and sanctify the world alongside us. The oils blessed today will touch your lives in the sacraments—your prayers and partnership touch ours in the daily grind of ministry. Together, we will build a diocese radiant with holiness and joy. I wish to use this opportunity to thank you for your generosity and collaboration for the success of our Cathedraticum. It was indeed an enormous success! Despite the economic hardship, you never weaver in support of your bishop and the work in the Diocese. May God bless and reward you all.
Conclusion
In the ancient world, athletes and warriors anointed their bodies with oil before a contest, so that they are not easily trapped by the opponent or the enemy. We, too, are in a spiritual contest. Let us—clergy and laity—be strengthened by today’s sacred oils. Let us remember that every sacrament is an encounter with the Anointed One, Who heals, consecrates, and sends us forth.
May the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Priesthood, who carried the Oil of Gladness in her womb, intercede for us. May our Diocese, renewed in these holy oils, become ever more a beacon of hope, a home of mercy, and a living sacrament of God’s love and unity. Amen.
+ Simeon Okezuo Nwobi, CMF
Bishop of Ahiara Diocese
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