Do you know what the word “Christ” means? The Anointed One. Anointed with what?

Olive oil.

After the Great Flood, Noah sent out the dove twice to see if the water had subsided. The second time, the dove came back to him in the evening, and there in its beak was a freshly picked olive leaf. From this we see the first instance of the olive tree, its leaves, fruit and oil as a manifestation of God’s mercy and reconciliation with mankind.

We read in the book of Exodus that the Lord commanded Moses to make a sacred anointing oil from olive oil, the finest spices, liquid myrrh, cinnamon, aromatic cane and cassia. With it, He instructed Moses to anoint the tent of meeting, the Ark of the Covenant, the table and its utensils, the altar of incense, the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils and the basin with its stand. In addition, he commanded Moses to anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, in order that they might serve the Lord as priests.[1]

Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed David in the presence of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward.[2]

Prophesying of Jesus Christ, the Psalmist says:

Your Throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions.[3]

This passage proclaims Christ (the Messiah) as God, not simply a human deliverer. In fact these very same words are quoted in St. Paul’s letter to the Hebrews as God the Father saying to His Only-Begotten Son: “Your throne, O God….”[4] These and other stories and scripture passages in both the Old and New Testaments help us to understand more deeply what it means that Jesus is the Christ, the Anointed One.

Do you know the Greek word for oil,  “eleos,” is the same root word for mercy? What about the Italian word “olio?” It too, is from the same root word. When we sing ”Kyrie eleison” in Church, we are singing “Lord, have mercy.” Oil and mercy go together.

The Mystery of Grace

The Prayer of the Anointing Oil (made from olives of course) used in the Service of Baptism recalls the story of Noah and the dove and asks that through the anointing, the Lord have mercy on those who are about to be baptized:

O Lord and Master, the God of our fathers, Who didst send unto them that were in the ark of Noah Thy dove, bearing in its beak a twig of olive, the token of reconciliation and of salvation from the flood, the foreshadowing of the mystery of grace; and didst provide the fruit of the olive for the fulfilling of Thy Holy Mysteries; Who thereby fillest them that are under grace: Bless also this holy oil with the power, and operation and indwelling of Thy Holy Spirit, that it may be an anointing unto incorruption, an armour of righteousness, to the renewing of soul and body, to the averting of every assault of the devil, to deliverance from all evil of those who shall be anointed therewith in faith, or who are partakers thereof; unto Thy glory and the glory of Thine Only-Begotten Son, and of Thine all-holy, and good, and life-giving Spirit: now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

This Oil of Gladness is first poured into the baptismal water before the person is anointed on the forehead, chest and back, ears, hands and feet. We do this because our reconciliation in baptism is not only with God, but also with our fellow man and the whole created cosmos of which water is the prime element.

And when we are immersed three times in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and raised up to newness of life from this liberating water grave, we are clothed with the Garment of Righteousness, the Robe of Light, and anointed with yet another oil from the olive, the Holy Chrism. Yes, we become the “Anointed Ones,” who shine with “The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

By virtue of our union with Christ, the Anointed One in Holy Baptism and having received the seal of the Holy Chrism, we are made to share in the Royal Priesthood and are granted participation in the Holy Body and Precious Blood of our Lord and God and Savior Jesus Christ. This establishes the beginning of the Christian Life.