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"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me." Rev. 3: 20
The Holy Myron is one of the Seven Sacraments of the Christian Church. A sacrament in which the Holy Spirit is given to those already baptized in order to make them strong and perfect Christians and soldiers of Jesus Christ. The subject will be treated under the following headings:
I. Sacrament of the
Holy Myron
I. SACRAMENT OF THE HOLY MYRON The Sacrament of the Holy Myron, is a holy Sacrament, in which we receive the seal of the Holy Spirit and become strong and perfect Christians and soldiers of Jesus Christ. II. ETYMOLOGY
The means of
the word Myron
The word ‘Myron’ is a Greek word (Μυρον) which means: an unguent, ointment, fragrant perfume, sweet oil, and chrism. In Syriac/Aramaic language ܡܘܪܘܢ is derived from ܡܘܪܐ which means Myrrh, indicating the death of Christ. III. DEFINITION The main elements of the Holy Myron is oil of olives and balsam, blessed by the head of the Church in a special manner and used in the administration of certain sacraments and in the performance of certain ecclesiastical functions. For chrism to serve as valid matter for the Sacrament of Confirmation it must consist of pure oil of olives, and added some spices written in the Holy Bible. These two conditions are certainly necessary for validity; moreover it is probable that there should be an admixture of balsam, and that the blessing of the chrism should be special, in the sense that it ought to be different from that which is given to the oil of the sick or the oil of catechumens. IV. ORIGIN Origin In its primitive meaning the word chrism, like the Greek Χρισμα (Khrizma) chrisma, was used to designate any and every substance that served the purpose of smearing or anointing, such as the various kinds of oils, unguents, and pigments. This was its ordinary signification in profane literature, and even in the early patristic writings. Gradually however, in the writings of the Fathers at all events, the term came to be restricted to that special kind of oil that was used in religious ceremonies and functions, especially in the administration of the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation. This Origin could be traced to our fathers the apostles who granted this Sacrament by the laying of their hands after Baptism, as we read in the Book of Acts when St. Peter and St. John laid hands on the people of Samaria who were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, and so received the Holy Spirit (Acts 9:2-6). As the laying of hands for the dwelling of the Holy Spirit is a specific rite of the fathers the Apostles and their successors the Bishops, and as the regions of mission increased, consequently the number of believers and those who entered faith increased. It was not possible for the Apostles to wander around all the countries and cities to lay hands on the baptized, so they established anointment by Myron as an alternative for the laying on of hands for the Holy Spirit’s indwelling. The first who made the Myron were the fathers the Apostles as they kept certain fragrant oils which were on the body of the Lord Jesus during His burial, and they added the spices which were brought by the women who prepared them to anoint Jesus' body on Easter Sunday. The apostles melted all these spices in pure olive oil, prayed on it in the Upper Room in Zion and made it a holy ointment to grant the gift of the Holy Spirit to the baptized. It is also used in the Sanctification of Baptismal water, consecration of Churches, and church altars and vessels. They decided that their successors the Bishops, must renew the making of the Myron whenever it was needed, by incorporating the original oil with the new. V. HISTORY OF THE SACRAMENT The Sacrament of Confirmation is a striking instance of the development of doctrine and ritual in the Church. We can, indeed, detect much more than the mere germs of it in Holy Scripture; but we must not expect to find there an exact description of the ceremony as presently performed, or a complete solution of the various theological questions which have since arose. It is only from the Fathers and the Schoolmen that we can gather information on these headlines. (1) Confirmation of the Bible We read in the Acts of the Apostles (8: 14-17) that after the Samaritan converts had been baptized by Philip the deacon, the Apostles "sent unto them Peter and John, who, when they were come, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit; for he was not yet come upon any of them, but they were only baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus; then they laid their hands upon them, and they received the Holy Ghost". Again acts (19: 1-6): St. Paul "came to Ephesus, and found certain disciples; and he said to them: Have you received the Holy Spirit since ye believed? But they said to him: We have not so much as heard whether there be a Holy Spirit. And he said: In what then were you baptized? Who said: In John's baptism. Then Paul said: John baptized the people with the baptism of penance . . . Having heard these things, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had imposed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied". From these two passages we learn that in the earliest ages of the Church there was a rite, distinct from baptism, in which the Holy Spirit was conferred by the imposition of hands, and that the power to perform this ceremony was not implied in the power to baptize. No distinct mention is made as to the origin of this rite; but Christ promised the gift of the Holy Spirit and conferred it. Again, no express mention is made of anointing with chrism; but we note that the idea of unction is commonly associated with the giving of the Holy Spirit. Christ (Luke, iv, 18) applies to Himself the words of Isaiah (lxi, 1): "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, wherefore he hath anointed me to preach the gospel". St. Peter (Acts 10: 38) speaks of "Jesus of Nazareth: how God anointed him with the Holy Spirit". St. John tells the faithful: "You have the unction (chrism) from the Holy One, and know all things"; and again: "Let the unction [chrism], which you have received from him, abide in you" (I Ep., 2: 20, 27). A striking passage, which was made much use of by the Fathers and the Schoolmen, is that of St. Paul: "He that confirmed us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God, Who also hath sealed us, and given us the pledge of the Spirit in our hearts" (II Cor. 1: 20, 21). No mention is made of any particular words accompanying the imposition of hands on either of the occasions on which the ceremony is described; but as the act of imposing hands was performed for various purposes, some prayer indicating the special purpose may have been used: "Peter and John . . . prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit". Further, such expressions as "signing" and "sealing" may be taken as referring to the character impressed by the sacrament: "You were signed with the holy Spirit of promise"; "Grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed unto the day of redemption" (Eph. 1: 13; 4: 30). See also the passage from II Cor. quoted above. Again, in the Epistle to the Hebrews (6: 1-4) the writer reproaches those whom he addresses for falling back into their primitive imperfect knowledge of Christian truth; "whereas for the time you ought to be masters, you have need to be taught again what are the first elements of the words of God" (Heb. 5: 12). He exhorts them: "leaving the word of the beginning of Christ, let us go on to things more perfect, not laying again the foundation . . . of the doctrine of baptisms, and imposition of hands", and speaks of them as those who have been "once illuminated, have tasted also the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit". It is clear that reference is made here to the ceremony of Christian initiation: baptism and the imposition of hands whereby the Holy Spirit was conferred, just as in Acts 2: 38. The ceremony is considered to be so well known to the faithful that no further description is necessary. This account of the practice and teaching of the Apostles proves that the ceremony was no mere examination of those already baptized, no mere profession of faith or renewal of baptismal vows. Nor was it something specially conferred upon the Samaritans and Ephesians. What was done to them was an instance of what was generally bestowed. Nor was it a mere bestowal of charismata; the Holy Spirit sometimes produced extraordinary effects (speaking with divers tongues, etc.), but these were not necessarily the result of His being given. The practice and teaching of the Church at the present day preserve the primitive type: the imposition of hands, the gift of the Holy Spirit, the privileges of the episcopate. What further elements were handed down by tradition will be seen presently. See also: Heb. 6:2 - Paul gives instruction to the Hebrews about the laying on of hands, in reference to confirmation, not ordination. The early Church laid hands upon the confirmed to administer the sacrament of confirmation. Heb. 6:2 - this verse also refers to the cycle of life and its relationship to the sacraments - baptism, confirmation, death and judgment - which apply to all people. John 6:27 - Jesus says the Father has set His seal on Him. As the Father sets His seal on Jesus, so Jesus sets His seal on us on the sacrament of baptism, and later, in the sacrament of confirmation. Rev. 9:4 - the locusts could not harm those with the seal of God upon their foreheads. See also Rev. 14:1 and 22:4. (2) Tradition / Church Fathers In passing from Holy Scripture to the Fathers we naturally expect to find more definite answers to the various questions regarding the sacrament. From both their practice and their teaching we learn that the Church made use of a rite distinct from baptism; that this consisted of imposition of hands, anointing, and accompanying words; that by this rite the Holy Spirit was conferred upon those already baptized, and a mark or seal impressed upon their souls; In examining the testimonies of the Fathers we should note that the word confirmation is not used to designate this sacrament during the first four centuries; but we meet with various other terms and phrases which quite clearly refer to it. Thus, it is styled "imposition of hands", "unction", "chrism", "sealing", etc. Before the time of Tertullian (A.D. 206) the Fathers do not make any explicit mention of confirmation as distinct from baptism. The fact that the two sacraments were conferred together may account for this silence. Tertullian (De Bapt., vi) is the first to distinguish clearly the three acts of initiation: "After having come out of the laver, we are anointed thoroughly with a blessed unction according to the ancient rule . . . The unction runs bodily over us, but profits spiritually . . . Next to this, the hand is laid upon us through the blessing, calling upon and inviting the Holy Spirit," Again (De resurr, carnis, n, 8): "The flesh is washed that the soul may be made stainless. The flesh is anointed that the soul may be consecrated. The flesh is sealed that the soul may be fortified. The flesh is overshadowed by the imposition of hands that the soul may be illuminated by the Spirit, The flesh is fed by the Body and Blood of Christ that the soul may be fattened of God." Hereby we quote some of the saying of the church fathers: "And about your laughing at me and calling me "Christian," you know not what you are saying. First, because that which is anointed is sweet and serviceable, and far from contemptible. For what ship can be serviceable and seaworthy, unless it be first caulked [anointed]? Or what castle or house is beautiful and serviceable when it has not been anointed? And what man, when he enters into this life or into the gymnasium, is not anointed with oil? And what work has either ornament or beauty unless it be anointed and burnished? Then the air and all that is under heaven is in a certain sort anointed by light and spirit; and are you unwilling to be anointed with the oil of God? Wherefore we are called Christians on this account, because we are anointed with the oil of God." Theophilus of Antioch, To Autolycus, I:12 (A.D. 182). "'And she said to her maids, Bring me oil.' For faith and love prepare oil and unguents to those who are washed. But what were these unguents, but the commandments of the holy Word? And what was the oil, but the power of the Holy Spirit, with which believers are anointed as with ointment after the layer of washing? All these things were figuratively represented in the blessed Susannah, for our sakes, that we who now believe on God might not regard the things that are done now in the Church as strange, but believe them all to have been set forth in figure by the patriarchs of old, as the apostle also says: 'Now these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they were written for our instruction, on whom the ends of the world are come.'" Hippolytus of Rome, Commentary on Daniel, 6;18 (A.D. 204) . "After this, when we have issued from the font, we are thoroughly anointed with a blessed unction,--a practice derived from the old discipline, wherein on entering the priesthood, then were want to be anointed with oil from a horn, ever since Aaron was anointed by Moses. Whence Aaron is called "Christ,' from the 'chrism, 'which is 'the unction;' which, when made spiritual, furnished an appropriate name to the Lord, because He was 'anointed' with the Spirit by God the Father; as written in the Acts: 'For truly they were gathered together in this city against Thy Holy Son whom Thou hast anointed.' Thus, too, in our case, the unction runs cornally, (on the body,) but profits spiritually; in the same way as the act of baptism itself too is carnal, in that we are plunged in water, but the effect spiritual, in that we are freed from sins." Tertullian, On Baptism, 7 (A.D. 206). "But Satan, who entered and dwelt in him for a long time, became the occasion of his believing. Being delivered by the exorcists, he fell into a severe sickness; and as he seemed about to die, he received baptism by affusion, on the bed where he lay; if indeed we can say that such a one did receive it. And when he was healed of his sickness he did not receive the other things which it is necessary to have according to the canon of the Church, even the being sealed by the bishop. And as he did not receive this, how could he receive the Holy Spirit?'" Pope Cornelius [regn. A.D. 251-253], To Fabius, fragment in Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History 6,43:14 (A.D. 251). "It is also necessary that he should be anointed who is baptized; so that, having received the chrism, that is, the anointing, he may be anointed of God, and have in him the grace of Christ. Further, it is the Eucharist whence the baptized are anointed with the oil sanctified on the altar. But he cannot sanctify the creature of oil, who has neither an altar nor a church; whence also there can be no spiritual anointing among heretics, since it is manifest that the oil cannot be sanctified nor the Eucharist celebrated at all among them. But we ought to know and remember that it is written, 'Let not the oil of a sinner anoint my head,' which the Holy Spirit before forewarned in the Psalms, lest any one going out of the way and wandering from the path of truth should be anointed by heretics and adversaries of Christ." Cyprian, To Januarius, Epistle 70/69:2 (A.D. 255). "preside over the perfect birth of a Christian, the one regenerating the man, which is baptism, the other communicating to him the Holy Spirit" (Epist. lxxii), "Anointed also must he be who is baptized, in order that having received the chrism, that is the unction, he may be anointed of God" (Epist. lxx), "It was not fitting that [the Samaritans] should be baptized again, but only what was wanting, that was done by Peter and John; that prayer being made for them and hands imposed, the Holy Ghost should be invoked and poured forth upon them. Which also is now done among us; so that they who are baptized in the Church are presented to the bishops [prelates] of the Church, and by our prayer and imposition of hands, they receive the Holy Ghost and are perfected with the seal of the Lord" (Epist. lxxiii), "Moreover, a person is not born by the imposition of hands, when he receives the Holy Ghost, but in baptism; that being already born he may receive the Spirit, as was done in the first man Adam. For God first formed him and breathed into his face the breath of life. For the Spirit cannot be received except there is first one to receive it. But the birth of Christians is in baptism" Cyprian, Epistle lxxiv. "They who are baptized must after Baptism be anointed with the heavenly chrism, and be partakers of the Kingdom of Christ." Council of Laodicea, Canon 48 (A.D. 343-381). "Those who have been converted from the heresies . . . are not to be received before they anathematize every heresy . . . and then after that, those who were called faithful among them, having learned the creeds of the faith, and having been anointed with the holy chrism, shall so communicate of the holy mystery" Council of Laodicea, Canon 7 (A.D. 343-381). "But a gate has been opened for seeking peace, whereby the mist has lifted from the reason of the multitude; and light has dawned in the mind; and from the glistening olive, fruits are put forth, in which there is a sign of the sacrament of life, by which Christians are perfected, as well as priests and kings and prophets. It illuminates the darkness, anoints the sick, and leads back penitents in its secret sacrament." Aphrahat, Treatises, 23:3 (A.D. 345). "But beware of supposing this to be plait ointment. For as the Bread of the Eucharist. after the invocation of the Holy Ghost, is mere bread no longer, but the Body of Christ, so also this holy ointment is no more simple ointment, nor so to say common, after invocation, but it is Christ's gift of grace, and, by the advent of the Holy Ghost, is made fit to impart His Divine Nature. Which ointment is symbolically applied to thy forehead and thy other senses; and while thy body is anointed with the visible ointment, thy soul is sanctified by the Holy and life-giving Spirit." Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures (On Chrism), 21:3 (A.D. 350). "You may effect in this chrism a divine and heavenly operation, so that those baptized and anointed in tracing with it of the sign of the saving cross of the Only-begotten, through which cross Satan and every adverse power is turned aside and conquered, as if reborn and renewed through the bath of regeneration, may be made participants in the gift of the Holy Spirit, and confirmed by this seal, may remain firm and immovable, unharmed and inviolate." Serapion of Thmuis, Prayer over Chrism, 25:1 (A.D. 350). "'And your floors shall be filled with wheat, and the presses shall overflow equally with wine and oil.'... This has been fulfilled mystically by Christ, who gave to the people whom He had redeemed, that is, to His Church, wheat and wine and oil in a mystic manner...the oil is the sweet unguent with which those who are baptized are signed, being clothed in the armaments of the Holy Spirit." Ephraim the Syrian, On Joel 2:24 (A.D. 373). "oil also for a most sweet unguent, wherewith they who already have been initiated by baptism are sealed, and put on the armour of the Holy Spirit" St. Ephraim Syrian speaks of "the Sacraments of Chrism and Baptism" (Serm. xxvii) (A.D. 373). “Don't you know that the laying on of hands after baptism and then the invocation of the Holy Spirit is a custom of the Churches? Do you demand Scripture proof? You may find it in the Acts of the Apostles. And even if it did not rest on the authority of Scripture the consensus of the whole world in this respect would have the force of a command. For many other observances of the Churches, which are due to tradition, have acquired the authority of the written law, as for instance the practice of dipping the head three times in the layer, and then, after leaving the water, of tasting mingled milk and honey in representation of infancy; and, again, the practices of standing up in worship on the Lord's day, and ceasing from fasting every Pentecost; and there are many other unwritten practices which have won their place through reason and custom. So you see we follow the practice of the Church, although it may be clear that a person was baptized before the Spirit was invoked.” Jerome, Against the Luciferians, 8 (A.D. 379). "We receive the Arians, and Macedonians . . . upon their giving in written statements and anathematizing every heresy . . . Having first sealed them with the holy ointment upon the forehead, and eyes, and nostrils, and mouth, and ears, and sealing them we say, ' The seal of the gift of the Holy Ghost"' The Council of Constantinople (381) can. vii, Labbe, II, col. 952). "And then remember that you received the seal of the Spirit; the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and godliness, and the spirit of holy fear, and preserved what you received. God the Father sealed you, Christ the Lord strengthened you, and gave the earnest of the Spirit in your heart, as you have learned in the lesson from the Apostle." Ambrose, On the Mysteries, 7:42 (A.D. 391). "He would likewise be permitting this to the Apostles alone? Were that the case,He would likewise be permitting them alone to baptize,them alone to baptize, them alone to Confer the Holy Spirit...If, then, the power both of Baptism and Confirmation, greater by far the charisms, is passed on to the bishops..." Pacian, Epistle to Sympronian, 1:6 (A.D. 392). 'For indeed the word of Ecclesiastes says true; your heretic is no living man, but 'bones,' he says, 'in the womb of her that is with child'; for how can one who does not think of the unction along with the Anointed be said to believe in the Anointed? 'Him,' says (Peter), 'did God anoint with the Holy Spirit.' These destroyers of the Spirit's glory, who relegate Him to a subject world, must tell us of what thing that unction is the symbol. Is it not a symbol of the Kingship? And what? Do they not believe in the Only-begotten as in His very nature a King? Men who have not once for all enveloped their hearts with the Jewish 'vail' will not gainsay that He is this. If, then, the Son is in His very nature a king, and the unction is the symbol of His kingship, what, in the way of a consequence, does your reason demonstrate? Why, that the Unction is not a thing alien to that Kingship, and so that the Spirit is not to be ranked in the Trinity as anything strange and foreign either. For the Son is King, and His living, realized, and personified Kingship is found in the Holy Spirit, Who anoints the Only-begotten, and so makes Him the Anointed, and the King of all things that exist. If, then, the Father is King, and the Only-begotten is King, and the Holy Ghost is the Kingship, one and the same definition of Kingship must prevail throughout this Trinity, and the thought of "unction" conveys the hidden meaning that there is no interval of separation between the Son and the Holy Spirit. For as between the body's surface and the liquid of the oil nothing intervening can be detected, either in reason or in perception, so inseparable is the union of the Spirit with the Son; and the result is that whosoever is to touch the Son by faith must needs first encounter the oil in the very act of touching; there is not a part of Him devoid of the Holy Spirit.” Gregory of Nyssa, On the Holy Spirit, 16 (ante A.D. 394). "But thou shalt beforehand anoint the person with the holy oil, and afterward baptize him with the water, and in the conclusion shall seal him with the ointment; that the anointing with oil may be the participation of the Holy Spirit, and the water the symbol of the death of Christ, and the ointment the seal of the covenants. But if there be neither oil nor ointment, water is sufficient both for the anointing, and for the seal, and for the confession of Him that is dead, or indeed is dying together with Christ.” Apostolic Constitutions, 7,2:22 (A.D. 400). "Why, therefore, is the Head itself, whence that ointment of unity descended, that is, the spiritual fragrance of brotherly love,--why, I say, is the Head itself exposed to your resistance, while it testifies and declares that "repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem"? And by this ointment you wish the sacrament of chrism to be understood, which is indeed holy as among the class of visible signs, like baptism itself..." Augustine, Letters of Petilian the Donatist, 2,104:239 (A.D. 403). "The living water of holy Baptism is given to us as if in rain, and the Bread of Life as if in wheat, and the Blood as if in wine. In Addition to this there is also the use of oil, reckoned as perfecting those who have been justified in Christ through holy baptism." Cyril of Alexandria, Commentary on the Minor Prophets, 32 (A.D. 429). And many more others VI. MATTER AND FORM OF THE SACRAMENT Matter and Form As it is shown by Acts the apostles were laying the hands for the dwelling of the Holy Spirit. But when the number of believers and those who entered faith increased, it was not possible for the Apostles to wander around all the countries and cities to lay hands on the baptized, so by the guidance of the Holy Spirit they substituted by anointment of Myron and they called it "anointing", "But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you know all things" "But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him." (1 John 2: 20-27). "Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee." (2 Cor 1: 21-22). The first Matter of the Myron was made by the Apostles, the tradition tells us that the Apostles kept certain fragrant oils which were on the body of the Lord Jesus during His burial, and they added the spices which were brought by the women who prepared them to anoint Jesus' body on Easter Sunday. The apostles melted all these spices in pure olive oil, prayed on it in the Upper Room in Zion and made it a holy ointment to grant the gift of the Holy Spirit to the baptized. It is also used in the Sanctification of Baptismal water, consecration of Churches, and church altars and vessels. They decided that their successors the Bishops, must renew the making of the Myron whenever it needed, by incorporating the original oil with the new. The Church Fathers upon renewal of the Myron they prepared all of the needed perfumes and spices from which God ordered Moses to make the Holy ointment as mentioned in the Book of Exodus (Chapter 30), with pure olive oil. Then the sanctification of the Myron is fulfilled by the Patriarch of Antioch, who from St. Peter was entrusted with the Holy Myron (leaven), which contained spices that touched the Lord’s body whilst in the tomb, as well as the original oil which had been prepared by the Apostles in Antioch. The Patriarch distributes the Holy Myron to the churches abroad. The Holy Myron consists of about 10 kinds of spices (including pure olive oil and balsam) which have been simmered quietly. The filtered oil is then poured into a large container and after the Liturgy of the Sanctification of the Myron, the Patriarch pours the balsam then places the old leaven in the Myron recently made, whilst saying certain prayers. The mixture of the Myron is composed of 10 kinds of quality spices. According to the book of Nomocanon of Bar Hebreaus (Hudoyo) the chrism employed must be a mixture of: sweet-smelling cinnamon (cassia), spikenard, carnation (dianthus), nutmeg, saffron, zingiberaceae, pepper, pure olive oil, and fresh stacte (gum storax). The last substance added into the mixture during the consecration is the balsam. The basic substance of this mixture is: olive oil and balsam. An ointment compounded according to the art of the perfumer, and consecrated only by the Patriarch. By the fact that no mention is made in Holy Scripture either of the chrism or of the words; and as these were undoubtedly the matter and the form they could only have been introduced by Divine authority of His disciple. However, we believe that Christ instituted all the sacraments, though in different ways; some by hinting at them and initiating them, as confirmation and extreme unction, and others instituted by Him as the Eucharist. That is to say, in the case of confirmation, Christ bestowed upon the Apostles the power of giving the Holy Spirit, but He did not specify the ceremony by which this gift should be conferred; the Apostles and the Church, acting under Divine guidance, fixed upon the imposition of hands, the anointing, and the appropriate words (form) as it is written now in the book of this rite. VII. INSTITUTION OF CHRISM Institution of the Sacrament The teaching of the theologians shows a marked advance upon that of the early Middle Ages. The decision as to the number of the sacraments involved the clear distinction of confirmation from baptism; and at the same time the more exact definition of what constitutes a sacrament led to the discussion of the institution of confirmation, its matter and form, minister, and effects, especially the character impressed. We can follow the development through the labors of church Fathers. The writers start from the fact that there was in the Church a ceremony of anointing with chrism, this ceremony was performed by a bishop only, and could not be repeated. What did the scripture says on chrism?
(a) The institution of the sacrament
And thus therefore we hold that Christ instituted this sacrament, not by showing it but by promising it, according to the text (John 14: 7), "If I go not, the Paraklete will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you." And this because in this sacrament the fullness of the Holy Spirit is given, which was not to be given before Christ's resurrection and ascension, according to the text (John 7: 39), "As yet the Spirit was not given, because Jesus was not yet glorified."
(b) The reservation of the rite to the bishops
VIII. MINISTER AND RECIPIENT Minister In the Syrian Orthodox Church, confirmation is given by ordained bishops or priests without special delegation. They must, however, use chrism blessed by the patriarch.
Recipient
They should also be in the state of grace; for the Holy Ghost is not given for the purpose of taking away sin but of conferring additional grace. This condition, however, refers only to lawful reception; the sacrament is validly received even by those in mortal sin. In the early ages of the Church, confirmation was part of the rite of initiation, and consequently was administered immediately after baptism as it is now. When, however, baptism came to be conferred by simple priests, the two ceremonies were separated in the Western Church. Further, when infant baptism became customary, confirmation was not administered until the child had attained the use of reason. Such, in fact, is the general usage in the Western Church. Under certain circumstances, however, as, for instance, danger of death, or when the opportunity of receiving the sacrament is but rarely offered, even younger children may be confirmed. In the Syrian Orthodox Church (as well as other Orthodox Churches), infants are, as in earlier times, confirmed immediately after baptism. In the mean time, the Syrian orthodox church, immediately after confirming the child give him the Holy Communion as being more in accord with the ancient usage of the Church. It is most ancient tradition in this church. IX. EFFECTS OF SACRAMENT Effects of the Chrism Confirmation imparts
A further consequence is the spiritual relationship which the person confirming and the sponsor contract with the recipient and with the recipient's parents. This relationship constitutes a diriment impediment to marriage. It does not arise between the minister of the sacrament and the sponsor nor between the sponsors themselves. X. NECESSITY OF THE SACRAMENT Regarding the obligation of receiving the sacrament, it is admitted that confirmation is necessary to get the Holy Spirit. On the other hand, its reception is obligatory for all those who been already baptized. Because of the necessity of this sacrament the apostles sent Peter and John to give it to the Samaritans. We read in the Acts of the Apostles (8: 14-17) that after the Samaritan converts had been baptized by Philip the deacon, the Apostles "sent unto them Peter and John, who, when they were come, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit; for he was not yet come upon any of them, but they were only baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus; then they laid their hands upon them, and they received the Holy Spirit".
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