Holy Chrismation - Kib ata Meron

Holy Chrismation - Kib ata Meron #

CHRISMATION – ANOINTING WITH Holy MYRON #

The Sacrament of Chrismation, also known as the Holy Anointment with Myron or the Sacrament of Confirmation, is second of the Sacraments - Mysteries with which we receive the seal of the Holy Spirit. The word ‘Myron' is a Greek word which means ‘ointment' or ‘fragrant perfume'.

The Lord Jesus Christ instituted this Sacrament - Mystery when He said: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water”. But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom these believing in Him would receive, for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified" (St. John 7:37-39).

This Sacrament - Mystery is received immediately after Holy Baptism. The newly Baptized receives this Sacramental grace so as to become a temple of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit aids him/her to grow in his/her spiritual life. Although it is received directly after Holy Baptism, Holy Chrismation is a Sacrament on it own.

The newly Baptized is anointed with 36 Signs of the Holy Cross on his/her joints and senses so that the Holy Spirit can dwell within them. His/her body and soul becomes a Temple of the Holy Spirit. By this anointment, Almighty God grants the grace of Confirmation to the newly Baptized as well as the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Anointing of the external body of the newly Baptized by the Myron oil denotes anointing the power of the internal soul and its spiritual senses by the power of Almighty God to fight the hosts of evil and its power. This is because the Myron - Chrism Oil is a most powerful weapon against the devil and the best protection against sin and its seduction.

Our Holy Fathers the Apostles 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 through all the countries and cities to lay hands on the Baptized, so they established anointment by Myron - Chrism Oil as an alternative for the laying on of the 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, but Christ had risen.

They melted all these spices in pure olive oil, prayed on it in the Upper Room in Jerusalem 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, Church Altars and Vessels, Ordinations and the Consecration of Bishops. They decided that their successors, the Bishops, must renew the making of the Myron - Holy Chrism whenever it is close to being used up, by add in the original oil with the new.

HISTORY OF THE HOLY MYRON – CHRISM OIL #

When the Evangelist St. Mark went to Alexandria, he took with him some of the Holy Myron - Chrism oil made by the Holy Fathers the Apostles at Jerusalem. He used it in the Sacrament of Chrismation - Confirmation, as well as the Bishops who succeeded him. This continued until the era of Patriarch Pope St. Athanasius - the 20th Patriarch, who then decided to remake the Myron in Alexandria.

Hence, he 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 - Chrism Oil was fulfilled in Alexandria, and Pope Athanasius was entrusted with the Holy Oils which contained spices which touched the Lord’s Sacred Body while in the tomb, as well as the original oil which had been prepared by the Apostles and brought to Egypt by St. Mark. He distributed the oil to the Churches abroad: to the See of Rome, Antioch and Constantinople, together with a document of its authenticity, and the Patriarchs rejoiced in receiving it. The Ethiopian Church, like the others just mentioned also received from the See of St. Mark the Holy Myron - Chrism Oil. Upon her Autocephaly from the Church of Alexandria, becoming a Self-governing Church with her own Patriarch in 1959, the Holy Myron - Chrism Oil has been Consecrated by the Patriarch and Bishops of Ethiopia. Also Holy Myron - Chrism Oil is still available from Jerusalem from the Ethiopian Church and its Archbishop.

The Myron - Chrism Oil consists of about 30 kinds of spices and perfumes (some of which are: myrrh, aloes, frankincense, cinnamon, cassia, sweet-swelling cane, thistle, balsam and ambergris) which have been added to pure olive oil and simmered four times. The filtered oil is then poured into a large container and after the Liturgy of the Sanctification of the Myron, the Patriarch places the previously blessed Myron - Chrism Oil in the new Myron - Chrism Oil recently made, whilst saying certain prayers.

According to the Ancient Apostolic Canons, the Bishop or Priest baptizes the individual in The Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and anoints them with the Holy Myron - Chrism. This is to take place only after renouncing Satan and professing Christ Jesus has been done.