Holy Anointing Oil

In Jewish traditions, only the most pure of all people or things may fully participate in Jewish rituals. Most important of all, the holy anointing oil was/is used in the ordination to the priesthood, but Judaism also utilizes oil in the purification of temples and ritual items as well, consecrating them to God's service. Its formula is based on Exodus 30:22-25, which includes myrrh, cinnamon, calamus, cassia and olive oil.

Oil of the Catechumens

Oil of the Catechumens is used in many Christian denominations in their ritual of baptism. The ritual, by which the recipient (catechumen) is received into the Church, includes the washing with water to symbolize the cleansing of sins, but the oil is also applied to the catechumen's forehead. Depending upon the denomination, the oil is blessed by a priest, minister or bishop, and its application is intended to strengthen the recipient's resistance to temptation and evil.

Oil of the Infirm

Oil of the Infirm is used in the Catholic and Orthodox rites of the Anointing of the Sick. In this ritual, a sick or other person in danger of death is prayed over by a priest, and the recipient's forehead and hands are anointed with the oil. This oil is intended to remind the recipient of God's grace and mercy, giving the recipient the courage to maintain faith in God through the last hours of his life. There is no standard mixture for this oil.

Sacred Chrism

Unlike the Oil of the Infirm, the Sacred Chrism is intended to have several levels of meaning in its mixture, and thus it is almost always composed of balsam and olive oil, with an aromatic resin mixed in. The oil is sticky, intended to remind the recipient of the permanence of the grace she is receiving, and the oil also has a very pleasing aroma, reminding the recipient of the sweetness of God's grace. While the Oil of the Infirm and the Oil of the Catechumens are said to be blessed for use by special prayers, the sacred Chrism is consecrated for use through ritual and mixture.