The term anointing in the context of the Christian religion is equivalent to the idea of blessing, consecration or protection. The word comes from the verb to anoint, a word of Greek origin that literally means to rub with oil or to anoint.
In ancient times, shepherds protected sheep with an oil ointment to prevent insects from killing them.
This practice of the shepherds was transferred to the religious context and in this way the people were anointed as a symbol of God’s blessing. Normally the purpose of an anointing was to turn someone into a person with a special rank. In this way, a king or a religious leader received an anointing from the hands of a priest to communicate that God was on his side and protected him in some way. This act was performed by pouring a few drops of oil on the anointed and sometimes it was also done on an object in order to consecrate it.
In the Christian tradition the anointing implies God’s protection and a gift to make the right decisions. However, it is not necessary to understand that someone anointed cannot be wrong, since the anointing must be accompanied by a sense of personal responsibility.
The Christian anointing goes beyond the symbolic act
According to the New Testament, the Spirit of God is found in the human soul to help guide us in our existence. Therefore, believers receive the anointing of God through the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ. In this way, it is a concept that must be understood in its spiritual dimension and not simply as a symbolic ritual.
From the Christian perspective, the idea of anointing is directly associated with the power of God over men. Thus, the human being is anointed by God to do good and avoid evil and to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. It would not be correct to interpret this spiritual gift as something that is received forever, but rather as something that must be protected and maintained within the human soul (spiritual anointing is like oil, a substance that if not renewed ends up evaporating).
The anointing of the sick is a sacrament
When a person is sick they are fragile and helpless and in some cases the disease inevitably leads to death. It is in this context that the church administers the sacrament of the anointing of the sick.
In the celebration of the same, the forehead and hands of the patient are anointed with oil and then the priest says a prayer. The effect of this sacrament is evident: to strengthen the human soul to face death with peace and in spiritual union with Jesus Christ.
Photos: Fotolia – Chodyra Mike / Maruba
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