Chrismation (The Sacrament of Anointing)

Chrismation is the sacrament of anointing with Holy Chrism, the consecrated oil prepared by the bishops of the Church. It is one of the seven Holy Mysteries of the Orthodox Church and is administered immediately after Baptism. For Orthodox Christians, Chrismation is the personal Pentecost, the moment when the Holy Spirit is given to the newly baptized as a personal seal and gift.

For converts to Orthodoxy, Chrismation is also the typical means of reception into the Orthodox Church. If you are an inquirer or catechumen wondering what your reception will look like, this page explains the sacrament, who receives it, what happens, and what it means.

What Chrism Is

Holy Chrism is olive oil consecrated by the bishop, mixed with aromatic spices and balsam, prayed over with specific prayers, and distributed to parishes for use in Chrismation, the consecration of churches, and other liturgical purposes.

In the Orthodox tradition, the Chrism used by parishes today is consecrated by the chief hierarchs of each autocephalous church (in our case, by the bishops of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the USA, drawing on the chrism prepared by the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, our parent jurisdiction). Each parish receives a vessel of Chrism that is replenished as needed.

This continuity matters. The Chrism that anoints a baptized infant or a received catechumen at St. Michael links materially back to the prayers of bishops who stand in apostolic succession from the apostles themselves. The seal you receive in Chrismation is not symbolic. It is the seal of the Holy Spirit, given through the Church.

Who Receives Chrismation

Three categories of people receive Chrismation in the Orthodox Church:

Newly baptized Orthodox. Whether infants, children, or adults, every Orthodox baptism is immediately followed by Chrismation. The two sacraments together (Baptism and Chrismation) constitute full initiation into the Church, and the newly baptized then receives Holy Communion at the same Liturgy.

Christian converts from other traditions whose baptism is recognized. This is the most common path for converts at St. Michael. If you were validly baptized in the Roman Catholic Church, in most Protestant churches, or in another tradition where the sacrament is celebrated in the name of the Holy Trinity with water, the Orthodox Church generally recognizes that baptism. Reception is then through Chrismation alone, completing what was begun in your baptism by sealing you with the Holy Spirit through the apostolic Church.

Christian converts whose baptism is not recognized or is questionable. This is rarer. If you were baptized in a tradition that does not use water, or does not invoke the Trinity, or whose practice is so far removed from the historic baptism of the Church that the sacramental reality cannot be verified, you would be received through both Baptism and Chrismation.

In all cases, the determination is pastoral. Fr. Stephen will discuss your specific situation with the bishop and explain the path appropriate to you.

What Happens During Chrismation

The rite of Chrismation is brief and beautiful. It can be celebrated as part of a Sunday Divine Liturgy, at a special service (often Pascha or Theophany for catechumens), or in conjunction with a baptism.

The sequence:

Profession of faith. You are asked to formally renounce any prior errors, to affirm your faith in Christ as God and Savior, and to recite (or have read on your behalf) the Symbol of Faith, the Nicene Creed. This is a verbal commitment, witnessed by the Church.

Prayers. The priest prays the prayers of Chrismation, asking that the gifts of the Holy Spirit be sealed upon the one being anointed.

Anointing. The priest, using a small brush or his finger, anoints the brow, eyes, ears, nostrils, mouth, chest, hands, and feet with the Holy Chrism. With each anointing he says: “The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Amen.” Each anointing dedicates the part of the body and the corresponding sense or activity to God.

Walking around the table. In the traditional rite, the newly chrismated walks three times around the altar (or a small table representing it) in a procession of joy.

First Communion. Immediately after Chrismation, you receive Holy Communion for the first time as a member of the Orthodox Church.

The whole rite, when celebrated for an adult convert, takes about 15 to 30 minutes. Combined with the Liturgy in which it is celebrated, the full service is typically two hours.

The Eight Anointings and What They Mean

Each part of the body anointed during Chrismation corresponds to a dedication:

• Forehead: consecration of the mind to God, marking you as Christ’s
• Eyes: dedication of vision to seeing God’s beauty in creation and in others
• Ears: dedication of hearing to receiving God’s word
• Nostrils: dedication of breath and the sense of smell to the fragrance of holiness
• Mouth: dedication of speech to praising God and speaking truth to others
• Chest (or breast): dedication of the heart to loving God and neighbor
• Hands: dedication of work to God’s purposes
• Feet: dedication of the journey of life to walking in God’s ways

The phrase repeated with each anointing, “the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit,” is from St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians and from the rite of initiation in the early Church.

After Chrismation

You are now a full member of the Orthodox Church. You may:

• Receive Holy Communion at any canonical Orthodox parish
• Confess to any Orthodox priest
• Be married in the Church (if not already)
• Have your children baptized as Orthodox
• Take on parish responsibilities (council membership, choir, sisterhood, altar service for men, etc.)
• Live the full Orthodox life with all its joys and demands

You will continue to grow. The catechumenate ends, but the Christian life does not. You will continue to learn, to pray, to fast, to confess, to receive, to serve. The Holy Spirit who was sealed upon you in Chrismation will continue to work in you for the rest of your life.

A Note on Naming

Many converts choose a saint’s name to be received under, often the name of a saint they have come to love through reading or whose feast day matches a significant date. Others retain their birth name if it is already a saint’s name (most Christian names are). Talk with Fr. Stephen as you prepare; the name is not chosen lightly, since the saint becomes your patron and intercessor.

The name you are received under is the name by which the Church will pray for you, by which the priest will commemorate you at the altar, and by which you will be known in the spiritual life of the parish.

Plan Your Reception

If you are a catechumen at St. Michael preparing for reception, you and Fr. Stephen will agree on a date well in advance. Pascha and Theophany are the traditional dates, but reception can also be celebrated on a major feast day, on a Sunday during the year, or at another time the bishop and priest agree to.

If you are an inquirer not yet enrolled as a catechumen and wondering about Chrismation, the path is to first move through the inquiry and catechumenate phases. See becoming Orthodox and the catechumen journey.

Sunday Divine Liturgy: 10:00 AM. Address: 9201 60th St, Pinellas Park, FL 33782. Phone: 727-777-4450.

The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Amen.