Holy Chrismation

The Anointing That Follows Baptism

Immediately following Holy Baptism — in the same service, without pause — the newly-baptized receives the sacrament of Holy Chrismation. The priest anoints every part of the person's body with holy oil called chrism (Holy Myron), making the sign of the cross on the forehead, eyes, nostrils, lips, ears, breast, hands, and feet, saying each time: "The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit."

This is the personal Pentecost. As the Apostles received the Holy Spirit collectively on the day of Pentecost when tongues of fire rested upon them, so each baptized believer receives the Holy Spirit personally through the anointing of Chrismation. The Apostle John writes: "You have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge" (1 John 2:20). Saint Paul writes: "It is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and has also put His seal on us and given us His Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee" (2 Corinthians 1:21-22).

What the Chrism Is

The holy chrism used in Orthodox Chrismation is a fragrant oil mixed with many spices and herbs (traditionally over 50), consecrated by the Patriarch in a solemn ceremony and distributed to all parishes. This connection to the Patriarch is not an administrative formality — it binds every local celebration of Chrismation to the entire Church: every newly-chrismated Christian is anointed with the same oil consecrated by the same Patriarch that unifies the whole Orthodox world. The chrism is the visible sign of the unity and catholicity of the Church.

The Anointing of the Whole Person

The anointing of every part of the body carries profound meaning. Chrismation is not merely a spiritual event for the soul — it is the consecration of the whole human person, body and soul together, as a living temple of the Holy Spirit. Each sense organ and each member is claimed by God and sealed with His Spirit:

• Forehead — the mind, that it may think with the mind of Christ
• Eyes — that they may see with divine clarity and discernment
• Nostrils — that they may breathe the fragrance of holiness
• Lips — that they may proclaim the Gospel and offer worthy prayer
• Ears — that they may hear the Word of God
• Breast — the heart, the center of the person's life
• Hands — that they may do holy work in the world
• Feet — that they may walk in the way of the Gospel

The Royal Priesthood

The anointing of prophets, priests, and kings in the Old Testament foreshadowed Chrismation: they were anointed with oil as a sign of divine election and empowerment for their office. In Chrismation, every Orthodox Christian is anointed as a member of the royal priesthood that Peter describes: "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession" (1 Peter 2:9). The layperson is not a passive recipient of the clergy's holiness — every chrismated Christian is a Spirit-bearer, empowered to offer the world to God and to witness to the Kingdom in every sphere of life.