Oil, water, ashes—The Catholic Church uses several substances with which to anoint its members. Holy oils—in the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Orders, and in the Anointing of the Sick. Immersion in water or pouring it over the head in Baptism. Many Christian denominations anoint their members with ashes on Ash Wednesday.
The anointings all require touching a person, which in
itself helps to heal. In a pandemic each touch is reevaluated. How can we keep
from spreading the virus? Social distancing does not bring much comfort. The
sign of peace is reduced to a wave. Using oil can require sanitizer before and
after.
As we move forward to a time when we can greet one
another without a mask and touch one another without a disinfectant, let us
recall the words of Thomas Merton in The
Monastic Journey:
“The Church uses material things in the
liturgy because they speak eloquently of God…we must learn to use our senses…to
appreciate the sacramental aids to holiness…” He continues, “The material
things which surround us are holy because of our bodies, which are sanctified
by our souls, which are sanctified by the presence of the indwelling word.”
Sr. Christa Ckrienbrink, OSB
Dear Sister thank you for this reminder of the use of anointing in the Church. In the last few years I have come to feel that the Gospels are a curious medical prophecy pointing to the present age, when the miracles of the Lord Jesus are found within the modern hospital more and more — beginning with the cure of the incurable bacterial diseases such as TB Cholera and Leprosy — and so many diseases cured nowadays, or if not cured, managed and controlled. How did we get to this point? How many sacrifices we made, and look also at our small planet, filled with our species to every corner. When the Romans came to England they found a forested island. What an ointment could we put on the Sahara desert, which has grown so much larger in the last millennia? I found a Benedictine monastery in Algeria to support, near Medea, and they have trees on the hillside there. It was quite green there 2000 years ago, and up to 600 it was a flourishing Christian zone, especially in the Carthage area but there were many churches. How Christian it must be now, or how godly, to plant a tree — North Africa was once quite heavily forested and there were antelope and deer in abundance. Can we restore Eden that used to be, the beauty of the Med, the beautiful shores? Good news it would be if brothers and sisters in Algeria could work together more.
ReplyDeleteHappy Easter OSB God bless you always.