
What is Chrismation and is it biblical?
What is chrismation, and is it biblical? Chrismation is a rite that is performed in the Orthodox Church and seen as the time during which the Holy Spirit comes upon the individual. It is viewed as a sacrament in the Orthodox Church, meaning, it is viewed as a method of receiving God's grace.
What is the rite of Chrismation?
The rite of chrismation is performed in the Orthodox Church. Just as baptism pictures the Lord’s death and resurrection, the chrismation pictures the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the individual and somewhat corresponds to confirmation in the Catholic Church. Chrismation is seen as a sacrament, that is, a means of receiving divine grace.
What does it mean to be chrismated?
Metropolitan Kallistos (Timothy Ware) explains: Through Chrismation every member of the Church becomes a prophet, and receives a share in the royal priesthood of Christ; all Christians alike, because they are chrismated, are called to act as conscious witnesses to the Truth.
What is the role of Chrismation?
Thus, through chrismation we become a “christ,” a son of God, a person upon whom the Holy Spirit dwells, a person in whom the Holy Spirit lives and acts—as long as we want him and cooperate with his powerful and holy inspiration.

What is the difference between baptism and chrismation?
While chrismation is often performed without baptism, baptism is never performed without chrismation; hence the term "baptism" is construed as referring to the administration of both sacraments (or mysteries), one after the other.
Is confirmation and chrismation the same?
In the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church, confirmation, known also as chrismation, is one of the seven sacraments instituted by Christ for the conferral of sanctifying grace and the strengthening of the union between the individual and God.
Do Catholics have chrismation?
Chrism is essential for the Catholic Sacrament of Confirmation/Chrismation, and is prominently used in the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Orders.
What happens at chrismation Orthodox?
Through Chrismation a person is given the “power from on high” (Acts 1- 2), the gift of the Spirit of God, in order to live the new life received in baptism. He is anointed, just as Christ the Messiah is the Anointed One of God. He becomes-as the Fathers of the Church dared to put it — a “christ” together with Jesus.
What symbol of the Holy Spirit is closely associated with chrismation?
Anointing – The symbolism of blessing with oil also signifies the Holy Spirit, to the point of becoming a synonym for the Holy Spirit. The coming of the Spirit is referred to as his "anointing". In some denominations anointing is practiced in Confirmation; ("chrismation" in the Eastern Churches).
What does chrismation look like?
A priest anoints the forehead, eyes, nostrils, mouth, ears, breast, hands, and feet of the newly baptized with chrism (myron), a mixture of olive oil and balsam that is confected by the primates of the local churches, and says at each anointing, “The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit.” The sacrament may also be ...
What are the 3 holy oils?
Three holy oils are used in the Church's worship today: chrism, a blessed mixture of olive oil and balm; oil of catechumens, blessed olive oil; and oil of the sick, also blessed olive oil.
What oil is used for anointing?
pure olive oilAccording to his account, the holy apostles took from the spices that were used to anoint the body of Jesus Christ when he was buried, added pure olive oil to it, and prayed over it in Upper Zion, the first church where the Holy Spirit fell in the upper room.
What oil is used to anoint the sick?
pure olive oilThe oil of the sick, which is pure olive oil, is used for the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. While ideally celebrated with the community during the Mass for the anointing of the sick, this sacrament can be administered any time and in any place.
What does the term Chrismation emphasized about the sacrament in the Eastern Church?
Terms in this set (44) The name in the Eastern rites for the Sacrament of Confirmation. Chrismation. Also called the Prayer of the Faithful; prayers of petition for the sake of others. General Intercession. Enables you to be receptive to God's loving presence in your life.
Can anyone perform anointing of the sick?
Only a priest or bishop can administer the sacraments of Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick, but a lay person may give a dying person Holy Communion as "Viaticum, the Last Sacrament of the Christian".
What are the symbols of the Holy Spirit?
The symbols of the Holy Spirit are: Dove, Fire, Oil, Wind and Water. The Dove: This can be seen in the description of the baptism of Christ (Matt. 3:16; Mark 1:10; Luke 3:22; John 1:30-34).
What is chrismation in the Bible?
What is chrismation, and is it biblical? Chrismation is a rite that is performed in the Orthodox Church and seen as the time during which the Holy Spirit comes upon the individual. It is viewed as a sacrament in the Orthodox Church, meaning, it is viewed as a method of receiving God's grace. It bears some similarities to confirmation in ...
How does the Bible describe chrismation?
They describe chrismation in this way: "In chrismation a person is given the 'power from on high' ( Acts 1—2 ), the gift of the Spirit of God, in order to live the new life received in baptism. He is anointed, just as Christ the Messiah is the Anointed One of God. He becomes—as the fathers of the Church dared to put it—a 'christ' together ...
What is holy chrismation?
During chrismation, the individual's body is anointed with a blend of oils called holy chrism or myrr h. It generally directly follows a person's baptism, often as an infant but chrismation is also performed for adults. The Orthodox Church in America has an official description of chrismation on their website.
What is the meaning of baptism in the Bible?
Baptism is spoken of as an ordinance within the Bible, meant to be a physical demonstration of what happens in salvation and intended for professing believers, not infants. Grace is not received through baptism; rather baptism is a picture of the grace through which salvation is received by faith. If we had to do something to earn ...
Is chrismation the same as baptism?
It bears some similarities to confirmation in the Catholic Church. In the Orthodox Church, chrismation goes hand-in-hand with baptism. Baptism serves as a picture of the death and resurrection of Jesus, while chrismation serves as a picture of the Holy Spirit coming upon a person.
Is chrismation a ritual?
If viewed as only a portrayal of how the Holy Spirit indwells a believer, chrismation could be considered a thoughtful ritual and an opportunity for contemplation. The Orthodox Church, however, believes that this rite is necessary in order for one to be filled with the Spirit: "Thus, it is only after our chrismation that ...
What is the rite of chrismation?
Answer. The rite of chrismation is performed in the Orthodox Church. Just as baptism pictures the Lord’s death and resurrection, the chrismation pictures the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the individual and somewhat corresponds to confirmation in the Catholic Church. Chrismation is seen as a sacrament, that is, a means of receiving divine grace.
When is chrismation performed in the Orthodox Church?
This rite is normally performed immediately after baptism, which in the Orthodox Church would normally be done in infancy, although chrismation may also be performed for adult converts. In the Orthodox Church, chrismation is more than a picture of the Spirit’s coming; it is the means by which the Spirit comes upon the individual.
Is chrismation a biblical rite?
Therefore, this rite is unbiblical. Chrismation is not mentioned in Scripture, and the meaning of chrismation is contrary to Scripture. Grace, God’s blessing on the undeserving, cannot be earned and still be called grace ( Romans 11:6 ). The Holy Spirit comes upon all who believe, regardless of whether or not a specific rite is performed.
Is the chrismation a picture of the Holy Spirit?
Chrismation might be considered a beautiful picture of the coming of the Holy Spirit upon the Christian if the anointing and the rite were simply a picture or illustration. However, according to the Orthodox Church, the rite is not only illustrative or commemorative but also instrumental to the Spirit’s filling.
What is the sacrament of christmation?
Chrismation consists of the sacrament or mystery in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches, as well as in the Assyrian Church of the East initiation rites. The sacrament is more commonly known in the West as confirmation, although Italian normally uses cresima ("chrismation") rather than confermazione ("confirmation").
What is confirmation in the Church?
Whereas in Western Christian theology, confirmation is seen as completing or sealing of the baptismal covenant, the conferral of full membership, the perfecting one's bond with the Church, and/or the strengthening of gifts of the Holy Spirit to enable the recipient to live the Christian life , in the Eastern Orthodox tradition chrismation is understood more fundamentally as the bestowal of the Holy Spirit—that is, as the transmission to that person of the experience of the Day of Pentecost (cf. Acts of the Apostles 2:1-4ff), along with the attendant gifts of the Spirit that are given to all the faithful, and any unique or special gifts that God deems appropriate for that person, to enable him or her to realize his or her intended potentiality as a child of God and as a unique member of Christ's Body, the Church. Hence the significance of the sacrament or mystery of chrismation is understood quite distinctly from that of baptism, much as Pentecost is distinct from the Passion and Resurrection.
Do you have to be baptized before chrismation?
The use of economia is at the discretion of, and subject to the guidelines imposed by, the local bishop. Converts from non-Christian religions also need to be baptized before chrismation. The sacrament of chrismation is an extension of the day of Pentecost, on which the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Apostles.
What is the meaning of chrismation?
As baptism is a personal participation in the death and Resurrection of Christ, so chrismation is a personal participation in the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost .
What does the priest say about the sacrament of chrismation?
Each time, the priest administering the sacrament says, "The Seal and Gift of the Holy Spirit.". The sacrament of chrismation is an extension of the day of Pentecost, on which the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Apostles. It is by Chrismation that a person becomes a layperson—a member of the laos, the people of God.
When is confirmation given in the Orthodox Church?
Unlike in the Western churches (e.g., Roman Catholic and Anglican ), where confirmation is typically reserved to those of "the age of reason," chrismation in the Orthodox Church (as well as the Eastern Rite Catholic Churches) is normally administered immediately after baptism and immediately (or at least shortly) before one's first reception of Holy Communion.
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What is the sacrament of chrismation?
Chrismation. In the sacrament of Chrismation we receive “the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit” (See Rom 8, 1 Cor 6, 2 Cor 1.21–22). If baptism is our personal participation in Easter—the death and resurrection of Christ, then chrismation is our personal participation in Pentecost—the coming of the Holy Spirit upon us.
What is the rite of churching?
The rite of churching imitates the offering of male children to the temple according to the law of the Old Testament, particularly the offering of Christ on the fortieth day after his birth (Lk 2.22). Because of this fact, baptism in the Orthodox tradition came to be prescribed for. the fortieth day or thereabouts.
Why were we buried with Christ?
We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with Him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His.
What does it mean to cut hair after baptism?
After the baptism and chrismation the person newly-received into God’s family is tonsured. The tonsure, which is the cutting of hair from the head in the sign of the cross, is the sign that the person completely offers himself to God—hair being the symbol of strength (Jud 16.17).
