The Blessed Olive Oil(2023-05-21)

Introduction

In order to resist temptations, to do good actions, to remove away from us the troubles caused by the devil, we need actual graces. Actual graces are helps given us by Our Lord Jesus throughout the day to do good and to avoid evil. The Catholic Church has instituted special means to pass on to us actual graces. These means are the Sacramentals. A sacramental is an action or object to which the Church attaches her prayer to obtain temporal and spiritual benefits. For example, Holy Water, rosaries, scapulars, medals, blessing of the house, blessing of the sick, and so on are sacramentals. 

Today I would like to draw your attention to one sacramental in particular, that is blessed olive oil and its use.

Blessing of the olive oil

Through this sacramental, the Church prays to Our Lord Jesus for two things: the healing of the sick and the strength to fight victoriously against the devil. First, the priest performs an exorcism on the oil, saying: "Let the adversary’s power, the devil’s legions, and all of Satan’s attacks and machinations be dispelled and driven far from this creature, oil. Let it bring health in body and mind to all who use it”. 

Then the priest blesses the oil, saying: " Grant we pray, that those who will use this oil, which we are blessing in Your Name, may be protected from every attack of the unclean spirit, and be delivered from all suffering, all infirmity, and all wiles of the enemy. Let it be a means of averting any kind of adversity from man, redeemed by the precious blood of Your Son, so that he may never again suffer the sting of the ancient serpent."

The Church uses olive oil to make this sacramental. Why? Because olive oil symbolizes the graces that the Church asks for. Indeed, olive oil is used to heal physical wounds: it therefore symbolizes the graces of physical and spiritual healing that the Church asks for. Olive oil softens and strengthens the muscles of the body: it therefore symbolizes the graces of strength that the Church asks for in view of the spiritual fight against the devil.

Use of the sacramental

How should we use this sacramental? We anoint our forehead or the sick part of our body, while saying a prayer according to our needs. For example, we can take up the prayer of the Church and say: "In the name of Jesus, may I be delivered from any languor and disease, as well as from all the snares and attacks of the devil. Amen."

The prayer of the Church is effective and obtains for us graces of healing and strength. However, on our part, we receive these graces as much as we are well disposed to receive them. What are the proper dispositions to have? Listen to what the Holy Ghost says in Chapter 38 of the book of Ecclesiasticus: “My son, in thy sickness neglect not thyself, but pray to the Lord, and He shall heal thee. Turn away from sin and order thy hands aright, and cleanse thy heart from all offence. Give a sweet savour, and a memorial of fine flour, and make a fat offering, and then give place to the physician. For the Lord created him: and let him not depart from thee, for his works are necessary.” (Ecclesiasticus 38;9).

Let's see in a little more detail what these words of the Holy Ghost mean.

Praying for healing

"My son, in thy sickness neglect not thyself, but pray to the Lord, and he shall heal thee”. When we are sick, first, we should pray to God. Why? Because God is the Master of life and death. If we ask Him with a humble, sincere and ardent heart for our healing, and if it is useful for our eternal salvation, God will grant us such grace. Thus, in the Bible, God healed king Hezekiah and granted him 15 more years of life. (Cf Is 38;5). Sometimes God does not give us the grace of healing because, through our sickness, He makes us practice virtues at a higher degree and gain greater glory in Heaven. In this case, however, God gives us the graces to bear the illness with courage.

Contrition of our sins

Then the Holy Ghost says: "Turn away from sin and order thy hands aright, and cleanse thy heart from all offence". Remember that the first cause of sickness is sin: our own sins or the sins of others. Before the Original Sin, Adam and Eve were never sick and had no suffering. In the Gospel, Jesus healed a paralytic and then said to him: "Behold thou art made whole: sin no more, lest some worse thing happen to thee” (Jn 5:14). St. Paul said this about those who receive Holy Communion in mortal sin: "He who eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh judgment to himself, not discerning the Body of the Lord. Therefore are there many infirm and weak among you, and many sleep”. (1 Cor 11:29-30). St Basil said: "Diseases are the punishment for sins, for which there is nothing else to do but to amend one’s life." So, when we are sick, before going to the doctor, we should purify our soul. It means to examine our conscience, to sincerely regret all our sins, to make a firm resolution not to sin again, to fix the injustices committed against others, and lastly to receive the Sacrament of Penance.

Satisfaction of sins

Then the Holy Ghost says: "Give a sweet savour, and a memorial of fine flour, and make a fat offering." These words mean that we must offer reparation to God who has been offended by our sins. How to do? We atone for our sins by our prayers, sacrifices and good works, but above all by the offering of the Sacrifice of the Mass. The Sacrifice of the Mass is a “fat offering”, which means that it is the most perfect offering we can offer to God. The Sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, renewed at Mass, is the only sacrifice which can make full reparation for all our sins.

Go to the doctor or priest

Lastly, the Holy Ghost says: "And then give place to the physician. For the Lord created him: and let him not depart from thee, for his works are necessary.” God can heal a sick person instantly by miracle. However, He does not usually do this. He wants men to assist one another with fraternal love. So, He wants some people to be doctors to heal the bodies, and some men to be priests to heal the souls.

Conclusion:

Dear Faithful, through the blessed oil, the Church obtains for us graces of strength and healing as much as we are sorry for our sins and make reparation for them. There is an illustration of this reality in the story of the apparitions of Lourdes in 1858. You know that at Lourdes, there is a spring of pure water and that Our Lady has been granting many miraculous healings by means of this water. But remember how it came to be. At the beginning, the spring was only a little bit of muddy water. On Wednesday, 24th of February, Our Lady called for contrition and penance: "Penance! Penance! Penance! Pray to God for sinners!" Then, on the following days, Our Lady asked St. Bernadette to do acts of penance: to drink of this disgusting muddy water, to eat some weed, to kiss the ground, to move on her knees. Then the muddy water turned little by little to become an abundant source of pure water. And on the following Monday, the first sick person was miraculously healed by the means of this water. In the same way, a sick person should purify his soul through contrition and penance before he can receive the graces of healing.

May Our Lady, Health of the sick, grant us health of soul and body.

Etienne Demornex