Concept in Definition ABC

The term anointing in the context of religion Christian is equivalent to the idea of ​​blessing, consecration or protection. The word comes from the verb anoint, a word of Greek origin that literally means to rub with oil or to spread.

In ancient times the shepherds protected the sheep with an oil ointment to prevent insects from killing them

This practice of the shepherds was transferred to the religious context and in this way the people were anointed as a symbol of God's blessing. Normally the purpose of an anointing was to turn someone into a person of special rank. In this way, a king or a religious leader received an anointing from the hands of a priest to communicate that God was on his side and somehow protected him. This act was carried out by pouring a few drops of oil on the anointed and sometimes it was also done on an object in order to consecrate it.

In the tradition Christian anointing involves God's protection and a gift to make the right decisions. However, it should not be understood that someone anointed cannot make mistakes, since the anointing must be accompanied by a sense of the

responsibility personal.

The Christian anointing goes beyond the symbolic act

According to the New Testament the Spirit of God is found in the human soul to help us as a guide in our existence. Therefore, believers receive the anointing of God through the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ. In this way, it is a concept that must be understood in its dimension spiritual and not simply as a ritual symbolic.

From the perspective Christian the idea of ​​anointing is directly associated with the power of God over men. Thus, the human being is anointed by God to do good and avoid evil and to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. It would not be correct to interpret this spiritual gift as something that is received forever, but as something that must be protected and stay inside the human soul (spiritual anointing is like oil, a substance that if not renewed ends evaporating).

The anointing of the sick is a sacrament

When a person is ill he is fragile and helpless and in some cases the disease leads inevitably to death. It is in this context that the church administers the sacrament of the anointing of the sick.

In the celebration of the same, the forehead and hands of the patient are anointed with oil and then the priest says a prayer. The effect of this sacrament is evident: to strengthen the human soul to face death with peace and in spiritual union with Jesus Christ.

Photos: Fotolia - Chodyra Mike / Maruba

Themes in Anointing