The Passionate Olive (18 page)

CHAPTER NINE
Olive Oil Uses in Ritual, Religion, and Folk Magic

THROUGHOUT HISTORY
, in many organized religions as well as in ancient primitive cultures, olive oil has served a variety of sacred purposes. It has been used in priestly rituals and sacred ceremonies as a symbol of purity, peace, and godliness. From the olive tree’s earliest cultivation, it was thought to possess a divine nature and was revered for its hardiness and longevity as well as its fruit. The oil pressed from the fruit of the olive tree was thought to be the very essence of this divinity—a pure and shining gift received directly from the heavens. I personally feel this is still true!

The use of olive oil in sacred ritual is well known throughout the Middle East, the birthplace of several of the world’s principal religions. In prebiblical religious practices and ceremonies, the oil was offered to different gods in the hope of securing special favors such as bountiful harvests, the end of neighboring rivalries, and healthy
births. These and other issues were critical to early mankind. For many cultures, the fruit of the olive tree has long been a symbol of peace and reconciliation between God and mankind—ever since a dove brought an olive branch to Noah at the end of the great flood as described in the Old Testament.

In the time of the Old Testament, the Israelites burned this golden oil in the lamps that lighted their places of worship. They also used it to prepare health-giving as well as sacred ointments. So important were olives and olive oil that it is said that Moses himself exempted the men who worked in the olive groves during harvests from military duties.

In the Jewish faith, the menorah (a seven-branched candelabra) is thought to be a symbol of the nation of Israel and the mission to be “a light unto the nations” (Isaiah 42:6). A nine-branched menorah is used on Hanukkah. The tradition of celebrating Hanukkah can be attributed to a miracle involving olive oil. Hanukkah (meaning to dedicate) is celebrated each year for eight days, beginning with the twenty-fifth of Kislev (Kislev is the third month of the Jewish year). The story of Hanukkah began when the second Temple stood in Jerusalem and the Greeks ruled the Land of Israel. Eventually, the Jews rose against the persecution and religious oppression of the Greeks. When the Jews came to rededicate the Temple they wanted to light the menorah. However, they found only one small jar of ritually acceptable olive oil and lit the menorah only reluctantly, wondering if they should wait for more ritually pure olive oil to arrive. While expecting the oil to last only one day, it miraculously burned for eight days, until new ritually pure olive oil could be brought to the Temple. Since that time,
the menorah is traditionally lighted for eight days during Hanukkah, as a symbol of this long-ago event. The story is celebrated in the old city of Modiin in Israel, where a huge olive press re-creates the Hanukkah legend and the Feast of Oil.

Some local Jewish communities feature olive oil pressing as Hanukkah approaches, and children learn the historical significance of olives and olive oil. The tradition is further reinforced at Kehillah Jewish High School in San Jose, California, where each student, in his or her first year, is given a small olive oil—burning Hanukkah lamp. The lamp symbolizes that they can accomplish miracles in their lives and overcome obstacles.

Children at Jewish schools are further introduced to the importance of the olive tree during Tu B’Shvat, a holiday when thanks are given for different species of growing things, including the olive tree. The song “Atzay Zaytim Omdim” (“The Olive Tree Is Standing”) is a traditional song that virtually all Jewish children sing.

An eternal light (
Ner Tamid)
, which hangs above the ark in every synagogue, is never extinguished. Symbolizing God’s eternal presence, the
Ner Tamid
was traditionally a lamp filled with olive oil. Today, most are fueled by either gas or electric lightbulbs.

In Islam, olive oil is described as a symbol for the light that shines without being touched by fire: “Allah is the light of the heavens and earth.… Within the lamp a brilliant star lit by a blessed tree, an olive tree, neither of the East nor of the West, the oil of which could shine without being touched by fire; Light upon Light” (Koran 24:85).

In Christianity, much is written in the New Testament Gospels about the sanctification (purification, or making
“holy”) of olive oil and the sacredness of the olive tree. For instance, the Garden of Gethsemane, well known as the place where Christ is said to have prayed on the night he was to be arrested, was actually located on the Mount of Olives. The word
Gethsemane
comes from the words
geth
(press, wine press) and
semane
or
shemen
(oil/olive oil), so the word Gethsemane itself can be translated to mean “the press for olive oil.” In the Christian faith, this precious pressed oil was used to generate light and for anointing.

85)
ANOINT DURING BAPTISM AND CONFIRMATION

All the Christian faiths that have retained sacramental rites use olive oil in their sacred rituals and ceremonies. In many Christian churches, there are separate categories of sacred olive oil that are used in the ceremonies involving anointing. For example, there are blessed olive oils called Oil of the Sick (used to anoint the sick and dying), the Oil of Catechumens (used to anoint one into the faith during baptism), and Chrism Oil or Myron Oil (consecrated olive oil infused with perfumed balm or perfumed oil also used to baptize and confirm people into the faith, to ordain priests, and to consecrate churches and chalices). There is a symbolic reason for the addition of a perfumed balm or balsam to some of the consecrated olive oil. Olive oil represents the outpouring of sacramental grace, and balsam, which is quite fragrant, signifies the sweetness of Christian virtue.

These sacred oils are blessed once a year at a centrally located church or cathedral (for example, by a bishop in the
Roman Catholic Church or by a bishop in the Greek Orthodox Church) and distributed to their respective churches.

The use of olive oil in religious ritual dates back at least to the Greeks. We know this fact because the word
chrism
comes from the Greek word
chrisma
, which means anointing. This particular sacred oil is extra virgin olive oil mixed with a scented balsam. When the oil is used in an anointing ceremony or ritual, the priest usually applies it in a cross formation. This is to remind Christians that all blessings come from the crucified Christ, who in their belief system is the source of all healing and life for the world.

Baptism

In the ceremony of baptism, an individual is made a servant of God and thus a true member of his faith. As the child (or adult) is anointed with the special oil (for example, chrism oil), he is deemed to be endowed with the Holy Spirit for Christian life and mission. Metaphorically, this anointing recalls the descent of the Holy Spirit on Jesus at his baptism in the Jordan River, according to Mark 1:9–11. In turn, this recalls the words of the “Servant of the Lord” in the book of Isaiah, 61:1–3: “The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed.…”

Baptisms are solemn yet festive events, similar to weddings. The planning of a formal baptism includes a great many details, including making the many church and post-ceremony arrangements. Prior to the baptism,
the parents select a couple to stand in as godparents for the child being baptized. An adult going through a baptism ceremony is free to select his or her own godparents. Both the parents and godparents then attend instructional classes, which include a thorough explanation of the ceremony and the meanings of the water and olive oil.

The actual amount of olive oil used during this ceremony varies within different Christian churches. In the Greek Orthodox Church, a child or adult is completely covered with olive oil (if you’ve seen
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
, you will have an idea of this part of the ceremony); in the Roman Catholic Church, a simple anointing of the forehead is performed.

While baptisms are indeed serious events, I’d like to share a humorous story that happened to a friend of mine at a recent baptism. As is the custom so often today, the baptismal ceremony was to be videotaped. The godparents of the new baby asked my friend Brent to videotape the child’s baptism at a Greek Orthodox Church. Brent felt confident of his ability as a videographer to handle this task. When he first arrived, he watched the priest bless the water in the baptismal font and then saw him add a small amount of the olive oil (that had been brought to the church by the godparents, as is custom). Brent thought this was pretty much all there was to a baptism!

But then … things got interesting. During the next part of the ceremony, the godparents proceeded to undress plump little Nicholas. This undressing symbolically represents the removal of old sin. The priest proceeded to make the sign of the cross with oil on various parts of the infant. Then the godparents carefully began to rub olive oil all over
Nicholas’s body. At this time, Brent’s real video challenge began! A
very
slick Nicholas began to slip and slide and almost slithered through the hands of the godparents; at any moment Brent expected to see the poor little guy dropped on his head. Consequently, Brent was moving the camera all over the place, trying to capture every part of the baptism. The video portrays an otherwise solemn ceremony in quite a humorous manner!

When the godparents finally handed the baby to the priest, Brent breathed a huge sigh of relief and recorded the remainder of the ceremony with a steady hand. To complete Nicholas’s baptism, the priest immersed the baby three times into the baptismal font (symbolizing the three days that Christ spent in the tomb). At the end of the ceremony, the godparents happily dressed the baby in new white clothing to absorb the remaining holy oil. At the end of the ceremony everyone was thankful that the baby had not slipped through the godparents’ hands, and Brent went on to the post-baptism party, where he drank more than a few glasses of ouzo in celebration!

Chrismation and Confirmation

Little Nicholas also received a second sacrament during his baptism (called Chrismation); this sacrament corresponds to Confirmation (received when a child is about thirteen years old) in the Roman Catholic Church. This sacrament represents the gift of God’s grace, which will help the child to lead a strong Christian life. Again, olive oil is the base oil of anointment.

86)
ANOINT THE SICK AND DYING

Often referred to as the sacrament Unction, in Extreme Unction or, more recently, Sacrament of Anointing the Sick, the sick and dying of many Christian faiths are anointed with the blessed olive oil. The sick are anointed, as the need arises, on the affected part of their bodies. In the Letter of James 5:14, found in the New Testament, a passage reads as follows: “Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, and the Lord will raise him up.” In Isaiah 61:3, in the Old Testament, there is a passage that metaphorically speaks of the oil given for joy instead of mourning.

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormon Church), tiny vials of consecrated olive oil are carried by Elders and applied to people who are sick or afflicted, thereby needing a blessing from God. Many families keep small bottles of consecrated olive oil in their medicine cabinets for use by a Priesthood bearer in blessing family members who are ill.

87)
ANOINT DURING THE ORDINATION OF PRIESTS

The special infused (chrism) olive oil is also used to anoint priests at their ordination. During this most sacred of holy rituals, a new priest’s hands are often anointed with the sign of the cross. An older tradition was for chrism oil to be placed on the palms of the priests; then their hands were bound in linen wrappings, thus securing the oil and their faith. The parents of the priest would then remove the cloth bindings. Parents and relatives vied for the honor of embroidering
the cloth, which was thereafter kept in the family as a precious souvenir.