www.byzcath.org Forums Faith & Christian Life Faith & Theology What happens at Chrismation?

What actually happens at Chrismation? I am not referring to the order of ceremony. In what ways does one receive the Holy Spirit's ministry at confirmation/chrismation which was not previously active in one's life?

What is the difference between the Western understanding of confirmation and the Eastern understanding of chrismation, other than the age of the recipient?

My understanding has been that if baptism conveys heavenly citizenship, confirmation confers the authority and responsibilities of a "soldier" in the Lord's army, and empowers one for spiritual warfare. While I like the simplicity of that imagery, I'm not sure it is theologically the most concise.

All this is very pertinent, as in a few weeks my infant daughter, wife, and two step-sons will receive chrismation...and several protestant members of my family will be seeking clarification!

Dear Son,

Chrismation is the "completion" of the Spirit's presence in the individual. In a sense, think of Baptism as the invitation for the Spirit to come in, and crismation as the "sealing" of the person by the Holy Spirit indicating ownership. In ancient times, one was "sealed" or "marked" by one's owner if one were a slave. We are, in a very real sense, "owned" by the Holy Spirit and the myron is used to "mark" us as being owned (or, if you will, possessed) by the Holy Spirit.

Edward, deacon and sinner

I think there is also an emphasis on "ordination" as a result of Chrismation. At least I've seen this in the Armenian Church's prayers. Thus, in this Holy Mystery, we become "laos" members of God's Church who are ordained to be followers of Chirst.

Wm. Der-Ghazarian

Perhaps betrothal and marriage are good parallels to baptism and chrismation. Don't both involve the dance of Isaiah?

I apologize (some will thank me) but I don't have time to expand on this today.

In Christ.

Perhaps someone can recommend some reading material on the subject of chrismation? I haven't found more than a paragraph or two anywhere. Any links you could recommend would be most appreciated.

Thank you.

Dear Prodigal Son,

Welcome on your return!

Schmemann has a book on the Sacraments of Initiation that can be obtained from St Vladimir's Seminary Press.

Chrismation is the experience of Pentecost in our lives, just as Baptism is the experience of Pascha.

In Baptism, we are traditionally "dunked" three times in water, symbolizing that we have died and resurrected with Christ.

And Ghazar's introduction of the notion of "ordination" is excellent since Chrismation is a king of "lay ordination" and the beginning of the process of Theosis in Christ through the Holy Spirit.

Chrismation empowers us to begin the life-long process of acquiring the Holy Spirit through an active participation in the Body of Christ through prayer, the Sacraments/Mysteries, Holy Communion, fasting, good works and our general vocation to love and serve the Lord.

Thank you, Alex.

You used the word "symbolically" in your explanation of baptism, and that gets to what troubles me about this subject...

My wife, for example, due to some inexplicable oversight, never received confirmation in the RC church in which she was raised. If chrismation "empowers (her) to begin the lifelong process of acquiring the Holy Spirit...," does that imply that she has not yet begun to do so in all her years of receiving the Eucharist and serving in the church?

We in the historical churches believe that the sacraments not only symbolize something (as my protestant family members believe), but that they are visible expressions an invisible reality, and that something REALLY happens when we receive them.

So my question is, in what way does the Holy Spirit's ministry become available/effective in the believer at chrismation which was not previously the case? Or how is the believer's status altered?

Thank you for your patience!

When we are sealed with the oil of chrism we are set aside in the name of Christ. Further to the comment on the slave, as the slave of the Roman world was branded with the mark of his master, so are we signed with the mark of our Master. But, unlike the brand of the slave - a mark binding him in servitude, the mark which we receive is one which liberates us and empowers us.

As the life of the new martyr St Andrei of Ufa - in the world Prince Ukhtomsky - shows us Orthodox chrismation can, when required, happen without myron. After the revolution, in the absence of the holy myron the bishop, as a successor of the apostles, layed his hands on the newly baptised and invoked the Holy Spirit.

Spasi Khristos -
Mark, monk and sinner.

Dear Prodigal Son,

The term "symbolic" has a different meaning in the East than it does in the West.

For example, Western Protestants and Catholics argued over the Eucharist with the former saying the Bread and the Wine is "symbolic" of the Lord's Body and Blood - to which the Catholics countered by saying it is not symbolic but the actual Body and Blood of Christ.

And the Orthodox Church could chime in and say that both understandings are required here!

The Bread and the Wine are truly symbolic of the Most Holy and Most Pure Body and Blood of our Lord, God and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

They "point" to the reality of Christ and His Salvation.

This is why the bread is leavened for it is bread that has "risen" representing the Resurrection of Christ.

The wine is always red in colour, signifying Christ's Blood.

"Symbols" and "symbolic" in the East do not mean, as we generally understand them in the West, as something which represents another reality but which, IN AND OF ITSELF, is NOT that reality.

And the Orthodox Church and the Fathers would strongly disagree.

In order for a symbol to represent or point to something, it MUST share in the reality of what it represents. Otherwise, it is no symbol.

Therefore, the Eucharist is truly the Body and Blood of Christ.

As Fr. Mark said, there are no restraints on the Holy Spirit!

We know from the Acts of the Apostles about individuals whose lives of faith and good works were heard by God and earned them His divine blessing - and call to belong to His Church.

The Roman officer whose beloved servant was cured by Christ belonged to a category of Non-Jews who were interested in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, they attended the Temple and synagogue services, prayed and observed the Law as much as possible.

This particular fellow actually built a synagogue for the Jews and this is why the Jewish elders ask Christ to work this miracle for him. And Christ immediately goes with them.

All good that we do is done under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit Who is the Author of good actions and all truth.

By receiving Chrismation or Confirmation, even after a long time of not having this Mystery, your wife has had her good life reach a spiritual pinnacle in Christ through the Holy Spirit.

Her participation in the Body of Christ prior to this reception is not lost, but anointed by the Spirit now, transfigured and constitutes an integral part of her own Theosis.

The Spirit treats us as leaves in the wind, blowing over the events of our lives as He wills.

This reminds me of that famous story about the Spanish galleon that landed on an uncharted island in the Caribbean and found three brothers who were stranded there following the destruction of their ship - and parents - by pirates.

They lives as monks and the bishop on the ship wanted to know how they prayed. They said they went through the entire day saying, "You are Three, we are three - bless us!"

Discovering that they did not even know the Our Father, the bishop began to teach them this prayer and have them commit it to memory. The brothers wanted to remain on the island and live as they had always lived.

After gathering supplies, the ship set sail, with the brothers waving good-bye.

Later that evening, a call rose up on the sailing ship and the mates all went to one side to see what was happening. They were all paralyzed with fear as they saw the three brothers they had befriended on the island running over the water, arms interlocked.

And they came up to the ship and stood before it . . .

The bishop alone had the courage to ask them what they wanted . . .

The brothers then said that they had forgotten the words of the Lord's Prayer that came after "Give us this day our daily bread."

The bishop told them they did not need to know . . .

So it is with your wife.

Alex

Probably the text of the order of the sacrament of Holy Baptism according to the Byzantine rite will give all us us some answers to the question:

After the newly-baptized is clothed:
Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.

People: Lord, have mercy.

And the Priest says this prayer:

Blessed are you, Lord God Almighty, the source of blessings, the Sun of righteousness, who have made the light of salvation shine for those in darkness through the appearing of your Only-Begotten Son and our God, and have granted us, unworthy though are, the grace of blessed cleansing by holy Baptism, and divine sanctification by life-giving Anointing. And you have now been well-pleased to make your newly-enlightened servant to be born again through water and Spirit, and have granted him/her forgiveness of sins both voluntary and involuntary. Do you then, Master, compassionate, universal King, grant him/her also the Seal of the gift of your holy, all-powerful and adorable Spirit and the Communion of the holy Body and precious Blood of your Christ. Keep him/her in your sanctification; confirm him/her in the Orthodox Faith; deliver him/her from the evil one and all his devices, and by your saving fear guard his/her soul in purity and righteousness; so that being in every deed and word well-pleasing to you, he/she may become a child and heir of your heavenly Kingdom.

Aloud:
Because you are our God, a God who has mercy and who saves, and to you we give glory, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages.

People: Amen.

And after the Prayer he anoints the newly baptized with the holy Myron, making a sign of the Cross on the forehead, the eyes, the nostrils, the mouth, the two ears, the breast, the hands and the feet, and saying:

Seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Dear Francisco,

Excellent!

The Sarum Rite of England has a beautiful ritual where the Baptismal candidate's right hand is anointed to "empower" and sanctify it for the making of the Sign of the Cross throughout his or her life.

Alex

Amin Alex!

The Holy Liturgy is full of symbolism, but this does not rob it of the spiritual reality and lower things to pure allegory. In English, the word sign is often used in translation - such as the Eucharist being a sign of the Lord's Body and Blood until He comes again. This sign proclaims the Lord not as a symbol, but by his physical presence. The symbolism does not rob it of this. The Lord's presence remains.

If we look at the Jewish Passover meal, it is in itself a symbol and sign of the events of Exodus, but it is believed to make the Passover present as an ongoing reality, just as the Last Supper makes Christ present in an ongoing reality outside time and space.

Spasi Khristos -
Mark, monk and sinner.

Bless me a sinner, Fr. Mark!

I really do love you, you know, Father in Christ!

Alex

ProdigalSonG:

Another resource would be Nicholas Cabasilas' The Life in Christ. St Vlad's has this book available.

(Subdeacon) John

I've heard you say this many times, Alex, and I really like this practice. But I have a couple of questions if you don't mind.

1) Does this santificiation/empowering of the hand hold have any real spiritual substance?

2) Is the Sign of the Cross of a person of the Sarum rite whose hand has been blessed more "powerful" than a non-Sarum's Sign? If not, what's the purpose?

Just curious, and I know you have all (or most) of the answers!

ChristTeen287