The oil of the sick is mentioned in the well-known passage of St. James V, 14 “Is any man sick among you; let him bring in the priests of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord etc.”  At the beginning of the fifth century also, Pope Innocent I observes that it is the office of the bishop to make or prepare (conficere) this “holy of chrism” or unction:  and in the Sacramentary of Pope Gregory the great the rite; by which this oil was blessed and administered to the sick, is described.  Chrism and the oil of catechumens also are mentioned by many ancient Fathers. (See Turnely T. 7 de Sacram.  Bapt. et Confirm, etc.)[61] St. Basil in the 4th century attributes the origin of the custom of blessing the oils to tradition.  “We bless the water of baptism and the oil of unction, as well as the person who receives baptism.  By what scriptures?  Is it not from silent and secret tradition?” (De Spir.  S. c. 27).  It is mentioned also in the second and third councils of Carthage, by S. Cyprian, who says “The eucharist, and the oil, with which the baptised are anointed, are sanctified at the altar”.  Ep. 70.

It would appear however from the 20th canon of the first council of Toledo that anciently chrism could be blessed at any time; and hence Benedict XIV is of opinion, that the custom of blessing it only on holy Thursday began about the seventh century; for it is mentioned in the Sacramentary of S. Gregory, in the old Ordo Romanus, and in other works written after that period.  This day has been with reason chosen for this ceremony, as St. Thomas observes, in order that the chrism may be prepared for the solemn baptism administered on Easter Eve; and because on it the Eucharistic sacrament, for which the other sacraments are as it were preparatory, was instituted.  S. Isidore however assigns a different reason, viz. that two days before the pasch Mary anointed the head and feet of the Lord”.  De Divi Off. lib. 2, c. 28.

[Sidenote:  Meaning of the ceremonies already described.]

Pouget (Institut.  Cath. t. 2, c. 8) proves that the blessing of the oils originates in apostolic tradition, as St. Basil cited above observes.  He proves also that since the fifth and sixth centuries the bishop and priests used to breathe three times over the chrism and oil of catechumens, and to salute them with the words “Ave sanctum chrisma:  ave sanctum oleum”.  Our Saviour breathed on His apostles, when He said ‘Receive ye the holy Ghost’:  and hence his ministers breathe over the chrism, by which the Holy Ghost is conferred in confirmation, and over the oil of catechumens, which is used in other sacred rites.  Respect is paid to them, because they are employed in God’s service, and hence it is a relative respect directed to Him.  An ardent soul will never hesitate to address inanimate objects; in fact some of the finest passages of ancient and modern oratory are apostrophes of this nature[62].  S. Andrew is said to have saluted the cross, on which he suffered, S. Paula the birth-place of our divine Lord; and theirs were words of love of God, and not of idolatry.