Chrismation (from the Greek "liquid ointment") is a sacrament in which the faithful are given the gifts of the Holy Spirit for the sanctification, strengthening and growth of his spiritual life when the body is anointed with sacred chrism.180

In the sacrament of chrismation we receive "the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Rom. 8; 1 Cor. 1:21,22). If baptism is our personal participation in Pascha, the death and resurrection of Christ, then chrismation is our personal participation in Pentecost, the descent of the Holy Spirit. And just as Pascha without Pentecost has no meaning for the world, so baptism without chrismation has no meaning for a Christian.

The Sacrament of Chrismation does not give a person spiritual life, but those grace-filled powers that are necessary for the development and strengthening of the new spiritual life granted by baptism. Just as the natural forces of nature, the air, the light and heat of the sun, develop and strengthen the organic, bodily life received by man through bodily birth. As the act of bodily birth takes place only at one definite moment in time, and the natural forces of nature, the air, the light, and the warmth of the sun, accompany a person throughout his life from the moment of birth to the minute of death; so the grace of baptism acts on a person only at one specific moment, in order to give him a new, spiritual life, and the grace-filled powers imparted by the Sacrament of Chrismation accompany a person, for the development and strengthening of his new spiritual life, throughout his entire life from the moment of chrismation to the moment of death. From the Holy Scriptures it can also be seen that chrismation is a special institution of God, separate from baptism. Thus the Samaritans were baptized by the Apostle Philip, the disciples of John by John the Baptist himself, but neither of them received the Holy Spirit until the Apostles Peter and John laid hands on the former with prayer (Acts 8:12-17), and on the latter the Apostle Paul in Ephesus. Moreover, the Apostle Paul had previously baptized them, because they had been baptized by John only by the baptism of repentance (Acts 19:1-7). Baptism was also distinguished from chrismation by the ancient holy fathers and writers of the Church. Thus, for example, St. Cyprian (third century) of Carthage wrote: "It is necessary for him who will be baptized to be anointed, so that, having received chrysma (anointing), he may have the grace of Christ."181 Origen (third century): "Baptism and chrismation are performed according to the faithful rite of the Church."182 St. Cyril, Bishop of Jerusalem (fourth century), wrote a whole discourse on the Sacrament of Chrismation, which he distinguishes from the Sacrament of Baptism.183

There is no doubt that the Sacrament of Chrismation was established by Jesus Christ Himself, but when exactly, there are no direct and clear indications in the Holy Scriptures. For example, this is what Jesus Christ said on the last great day of the feast: "Whosoever thirst, let him come to me and drink; whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture says, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. And the holy Apostle John the Theologian explained these words thus: "This he said about the Holy Spirit, Whom those who believe in Him had to receive: for the Holy Spirit was not yet upon them, because Jesus was not yet glorified" (John 7:37-39). Perhaps even in the very baptism of Jesus Christ by John, the symbols of two Sacraments were already indicated: Baptism in the immersion of Jesus Christ in the Jordan, and Chrismation in the fact that the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus Christ from the open heavens in the form of a dove. According to the Evangelist, the descent of the Holy Spirit on Jesus Christ did not follow during immersion, but after immersion, when the Saviour, having been baptized, had already come out of the water (Matt. 3:16). Perhaps that is why the Saviour applied to Himself the words of the Prophet Isaiah: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me: for He has anointed Me" (Luke 4:18).

For the first time, this Mystery was performed on people not only in a solemn, but also in an unusual way. On the day of Pentecost, on the fiftieth day after the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, a noise was suddenly heard from heaven and filled the entire house where the holy apostles were. Cloven tongues appeared, as if of fire, and rested one upon each of the apostles. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them to preach (Acts 2:1-4). This gift was especially necessary for the apostles, since they had to go with the preaching of Christ not only to the Jews, but throughout the world – to the pagans who spoke different languages. And we all know what great gifts of the Holy Spirit were communicated to the apostles, which increased and strengthened them in their spiritual life. Having received the special grace of the Holy Spirit, the apostles began to impart the same grace to other believers who had been baptized. For example, Peter and John were baptized by the Samaritans, after they had been baptized by the Apostle Philip, who was then in the rank of deacon; The Apostle Paul baptized in Ephesus 12 people baptized by John the Baptist, and then communicated to them the grace of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands. From the time of the Apostles, the Sacrament of Chrismation has existed continuously in the Church of Christ. It is mentioned by many ancient holy Fathers and ecclesiastical writers of the second and third centuries. Theophilus of Antioch: "We are called Christians (anointing) because we are anointed with divine anointing."184 Tertullian: "Coming out of the font, we are anointed, and this anointing produces spiritual actions in us."185 St. Cyprian of Carthage: "What was done by the wind and John over the Samaritans, is now done by us"... 186 At first this sacrament was performed by the apostles themselves, then by bishops, and finally by priests.

Originally, the Apostles performed the Sacrament of Chrismation through the laying on of hands on the baptized, but this method of communicating the grace of the Holy Spirit could be convenient for the Apostles only when the number of believers was not yet particularly large: the Apostle could lay hands on each baptized person. But later, when the number of believers began to multiply more and more, and the number of apostles remained the same, it is obvious that this method of laying on of hands became inconvenient. Then the laying on of hands was replaced by chrismation. This change undoubtedly took place even in the time of the Apostles, which is confirmed by the words of the Apostles: "Ye (believers, the baptized) have the anointing of the Holy Spirit" (1 John 2:20); but he who strengthens you and me in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts (2 Corinthians 1:21-22). These words of the Apostles John and Paul about anointing would obviously be incomprehensible to believers if in the time of the Apostles the gifts of the Holy Spirit were communicated only through the laying on of hands, and not through anointing. Moreover, if this change in the way of communicating grace had taken place after the apostles, the history of the Christian Church would have indicated when and by whom this change was effected. But she does not present such instructions anywhere. Consequently, in the days of the apostles, hands were either laid on or anointed.

The gift of the Holy Spirit is given to the newly-baptized through the anointing of all parts of the body with holy myrrh. It is especially prepared on Holy Thursday by the bishops of the Church, for the gift of the Holy Spirit was originally given to people through Christ's apostles, whose successors are the bishops (Acts 8:14; 19:1-7).

Myrrh is a sign of church unity, because by the Council of Bishops headed by the Primate of the Church, it is consecrated and distributed among all the Churches.

In all the Sacraments the grace of the Holy Spirit is given, but Chrismation is the Sacrament of the Holy Spirit par excellence; it completes Baptism. There is spiritual birth, here is spiritual growth. Having created man, God breathed into his face the breath of life (Gen. 2:7), and having accomplished in the person of His Son the redemption of people, He sent them the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. So it is after Baptism, this spiritual birth. The Holy Spirit is sent to man in a special way through Chrismation. Thus, this Sacrament is a personal Pentecost of a person entering the Church.

Among the many gifts of the Holy Spirit given in the Sacrament of Chrismation, the Teachers of the Church distinguish first of all the main one – the gift of sanctification, which is accepted as a dedication to the service of God. Thanks to it, a person enters the ranks of the royal priesthood, is included in the chosen people (1 Pet. 2:9), that is, in the Church. This is expressed in the fact that the anointed is given access to participation in all the other Sacraments.

Spiritual life is unswerving spiritual growth and ascent. The Holy Spirit, contributing to this, first of all helps to assimilate the teaching of the Church, that is, to grow in wisdom, since He is the Spirit of wisdom and understanding. He also enlightens the heart, since, in the words of the Apostle: "God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things" (1 John 3:20). It also sanctifies feelings and will, on which a person's actions depend.

The Sacrament of Chrismation is performed through the anointing of a person's forehead, eyes, nostrils, chest, and, finally, hands and feet with myrrh. As the highest inspiration, the Holy Spirit inspires man to a holy life, and by His power kindles in man an aspiration to God as his Prototype, in which man's God-likeness is most of all expressed.

As noted above, "the goal of the Christian life is the acquisition of the Holy Spirit" (St. Seraphim of Sarov), and this goal is achieved by the constant spiritualization of human life, which is the foundation in the Sacrament of Chrismation.187 When anointing different parts of the body, the priest each time says: "The seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit." This seal is a mark that testifies that man has become God's. Sometimes this sacred action is compared to the sealing of vessels with precious myrrh or wine, since a Christian must truly forever remain a receptacle of grace and a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul writes about this: "Do you not know that your bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price. Therefore glorify God both in your bodies and in your souls, which are God's" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

Among the innumerable gifts of the Holy Spirit, the highest is Christian love. Of course, through the Sacrament of Chrismation, Divine love is instilled in the soul of a Christian, and with it "joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control" (Gal. 5:22-23) and many other fruits of the Spirit of the Comforter. The Church asks for many of them in the prayer with which the Sacrament of Chrismation begins. In the same prayer, the Church asks for the possibility of communion of the Body and Blood of the Lord for the one who has approached the Sacrament.