ON USING BLESSED OIL (THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULD USE BLESSED OIL DAILY

Recently the Lord Jesus blessed me with a very fruitful chat with a person who truly loves Our Lord. In her sharing the Lord taught me of the importance to bless ourselves with holy oil daily.

Together with the three oils which the church now reserves for use in the sacraments, that is the oil of the Sacrament of Baptism, the oil of the Sacrament of Confirmation and the oil of the Sacrament of the Sick, the Church also acknowledges the use of blessed oil for use by all Christians. The principal aim of this oil is mainly for healing as well as protection from harm. Furthermore, it needs to be said that the oil can also be employed to pray for all the blessings which the oil represents; that is, all the riches which are ours in Jesus.  The oil can be employed in praying for oneself or in praying for others. The simplest way of anointing is to make the sign of the cross on the forehead while saying the accompanying prayers (see Ez. 9:3; Rev. 7:3)  But other parts of the body can also be anointed particularly when the need for healing may be localized in one or several parts of the body.

Blessed olive oil may be utilized by the faithful to bless themselves or someone they are responsible for (parents over children, husbands over wives, God-parents over God-children). Blessed olive oil may be employed in cooking. As a rule lay people should not bless other lay people since they do not have authority over them.

Here are two prayers that can be used in anointing oneself with oil.

Father, I bless myself with this holy oil in the Name of Jesus, Your Son. He is the healing remedy for all of my illnesses. Through this oil penetrate and heal me. May your Divine Spirit penetrate in my whole being and drive all darkness, sin and negative emotions. Fill me Jesus with your healing light. Amen.

I ask that a drop of your precious blood flows into all my veins. And through your death and resurrection I rebuke the power of cancer and every other disease in my body and life. Jesus, your death and resurrection power are at work in me and I bless you and thank you O Lord. Amen.

Here is the exorcism blessing for oil which only the priest can prayer to exorcise the oil.

EXORCISM BLESSING FOR OIL (OLIVE) – FOR ORDINARY USE**

(Use regular, 100% pure oil) (Priest vests in surplice and purple stole)

P. Our help is in the name of the Lord.
R. Who made heaven and earth.

P: O oil, creature of God, I exorcise you by God the Father (+) almighty, who made heaven and earth and sea, and all that they contain. Let the adversary’s power, the devil’s legions, and all of Satan’s attacks and machinations be dispelled and driven far from this creature, oil. Let it bring health in body and mind to all who use it, in the name of God (+) the Father almighty, and of our Lord Jesus (+) Christ, His Son, and of the Holy (+) Spirit, as well as in the love of the same Jesus Christ our Lord, who is coming to judge both the living and the dead and the world by fire.

R. Amen.

P: O Lord hear my prayer.
R: And let my cry come unto thee.
P: May the Lord be with you.
R: And with your spirit.

P: Let us pray. Lord God almighty, before whom the hosts of angels stand in awe, and whose heavenly service we acknowledge; may it please you to regard favorably and to bless (+) and hallow (+) this creature, oil, which by your power has been pressed from the juice of olives. You have ordained it for anointing the sick, so that, when they are made well, they may give thanks to you, the living and true God. Grant we pray, that those who will use this oil, which we are blessing (+) in your name, may be protected from every attack of the unclean spirit, and be delivered from all suffering, all infirmity, and all wiles of the enemy. Let it be a means of averting any kind of adversity from man, redeemed by the precious blood of your Son, so that he may never again suffer the sting of the ancient serpent. Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.

Fr Mario Attard OFM Cap