“Main Elements of Sacred Chrism are Olive Oil and Balsam”

Chrism (Myron) is one of the most important elements of Christianity; such is its role for many sacraments of the Armenian Church like baptism, seal, consecration and the last anointment. Chrism is of deep sense for a Christian and its gist lies upon Jesus Christ’s savior mission. Christians believe they entirely receive the might of the Holy Spirit through chrism. Besides, chrism has savior, miraculous and healing mysteries. It is the token of eternal life.
Myron is a Greek word that signifies ‘aromatic oil’ or ‘plant sap or extract’, as such Ancient Jews used olive oil with various aromatic ointments, the most distinguished of which was spikenard oil. In times of Christ, it was commonly used for anointing guests’ heads or feet.
Legend has it that chrism was brought to Armenia by Apostle Thaddeus and left on a tree in the 1st century. It was years later found by Gregory the Englightener thanks to the apparition he is believed to have had. Thereabouts a church to Hovhannes Karapet (Johan Cyril the Baptist) was built in Eghrdut with the Armenian King Trdat’s assistance. It was here where chrism was kept and given its Armenian history. According to the tradition chrism is made once in seven years through a grand ceremony.
Forty days before it is blessed, a chrismaria (vessel) full of olive oil is placed upon the main altar of the Central Cathedral covered with fine gauze. Balsam is mixed with the pure olive oil thereafter liquid of more then forty aromatic incenses, flowers, roots of fragrant plants, oily saps and leaves is added. Balsam is the aromatic extract oozing from an evergreen tree from India or Egypt that is beforehand softened with flax oil so as not to be thickened on the bottom of the cauldron and convey its might to the other ingredients.
For this very reason balsam is boiled with flax oil in a different cauldron whereas in another olive oil is boiled to be later mixed and kept till the Blessing Day preceded by forty days of a Divine Liturgy spiritual ceremony with Armenian Church psalms, prayers and Holy Book readings. Every time old and fresh chrisms are mixed together. Thus, each new chrism contains a bit of the chrism blessed by St. Gregory the Enlightener. The entire blessing night is guarded and the next day the Pan Armenian Patriarch mixes the chrism at a ceremony with Kenats Payt (Wood of Life- a relic of the Christ’s cross), Sourb Geghard (Holy Spear) and with the Right of Gregory the Enlightener thus blessing the Chrism. It can be consecrated only by the Armenian Patriarch and the ceremony takes place at the Central Cathedral of Holy Ejmiatsin and upon completion chrism is distributed to all Armenian churches. The oldest chrism dates back to the first century when brought to Armenia and the last time chrism was made at Holy Ejmiatsin was in 2008.