Holy Week—the final and most important week of Lent leading up to the Resurrection of Christ—has begun. It is a time of humility and reflection, a moment for every Christian to turn inward and contemplate the soul.
On this Holy Monday, the ninth Chrism (myrrh) preparation in the modern history of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church (BOC) began at the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in Sofia. The process will continue for three days until the consecration of the Chrism on Holy Thursday.
Today , April 14, marked the beginning of the ninth Chrism preparation in the modern history of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. The last time Chrism was prepared was seven years ago, during the patriarchate of Neophyte. His Holiness Patriarch Daniil officiated a solemn blessing of the water, part of which was poured into the vessel in which the Chrism will be prepared.
"This is a sacred and mystical act because the holy Chrism is used in the sacrament of Chrismation. After a person is baptized, they are anointed with this holy oil. Once prepared, the Chrism is consecrated on Holy Thursday during a special Divine Liturgy celebrated by the Holy Synod. Special prayers are read during this sacred service. The consecrated Chrism is then used for Chrismation, through which the newly baptized receive the grace and gift of the Holy Spirit," said Patriarch Daniil.
The preparation of the Chrism is a continuous ritual, carried out over three days and three nights. During this time, priests stir the mixture without pause while reading Gospel texts. The holy Chrism is a fragrant oil used in the sacrament of Chrismation (anointing after baptism) and contains specific ingredients: olive oil, white wine, and 30 different aromatic herbs and essential oils, all mixed in precise proportions.
The process began weeks earlier on the Sunday of the Veneration of the Cross, when the herbs were first soaked. The Chrism is prepared only when necessary, and only an autocephalous (self-governing) Church has the authority to produce it. In the modern history of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, Chrism was prepared for the first time in 1950.
Чуй новините
Подкаст
