You anoint yourself with it. Make the sign of the cross on your forehead with a bit of oil on your finger, and say a prayer asking God to heal you or protect you or bless whatever you’re bringing to Him.
That’s the simple answer. But there’s more to know about what blessed oil actually is and when to use it.
Where Blessed Oil Comes From
Most Orthodox Christians have blessed oil at home from two main sources. The most common is oil from the Mystery of Holy Unction. This is the sacrament for healing of soul and body, usually served on Holy Wednesday during Holy Week. You’ll receive anointing during the service, and you can take home a small vial of that consecrated oil. It’s been prayed over with seven specific prayers, seven Scripture readings, and it carries the grace of the sacrament itself.
You might also have oil from a vigil lamp. These are the lamps that burn before icons in church or in your home. Some people bring home oil that’s burned before a particular saint’s icon or relic at a monastery or shrine. St. Nektarios on Aegina. St. John Maximovitch in San Francisco. St. Raphael at the Antiochian Village in Pennsylvania.
All of these oils are blessed. None of them are magic. The oil itself doesn’t heal you any more than the water at your baptism washed away your sins by its chemical properties. But God uses physical things to convey His grace, and He’s been doing that since He breathed into dust and made Adam.
When to Use It
Use blessed oil when you’re sick. Not just physically sick, though that’s the most obvious time. When you’ve got the flu or a migraine or you’re recovering from surgery. When you’re anxious or depressed or can’t sleep. When you’re struggling with a particular sin and need help. Anoint yourself and ask God to heal you.
Use it for your kids when they’re sick or scared. A little oil on the forehead before bed can be a tangible reminder that God is with them. It’s not superstition if you’re actually praying.
Some people anoint their homes. A small cross of oil on the doorframe with a prayer for protection. This isn’t required, and it’s not a substitute for having your home blessed by a priest, but it’s a pious practice. People do it before hurricane season here in Southeast Texas. They do it when they move into a new place. They do it when something feels spiritually heavy in their house.
You can use blessed oil before you pray, especially if you’re praying about something difficult. The physical act of anointing helps you focus. It reminds your body that what you’re doing matters.
How to Actually Do It
Dip your finger or thumb in the oil. Not much, a tiny bit is enough. Make the sign of the cross on your forehead. Some people also anoint their hands or chest or the specific part of their body that’s sick.
While you’re doing this, pray. There’s no required formula. You can say the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” You can ask for the prayers of the Theotokos or a particular saint. You can use Psalm 51 if you know it. Or you can just talk to God in your own words and ask Him to heal you or help you or protect your family.
The oil isn’t doing the work. Your prayer is what matters. But the oil is a means of grace, a physical connection to the Church’s prayer and to God’s presence. We’re not Gnostics. We don’t think the physical world is bad or irrelevant. God became flesh. He uses bread and wine and water and oil to give us His grace.
A Few Practical Notes
Keep your blessed oil in a small bottle somewhere clean. Not in the kitchen next to the olive oil. Not in the bathroom medicine cabinet with the Tylenol. Treat it with respect. Some people keep it near their icons.
Don’t use it for cooking. Don’t put it on your salad. Don’t give it to your dog. This should be obvious, but apparently it needs saying.
If you run out, you can get more at the next Holy Unction service. You can also ask your priest for some. Most priests keep a supply from the annual service.
And if you’re seriously ill, don’t just use the oil you have at home. Call the church and ask for the priest to come serve Holy Unction for you specifically. The sacrament itself, served with all the prayers and readings, is more than the oil you took home last year. The oil is a blessing for daily use, not a replacement for the Church’s full ministry to the sick.
Blessed oil is one of those quiet gifts of Orthodox life. It won’t fix everything. But it’s a tangible way to bring your needs to God and to remember that He’s present with you, even when you’re alone in your house at 2 a.m. with a sick kid or a racing heart or a problem you can’t solve. Anoint yourself. Pray. Trust that God hears you.
