I heard Fr. Joe talking about the blessing of the oils by the Bishop on Holy Thursday. What happens at that blessing? - Amanda

Amanda:  

Your question is so timely.   And it just so happens that this was the first time I ever attended the Holy Thursday Mass at the Cathedral in Pittsburgh, so I got to actually see the blessing as it happened!  I also, "just happened" to have a camera with me and it took great pictures.  (I call it synchronicity when things 'click' in life looking like a coincidence, but is really the hand of God at work.) 
 

The blessing part itself started with the offertory.  A number of lay, priests, and religious presented huge glass urns full of the various oils and perfume to the Bishop. 

 

 

After that, the Bishop blessed them with incense.

Later he mixed the perfume with the appropriate oil - and stirred them together.  Then he breathed over all the urns.   Yes, he 'breathed' on them:  like God sent His breath on creation to separate the waters (Gen 1:2) - and how God breathed the breath of life into humankind (Gen 2:7)- and how Jesus breathed on the disciples in the upper room after his resurrection (John 20:22).  He leaned over the oils and breathed over the tops of the urns.

He also spoke a special blessing.   When he was finished we took our oil vials and got them filled by appointed seminarians who were tasked with the job, brought them home & presented them to the parishes at the Holy Thursday Mass.

 

It was a beautiful, beautiful ceremony.