17. The head, therefore, is anointed with the balsam of charity, (i) That the bishop may love God with his whole heart and with his whole mind and whole soul, and also, after the example of Christ, 'love his neighbours as,' that is, as much as, 'himself.' For according to [{143}] Gregory, oil on the head is charity in the soul, (ii) Secondly, the head is anointed by reason of authority and dignity; since not only bishops but also kings are consecrated. (iii) Thirdly, to show that a bishop representeth the person of Christ, as being his vicar, of whom it is said by the Prophet, 'it is like the precious ointment upon the head.' [Footnote 519] For the head of man is Christ, the head of Christ is God: Who saith of Himself, 'the Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.' [Footnote 520] For Christ, our Head, was anointed with the invisible oil He intercedeth for the Church Universal, a bishop for that Church committed unto him.
[Footnote 519: Psalm cxxxiii (Ecce quani bonum), 2.]
[Footnote 520: Isaiah lxi, 1.]
18. But his hands also are anointed, on account of his mystery and office; and for the anointing of these, which do signify works, is employed oil, that is, the chrism of piety and mercy, (i) First, in order that the bishop may 'do good unto all men, and especially unto them that are of the household of faith,' [Footnote 521] his hands should be closed to none, but be open to all; according to the saying, 'He hath opened his hands to the poor, and extended his arm to the destitute.' [Footnote 522] A hand that is dried up, that is avaricious, that is tenaciously held clenched, cannot be opened: therefore his hands are anointed, in order that they may be healed and opened, and may bestow alms on the indigent. (ii) Secondly, to show that he hath received the power of blessing and consecrating. Whence the consecrating bishop, when he anointeth them, saith, 'Deign, O Lord, to consecrate and sanctify these hands,' and so forth, as we quoted above. (iii) That they may be clean for offering sacrifices for sins. And note, that although a bishop's hands were anointed with oil beforehand when he was ordained a priest, yet [{144}] they be again anointed with chrism when he is consecrated a bishop. Herein by the hands are typified good works; by the oil, the abundance of the Holy Ghost of grace; by the balsam, which is mixed with the oil in making the chrism, the savour of good report; as in Ecclesiasticus, 'My sweet odour is as myrrh unmixed.' [Footnote 523] Wherefore because in the works of bishops and other superiors there ought to appear more than in their inferiors the gifts of the Holy Ghost and the savour of good report; according to that saying, 'For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ'; [Footnote 524] for even in the heavenly hierarchy the superior angels excel the inferior in blessings and grace; hence, therefore, at their consecration as bishops their hands, already anointed with oil, are with reason again anointed with chrism.
[Footnote 521: Galatians vi, 10.]
[Footnote 522: Proverbs xxxi, 20.]
[Footnote 523: Ecclesiasticus xxiv, 15.]
[Footnote 524: 2 Corinthians ii, 15.]
19. The thumb also is fortified with chrism, that the laying on of the thumb may profit all men for salvation.
20. Further, in the Old Testament, not only was a priest anointed, but also a king and prophet: as we find in the books of Kings. Whence the Lord enjoined Elias, 'Go return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria; and Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-Meholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room.' [Footnote 525] Samuel also anointed David to be king. But after that Jesus of Nazareth, 'Whom (as we read in the Acts of the Apostles) God anointed with the Holy Ghost, was anointed with oil above his fellows, [Footnote 526] Who is (according to the Apostle) 'the Head of the Church, which is also His body'; [Footnote 527] after this the anointing of a sovereign was transferred from the head to the arm: whence princes since the time of Christ are not [{145}] anointed on the head but on the arm, or on the shoulder; by which parts of the body kingly power is aptly represented, as we read, 'and the government was laid upon his shoulder': [Footnote 528 ] to signify the same, Samuel caused the shoulder to be laid before Saul, when he placed him at the head of the table before those who had been bidden. [Footnote 529] But in the case of a bishop the sacramental anointing is applied to the head, because in his episcopal office he representeth the Head of the Church, that is, Christ.
[Footnote 525: I Kings xix, 15.]
[Footnote 526: See Acts iv, 27, and Hebrews i, 9.]
[Footnote 527: Ephesians v, 23.]
[Footnote 528: Isaiah ix, 6.]
[Footnote 529: I Samuel x, 24.]
21. There is this difference, then, between the anointing of a bishop and a prince, that the head of the bishop is consecrated with chrism, while the arm of the prince is anointed with oil: to show, namely, how great a difference there is between the authority of a bishop and the power of a prince. And observe that, as we read in the gospel, [Footnote 530] a certain man called his servants and gave unto them ten talents. Herein the calling of a servant is the canonical election of a bishop, which taketh place according to the calling of the Lord Who called Aaron. A talent is given to him, when he who hath laid his hands upon him giveth him the text of the gospel, saying, 'Go and preach.' And the bishop himself, according to the use of some churches, when first he entereth his see, carrieth the gospels in his bosom, showing his talent as if to trade with it. In some churches also when the archbishop giveth the bishop his pastoral staff, he saith, 'Go and preach,' and he immediately blesseth the people: by which is represented that Moses was sent into Egypt with a rod.
[Footnote 530: S. Matthew xxv.]