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'MURON' OLIVE OIL 1,700 YEARS IN THE MAKING
By Tara Vassiliou
Olive Oil Times
http://www.oliveoiltimes.com/olive-oil-basics/world/muron-olive-oil/25699
April 3 2012
When God spoke to Moses on Mt. Sinai, he said: "Take the finest spices
of liquid myrrh ...and of sweet-smelling cinnamon ... and of aromatic
cane ... and of cassia ... and of olive oil ... and you shall make
of these a sacred anointing oil blended as by the perfumer ... this
shall be my holy anointing oil throughout your generations." (Exodus
30:22-33).
And thus commanded, every seven years since AD 301 Armenian priests
from all over the world descend upon one of the oldest cathedrals in
existence - the ancient Cathedral of Etchmiadzin in Armenia. It was
here, that St. Gregory, patron saint of the Armenians blended the first
sample of Muron 'as a unifying religious symbol of forgiveness and
peace, and as a medicine for healing' and it is here that the priests'
fulfill their mission: to return to their respective dioceses with
their precious cargo of freshly concocted Muron - the sweet-scented
holy oil.
The recipe is prepared in a massive, ornately-engraved, silver caldron;
and is created from more than 40 different ingredients: herbs,
flower extracts, spices, wine and the main component - pure virgin
olive oil. To protect the sweet perfume, the lid of the cauldron is
sealed with uncooked dough, and the entire assemblage steamed for
three days and three nights. The Bishops use three holy relics to
sanctify the oil: the Geghart - the lance that pierced the side of
Christ; a piece of wood believed to be from the original Cross upon
which Christ gave his life; and the holy right hand of St. Gregory the
Illuminator.
Accompanied by readings of sacred scripts and the ringing of bells
to symbolize the descent of the Holy Spirit, the caldron is unsealed
and the Holy Chrism from the previous ceremony is added - old to new -
mixed with the original batch from the Armenian Church's founding 1,711
years ago. It represents the continuation of an unbroken chain from
the time of St. Gregory - and an extraordinary link between millennia.
Over the next seven years, the Muron will be used sparingly in Armenian
churches, scattered like their people over the globe. Church leaders
note, that throughout the centuries 'Muron has helped sustain a people
decimated and dispersed by war, conquest and genocide.'
By Tara Vassiliou
Olive Oil Times
http://www.oliveoiltimes.com/olive-oil-basics/world/muron-olive-oil/25699
April 3 2012
When God spoke to Moses on Mt. Sinai, he said: "Take the finest spices
of liquid myrrh ...and of sweet-smelling cinnamon ... and of aromatic
cane ... and of cassia ... and of olive oil ... and you shall make
of these a sacred anointing oil blended as by the perfumer ... this
shall be my holy anointing oil throughout your generations." (Exodus
30:22-33).
And thus commanded, every seven years since AD 301 Armenian priests
from all over the world descend upon one of the oldest cathedrals in
existence - the ancient Cathedral of Etchmiadzin in Armenia. It was
here, that St. Gregory, patron saint of the Armenians blended the first
sample of Muron 'as a unifying religious symbol of forgiveness and
peace, and as a medicine for healing' and it is here that the priests'
fulfill their mission: to return to their respective dioceses with
their precious cargo of freshly concocted Muron - the sweet-scented
holy oil.
The recipe is prepared in a massive, ornately-engraved, silver caldron;
and is created from more than 40 different ingredients: herbs,
flower extracts, spices, wine and the main component - pure virgin
olive oil. To protect the sweet perfume, the lid of the cauldron is
sealed with uncooked dough, and the entire assemblage steamed for
three days and three nights. The Bishops use three holy relics to
sanctify the oil: the Geghart - the lance that pierced the side of
Christ; a piece of wood believed to be from the original Cross upon
which Christ gave his life; and the holy right hand of St. Gregory the
Illuminator.
Accompanied by readings of sacred scripts and the ringing of bells
to symbolize the descent of the Holy Spirit, the caldron is unsealed
and the Holy Chrism from the previous ceremony is added - old to new -
mixed with the original batch from the Armenian Church's founding 1,711
years ago. It represents the continuation of an unbroken chain from
the time of St. Gregory - and an extraordinary link between millennia.
Over the next seven years, the Muron will be used sparingly in Armenian
churches, scattered like their people over the globe. Church leaders
note, that throughout the centuries 'Muron has helped sustain a people
decimated and dispersed by war, conquest and genocide.'