Lamp, The
Lamp, The a ceremony practiced by the Maronites (q.v.), by way of anointing for the sick. They make a cake somewhat larger than the consecrated wafer of the Romanists, and put upon it seven pieces of cotton twisted with little pieces of straw, and place all together in a basin with some oil. Having read a portion of one of the gospels and epistles, with some prayers, they set fire to all the cotton. They now anoint with this oil the forehead, breast, and arms of every one present, and particularly of the sick person, saying at each unction, "May the Almighty, by his sacred unction, pardon all thy sins, and strengthen thy limbs as he did those of the poor man who was troubled with the palsy." Then they let the lamp burn till all the oil is exhausted. This rite is administered to the sick, and is not confined to the dying, as in the case of extreme unction in the Roman Catholic Church.
