What is unction and how to prepare for it. Preparing for Unction in Great Lent: important rules
When an illness - physical or mental, your own or a loved one - threatens to drag you into the abyss of despair, Orthodox Church has long called for the Sacrament of Unction.
What is it and what is it for - we will try to give clear answers to all questions in this article.
What is the Sacrament of Unction (Anointing)
Outwardly, the whole process looks like this: the clergyman applies consecrated oil (olive oil) to the body of the sick person with an appeal to God to pour out His grace and heal the person’s spiritual and physical infirmities.
The action must be carried out by a Council of priests (seven), which is why it is called Unction. Most often, it is carried out by all available priests who serve in the church where the believer came.
This sacred act was included in the list of the seven sacraments of the Christian church quite late: a more or less modern rite developed closer to the 13-14th century. Why is such a Sacrament performed? In the Gospel of Mark (chapter 6 verse 13), it is said that the apostles received the gift of healing: “Many sick people were anointed with oil and healed.”
The service is celebrated during Lent. The schedule must be found in a specific church, since the frequency of the Blessing of Anointing can be different - somewhere twice a week, and somewhere once during the entire seven weeks of fasting.
During the celebration of the Sacrament, 7 texts from the Epistles of the Apostles and 7 from the Gospels are read. Then the priests anoint certain areas of the patient’s body with blessed oil - the cheeks, forehead, chest (just below the collarbones) and the hands of both hands. When the service comes to an end, the priest places the Holy Scripture on the head of the Christian and asks God for forgiveness of sins for him.
Important to remember: Blessing of oil is not a magical ritual after which mandatory healing occurs. This is a Sacrament, and the liberation of a person from illness is in the power of Almighty God.
Faith, repentance and humility are required from a person. That is why believers who regularly attend services know that before participating they need to prepare: go to confession on Saturday evening, and take communion in the morning.
How much does Unction cost in the Orthodox Church?
This is at the discretion of each temple. It is unspoken that the payment should be affordable. A servant of God can enter into the position of a parishioner and perform the sacrament simply for the glory of God in case of extreme need or an exceptionally difficult situation.
Each person is unique, and any case should be discussed with the priest. As a rule, believers bring a bottle of olive oil and rice.
But again, everything should be within one’s strength and in accordance with one’s conscience. If you have several children, or dependent infirm relatives, any clergyman will be in your position and allow you to receive unction for free.
How to prepare for the Sacrament of Unction
The clergy advise preparing and preceding the Blessing of Unction with confession and communion. Translated into everyday language, it’s as if someone wanted to visit a dear big family rested and festively dressed, and not drop in in a hurry, in jeans and worn out shoes. But in any case, the family will be delighted with the arrival - the main thing is that the dear guest arrived.
So no special preparation is required, faith and repentance are important.
Often women do not dare to take up the priesthood due to regular weakness. It's better to ask the priest. After all, this is also bodily weakness and a consequence of sin - why deny the opportunity to get closer to the kingdom, like all other sick people?
On the appointed day, you need to sign up to participate in the narthex of the church, saying your name and taking a candle. Some temples provide a paper napkin to collect excess oil from the skin. Before starting the action, you need to expose your arms, neck and forehead.
How the Unction takes place
The preparatory rite is read: prayers of repentance, canon and stichera - the essence of the future sacrament is spelled out in the texts. Oil and grain (rice) are blessed, which means a person reborn to eternal life after the general resurrection.
The main part consists of three-component parts. Each includes an apostolic reading with a prokemenon and alleluary, a reading of the Gospel, a litany for the healing of the participants and prayers for them.
Before the first anointing, the testimony of the Apostle James about the recovery of the sick after anointing and the parable of the Good Samaritan are read.
The second reading calls for loving the suffering like Christ. Afterwards they recall the plot of the meeting of the sinner Zacchaeus with Christ, the story of repentance and spiritual rebirth.
Before the third, they quote the incomparable “hymn of love” of the Apostle Paul and biblical story about calling the apostles to serve Christ, granting them gifts of love (the ability to heal the sick and raise the dead).
Before the fourth is a reminder of the original purity of man, as the Creator intended him, and the biblical passage tells of Christ’s healing of Peter’s mother-in-law.
Fifth part: words of hope in Christ are spoken from the apostle, who feels the breath of death on himself. The parable of the ten virgins contains the theme of the coming Last Judgment. And the prayer seems to put those present before God the judge with the hope of His condescension.
Before the sixth anointing, they talk about the spiritual fruits of faith (Gal. 5:22-6. 2, 1 Thess. 5: 14-23). Sounds biblical story about rewarded human humility (the story of a Canaanite woman and the recovery of her demon-possessed daughter).
The last reading calls upon the example of the preacher Matthew to steadfastly follow Christ (Matthew 9:9-13).
The whole reading crowns sacred texts, prayers said and the “Holy Father” prayer.
Afterwards, the Holy Gospel is placed on the heads of the parishioners, which promises a test at God's judgment. Those who have begun the Sacrament, as a sign of gratitude, attach their lips to the Book Holy Scripture and the Cross.
In what cases should a person be unctioned?
The clergy agree that this is necessary in the following cases:
- serious physical illness - even if it is a child under the age of seven (in general, children younger than this do not proceed to the general Unction);
- suffering from a serious mental illness: despondency, grief, despair;
- a fatal illness that does not allow one to get out of bed and come to church.
In any case, the believer must be conscious. Unction is not performed on violent mental patients. And one more thing: oil is used to anoint the living, not the dead.
Healthy people should not take part in the Sacrament of Anointing.
Cost of unction at home
What to do when illness has taken over the body so much that a person cannot come to church?
The Church comes itself: The Sacrament is carried out at the bedside of the sick, remembering the words of the Apostle James (chapter 5, verses 14 and 15): “ If any of you is sick, let him call the elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will heal the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they will forgive him».
Again, there cannot be a fixed cost - the priest works for the sacrifice: who gives how much.
Conclusion
Unction is necessary for the soul of the believer to triumph over the weak body. The sacred act miraculously reconciles the consciousness with its weak human nature and gives healing enlightenment to the souls of those present. The sufferer feels the strength to repeat after Christ: “Take courage, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
Please tell us how to properly prepare for unction. Is it necessary to confess to him? Would it be more correct to confess and receive communion, and then receive unction, or is it possible vice versa? Or does it not really matter?
Archpriest Konstantin Ostrovsky answers:
The question is quite common, but it is connected with forgetting that ideally all Christians, when coming to the liturgy, should receive communion. Today we are far from this norm, but it remains the norm. If a person receives communion every Sunday, and once a year receives unction during the week, unction for him will automatically be associated with communion. And whoever receives communion once a year can add it to the unction, but it is bad that people receive communion so rarely.
If a person has a grave sin on his conscience that excommunicates him from the Church, no sacred ceremony will remove such a sin. Such a person can return to the Church only through repentance, confession of this sin, most likely, and penance. There is no point in rushing such a confession towards unction.
And if we are simply talking about confession before communion, then it is quite natural that a person received unction during the week, went to confession on Saturday evening, and received communion on Sunday. Or vice versa - first he confessed and received communion, then received unction. In my opinion, it doesn’t matter in what order. All the same, these are different sacraments that do not replace each other.
I sometimes heard this: “Since I am going to unction, there is no need to repent.” This is already some kind of magical attitude towards the sacraments, which also opens the gates to wickedness - I’m ashamed to talk about my sins, so I’ll go and receive unction.
In the sacrament of consecration of oil we ask for and receive God's mercy, which we all, sick and healthy, equally need. Because our sinfulness is like the sea. I don’t mean its quantity (that goes without saying), but its depth. There is a depth of sinfulness.
Even those who seriously strive, struggle with their passions, are attentive to their thoughts and heart movements, sincerely repent of all the sins that they know about themselves, even they see: no matter how much you fight sin, no matter how much you cleanse your soul with repentance, it’s all the same a great layer of sinfulness remains. And what more people struggles, the more clearly he sees this abyss of sin in his heart, as it is said in the psalm: “A man will come, and the heart is deep” (Ps. 63:7).
It’s not that it’s impossible to cleanse this abyss without God’s mercy, but we also fail to fully understand it, even if we strive as hard as we can. And, seeing such our weakness, we turn to God with a prayer for mercy: “Lord, I struggle, I try to improve, and still a great uncleanness remains in my soul. Have mercy on me. Cleanse yourself, O Almighty!”
It is often said that in the sacrament of consecration of oil a person receives forgiveness of sins that he could not repent of due to forgetfulness or ignorance. This is generally correct, although it sounds somewhat formal and overly optimistic. The point is not that we have forgotten five, ten, one hundred and ten sins. We simply do not see this sinful abyss, but we will see it already at the Last Judgment. And this will be a truly terrible judgment, and we will be horrified, because although we tried to cleanse the surface of our unclean soul, we never touched the depths.
In order to prevent this horror from happening later, when it is already too late, we now, while we are still alive, while we have freedom, have the opportunity to turn to God with a prayer of repentance, we ask that the Lord look at our weakness and pour out His saving and cleansing power on us. mercy.
That is why the practice of unction during Lent for the healthy has spread, when one or more priests administer unction to hundreds of parishioners. And this practice is approved by the hierarchy.
In the first four daysLentmorning (except Mondays) in churches are performedspecial Lenten morning services, the hours are read.In the evening - donereading the Great penitential canon Saint Andrew of Crete.The collected events of Old Testament and New Testament history are presented with deep heartfelt contrition, offering Christians saving lessons of repentance and active turning to God...
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RITE OF CONSECTION OF KOLIV
On the first Friday of Great Lent, the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts is celebrated in an unusual manner. The canon of St. is read. to the Great Martyr Theodore Tiron, after which Kolivo is brought to the middle of the temple - a mixture of boiled wheat and honey, which the priest blesses with the reading of a special prayer, and then Kolivo is distributed to the believers.
Prayer service before miraculous icon Mother of God"Semipalatinsk-Abalatskaya" is not served on this day
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GENERAL CONFESSION - at the end of the evening Lenten service
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ON THIS DAY MANY WHO CONFESSED YESTERDAY ARE TRYING TO RECEIVE COMMUNION
First Saturday of Great Lent. Memory of Theodore Tyrone
and what he did miracle: pagans deliberately desecrated food in the markets of Constantinople, but thanks to the warning of the great martyr, believerswere able to stock up and not buycontaminated food. That is why, the day before, on Friday evening, a kolivo was consecrated in memory of the miracle.
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First Sunday of Lent
The name of the First Sunday of Great Lent sounds so beautiful that even a person not versed in the history of the holiday feels touched by the great meaning - the Triumph of Orthodoxy.
This is the first solemn service of Great Lent, when you hear the bells ringing “at the top of their lungs” in the bell tower... and you become so joyful that our Orthodoxy is so powerful and spacious. And you fully feel what the “Triumph of Orthodoxy” is...
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Liturgy is not celebrated on weekdays, Communion is received only on Wednesday and Friday with previously consecrated Gifts.
If you go only to Sunday services during Lent, you will not feel fasting, despite abstaining from food. It is also necessary to attend special fasting services in order to feel the contrast of these holy days with other days of the year, in order to deeply breathe in the healing air of Lent. The main special service is the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts
(infants are not given communion at this Liturgy)
Unction - a sacrament that heals soul and body
During Great Lent, the Sacrament of Unction is celebrated in many churches. What does it mean? In what cases is it necessary to take unction and how often? How to prepare for it? And is it possible to perform this Sacrament at home?
“Is any of you sick, let him call the elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will heal the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him” (James 5:14-15).
Unction is not performed on infants, because a baby cannot consciously commit sins.
No other sacrament is associated with so many superstitions and prejudices as with unction. They say that after unction you cannot marry, you cannot wash, you cannot eat meat, you must fast on Mondays; and most importantly, that only dying people can receive this sacrament. All this is not true!
This is not a parting word for the next world, but healing for this life is in repentance. It originates from the apostles, who, having received power from Jesus Christ, “anointed many sick people with oil and healed them” (Mark VI, 13).
Sacrament of Anointing, one of the seven sacraments of the Church, which consists of helping the sick who are hoping for recovery from physical and mental ailments, and grants the patient forgiveness of forgotten, unconfessed sins(but not deliberately hidden). Due to the imperfection of memory, a person may not confess all his sins, so there is no need to say how great the value of Unction is. The Sacrament of Anointing exists in the Church for this reason, so that a person, starting to heal the body, does not forget about the soul and the cause of illness - sin.
The 19th-century Orthodox writer Evgeniy Poselyanin wrote: “It is not at all said that the disease must be fatal or that the person should be in a helpless state. We must not forget that in Christianity, mental suffering is also recognized as a disease... So, if I suffer in spirit from the death of loved ones, from grief, if I need some kind of blessed push to gather my strength and remove the shackles of despair, I can resort to unction”.
Confirmation is often confused with unction. Anointing with consecrated oil, which is performed during the All-Night Vigil, is not a Church Sacrament.
In addition, Unction, as spiritual healing, does not eliminate the forces and laws physical nature. It supports a person spiritually, providing him with grace-filled help, to the extent that, according to God’s vision, this is necessary for the salvation of the sick person. That's why Unction does not cancel the use medicines , given by the Lord to heal our illnesses.
PRACTICAL TIPS:
how to prepare for unction?
In our church, Unction begins at 8:30.
But before you take part in this Sacrament, you need come early and prepare. The performance of this Sacrament is paid. But you must not only pay, but also have YOUR NAME INCLUDED on the list of those gathering. Then the priest will read these names several times during the celebration of the Unction.
Therefore, you must first approach the church bench.
It is also necessary buy a candle, which you will hold in your hands during the entire Sacrament of Unction. It lasts about 1 - 1.5 hours. If you are going to take this candle with you (after the Sacrament), then it is advisable to purchase a large candle.
Also before take either 2 large handkerchiefs or 2 pieces of absorbent fabric (gauze) - one will be needed to wipe off excess oil from hands and face, the other to secure it on the neck so that oil did not drip onto clothes.
Women also need to take a headscarf (given that their face will be oily and it will be very difficult to straighten their hair).
They also usually bring a bottle of oil with them (at your discretion, large or small, homemade oil or from the store).
The main thing is to open it first (it is advisable to hide the lid in your pocket). And place it on the table for unction (in the center). It would be nice to label your bottle so that you can easily find it among the others.
You need to dress like this so that the neck is well open and you can unbutton the blouse on the chest - they will anoint you with oil. There should be no hangings or fringes hanging from the sleeves - backside the palms will also be anointed. The forehead must be open for the same thing.
Don't wear gold on the neck and fingers, the bracelets will also get dirty and get in the way.
After the unction, do not forget to pick up your bottle of oil.
This oil can be added little by little to food. You can also anoint sick parts of the body (crosswise) with consecrated oil. This oil, like cereal, is used little by little throughout the year - until the next post.
A candle after the unction need to take home and light it for yourself (and your loved ones) in case of illness or other serious need with prayer.
A used oil bottle should be burned.
Do the same with handkerchiefs and rags, with which you wiped excess oil on your face during Unction.
Firstly, the prayers of this sacrament can heal a sick person, if it is God’s will. Secondly, and no less important, in the sacrament of Unction a person receives forgiveness of sins.
But what sins? Not those that need to be confessed in the sacrament of Repentance, which we are aware of and are trying to overcome. But each of us has many sins that pass by our consciousness due to our spiritual relaxation and coarseness of feelings. Either we, having sinned, immediately forget it, or we don’t consider it a sin at all, we don’t notice it. However, unconscious sins are still sins, they burden the soul, and it is necessary to be cleansed from them - which is what happens in the sacrament Unction
How does unction take place?
A lectern with the Gospel is placed in the center of the temple. Nearby there is a table on which there is a vessel with oil on a dish with wheat. Seven lighted candles and seven anointing brushes are placed in the wheat - according to the number of passages from the Holy Scriptures read.
All the congregation hold lit candles in their hands. This is our testimony that Christ is the light of our lives.
With the exclamation “Blessed is our God now, and ever, and unto ages of ages,” the prayer begins, listing the names of those gathered. Then the priest pours wine into the vessel with oil and prays for the consecration of the oil, for the sake of healing and cleansing the flesh and spirit of those who will be anointed with it.
Unction is usually performed in a church, but if it is impossible to deliver a seriously ill person, can also be taught at home.
When the sacrament is performed at home, it is necessary to do the following preparations: in the patient’s room, in front of the icons, place a table covered with a clean tablecloth. A dish with wheat grains is placed on the table (if it is not available, it can be replaced with other grains: rye, millet, rice, etc.).
In the middle of the dish, a vessel in the shape of a lamp (or just a clean glass) is placed on the wheat to consecrate the oil. Seven candles are placed in the wheat. In separate vessels (bowls or glasses), pure oil and a little red wine are placed on the table.
Wine is poured into oil in memory of the Merciful Samaritan, about whom the Lord spoke in His parable: how a certain Samaritan took pity on a man beaten and robbed by robbers, and “bandaged his wounds, pouring in oil and wine” (Luke 10:34), and wine added to it in a small amount symbolizes the Redeeming Blood of the Savior. The combination of oil and wine is done in imitation of the medicine that the Samaritan used for the sick.
In addition to wine and oil, when performing the Sacrament of the Gathering, grains of wheat or millet are used. These grains symbolize the germ of life, and after the death of the body - resurrection.
So, chants are heard, these are prayers addressed to the Lord and the saints who became famous for their miraculous healings. This is followed by reading an excerpt from the epistles of the apostles and the Gospel, which tells us about miraculous healings of illnesses. After which the priests anoint everyone’s forehead, nostrils, cheeks, lips, chest and hands on both sides in a cross pattern with consecrated oil. This is done as a sign of cleansing all our five senses, thoughts, hearts and the works of our hands - everything that we could have sinned with.
What was said in the following: “Thou hast given unto the holy oil the image of Thy Cross” shows that the very illnesses of the believer are mysteriously united with Christ’s sufferings, serving as a painful but beneficial reminder of them, true compassion, and, during spiritual struggle and prayer, the communion of His sufferings.
Before each anointing, the priest pours out his soul in prayer before the Lord, feeling his unworthiness and the greatness of the sacrament, and the needs of the sick, like a mirror of his own infirmities, and recalls numerous examples of pardon for sinners and healings in the Old and New Testaments.
At each anointing, the prayer is read: “Holy Father, physician of souls and bodies, having sent your only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who heals every ailment and delivers from death, heal also your servant (or your handmaid) from those who hold him (or her) bodily and mental infirmities and revive him (or her) with the grace of Thy Christ "... What follows is a prayerful invocation Holy Mother of God, Life-giving Cross, John the Baptist, the apostles and all the saints.
During the anointing of oil, the rector of the temple on his knees reads a prayer for the granting of health and lists the names of the people who are now participating in the Sacrament of Unction.
Then the priests return to their places. Prayers are read again, special chants are sung, and again excerpts (but different ones) from the Apostles and the Holy Gospel are read. Afterwards, the priests again anoint the forehead, nostrils, cheeks, lips, chest and hands on both sides with holy oil in a cross pattern.
And so only seven times. Each time other passages from the Apostles and the Holy Gospel are read. (Which passages from the Apostles and the Holy Gospel are read, what is the meaning of these readings - read below)
The Blessing of Unction of the congregation ends with the placing of the Gospel on the heads, holding it with the letters downwards, as if the healing hand of the Savior Himself is on the head of the sick person and at the same time praying to the Lord for the forgiveness of all his sins: “Lord Jesus Christ, I do not lay my sinful hand on the heads of those who have come to ask You.” forgiveness of sins; but Thy strong and strong hand, which is in this Holy Gospel, and I pray Thee with them, our Savior, Thyself accept Thy servants who repent and grant them forgiveness..."
An immediate recovery cannot be expected from Unction. Alas, sometimes in people’s minds this sacrament turns into something self-sufficient, external, almost magical. Some people perceive Unction as a medical procedure, there is no thought about its spiritual aspect... The consequences here can be very sad - without receiving the expected physical recovery, a person is offended: how is it possible, I defended a long service, did everything that was required, but no result!
In any case, grace acts through the consecrated oil, but this effect is revealed, according to God’s vision, differently: some are completely healed, others receive relief, and in others the strength is awakened to endure the illness complacently. Forgiveness of sins, forgotten or unconscious, is always granted to the one receiving the council.
Healing is a free gift from an All-Good loving God, and not the inevitable result of some external actions. All those approaching the sacrament of Unction should remember this. We must think about our life, about our sins, and strive to cleanse ourselves of them. The Sacrament of Unction is partly akin to the Sacrament of Repentance. As a special case, we can say that, in addition to very special situations, women during periods of regular weakness do not proceed to unction, as well as to any other sacrament.
READING OF THE APOSTLES AND THE HOLY GOSPEL AT THE COLLECTION
First reading- Epistles of the Holy Apostle James on the establishment of the Sacrament of Anointing (James 5: 10-16). The Gospel (Luke 10:25-37) is about a Samaritan who had mercy on his neighbor who was wounded by robbers. Following this, remembering the benefits of God to the human race, enlightened and redeemed by Him, and the grace of service given to the prophets and apostles.
Second reading- Rome. 15:1-7, where the Apostle Paul commands the strong to bear the infirmities of the weak and, following the example of Christ, to please not themselves, but their neighbors, for good, calling on God for patience and consolation. He instills that all members of the Body of Christ should praise God with one accord.
In the second Gospel (Luke 19:1-10) we are talking about the publican Zacchaeus, who turned to faith when Jesus Christ visited him.
Third reading- 1 Cor. 12, 27-13, 8, where the various ministries of the members of the Church of Christ are first counted, and then love is exalted above all else as the main objective and a means of Christian life. The third Gospel (Matthew 10:1:5-8) tells of the sending of the disciples to preach in Judea, when the Lord gave them the power to cast out unclean spirits, heal every illness and raise the dead.
In the fourth reading- 2 Cor. 6, 16-7, 1 - the Apostle Paul calls believers temples of the Living God and calls on them to cleanse themselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, “performing holiness in the fear of God.”
The subsequent Gospel reading (Matthew 8:14-23) tells of the Savior Himself’s healing of Peter’s mother-in-law, who was lying in a fever, as well as many demon-possessed, in fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah, who says: “He took upon Himself our infirmities and bore our sicknesses” ( Isaiah 53:4).
Fifth Apostolic reading - 2 Cor. 1, 8-11 - the Apostle Paul sets as an example his deliverance by the Lord in the midst of persecution, when he no longer hoped to remain alive, and commands to trust in God.
The corresponding Gospel (Matthew 25:1-13) contains the parable of the Lord about the five wise and five foolish virgins who did not prepare oil for the meeting of the Bridegroom and therefore remained outside the wedding feast - the Kingdom of Heaven. “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man will come,” the Lord calls at the conclusion of this parable.
In the sixth reading of the Apostle - Gal. 5, 22-6, 2 - the Apostle Paul calculates the spiritual fruits, instructing shepherds to correct those who sin in the spirit of meekness. “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way fulfill the law of Christ,” he urges.
The Gospel of Matthew (15:21-28), read next, tells of the great faith of a Canaanite wife, who with a bold effort asked for the health of her daughter.
The series of readings from the Epistles of the Holy Apostle Paul ends with a passage from 1 Thess. 5, 6-19, containing the apostle’s call to the faithful to console the faint-hearted, support the weak, and forgive evil. “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit,” he appeals to our hearts.
Finally, Saint Matthew the Evangelist(9:9-13) tells how he was called from a publican by the Lord and became an apostle, and quotes the words of Jesus Christ to the Pharisees who murmured against Him: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick; go and learn what it means: I want mercy, not sacrifice. For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
ABOUT THE COLLECTION IN QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
In what cases does a person need to receive unction? There is still a fairly widespread opinion that Unction is performed only before death.
The Blessing of Anointing is performed on Orthodox believers over seven years of age who suffer from physical and mental illness. The latter can also be understood as a difficult spiritual state (despondency, sorrow, despair), because its cause can be (and, as a rule, is) unrepentant sins, perhaps not even realized by a person. Consequently, the Sacrament can be performed not only on those suffering from severe bodily ailments or dying. In addition, few of those living in our time can consider themselves absolutely physically healthy, even in the absence of serious illnesses... The Blessing of Unction is not performed on patients who are in an unconscious state, as well as on violent mental patients.
The sacrament can take place both in the temple and in other conditions. According to established tradition, general Unction in many churches is performed during the days of Great Lent.
How often can one resort to the Sacrament of Unction?
The Blessing of Anointing, unless there is a particularly serious illness or difficult circumstances, should be undertaken no more than once a year.
How should you prepare for the Unction?
There is no need for special preparation before the Sacrament, but it will be useful and reasonable to combine it with confession and with the acceptance of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, because according to the faith of the Church, Unction also provides forgiveness of forgotten sins, and, naturally, the person who confessed has sincerely cleansed his soul repentance, he will receive unction with greater benefit for himself. As a special case, we can say that, in addition to very special situations, women during periods of regular weakness do not proceed to Unction, as well as to any other Sacrament.
Do the words of the Apostle James you quoted: “If anyone falls ill, let him call the elders...” mean that Orthodox Christians do not need medical help at all? Is healing only possible through spiritual means such as Unction?
No, of course, the Blessing of Anointing as a spiritual healing does not eliminate the laws and forces of physical nature. It spiritually supports a person, provides him with gracious help to the extent that, according to God’s vision, is necessary for the salvation of the soul of the patient. Therefore, Unction does not cancel the use of medicines.
– How to properly use the oil taken from the temple after the Unction, and what should be done with the wheat grains?
Oil can either be added to the prepared food, or, in case of certain ailments, after praying, you can independently apply it to yourself in a cross shape. It can also be used by those who have not taken unction (there is no indication in the statute that this is prohibited), but this alone does not replace participation in the Sacrament. But it happens that people forget about it, and then people ask what to do with the rancid oil. So next time, don’t be embarrassed if everyone takes it, but you don’t have such a need - this is not necessary. A used oil bottle should be burned. Do the same with the handkerchiefs and rags that you used to wipe off excess oil on your face during Unction.
Wheat grains, which are still used at Unction in order to stick candles standing on the central table into them, can be used absolutely according to at will. If you want, sprout them, if you want, bake them into a pie, if there are enough of them, there are no instructions from the church charter here.
– Unction (Blessing of Unction) is often confused with Confirmation and with anointing during the all-night vigil. What are their differences?
Confirmation and Blessing of Anointing are two completely different Sacraments. Confirmation takes place, as a rule, immediately after Baptism. And it contains the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which help us grow and strengthen in that new spiritual life into which we have just been born. In some special cases Confirmation is performed separately; Suppose we accept into Orthodoxy a person from a non-Orthodox denomination (for example, from traditional Protestants or from the majority of Old Believer movements), the validity of whose Baptism we recognize, but do not consider other sacraments to be valid.
Of course, one should distinguish from both Sacraments the anointing with consecrated oil, which is performed during the all-night vigil and which people who are just approaching the church fence or who have recently entered it sometimes mistake for some kind of sacred rite. This is only anointing with holy oil, which was blessed at the previous all-night vigil, when the lithium was celebrated - part of the service during which the blessing of wheat, wine, oil and bread is performed. It is with this very consecrated oil that anointing is performed at the all-night vigil. Let us repeat, this is not a church Sacrament.
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Everything is on your case. Thank you and good luck. Voronezh
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Very interesting site!!! I remember the Temple from childhood... I was baptized in this Temple and my children too. And in 09, Father Theodore baptized my husband. I am very grateful to him... The publications are interesting and informative. I am now a frequent visitor... Magadan
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Fasting, Sunday, travel to Bethlehem. What else does the soul need? Prayer. God bless Father Fyodor you and the site staff for your concern for our souls, hearts and minds. Svetlana
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Hello! Today I saw an announcement in the church that there is a website for our Resurrection Cathedral. It’s so joyful and pleasant to visit the site, every day now I will go to the site of our temple and read soul-helping literature. God bless all those who work in the temple! Thank you very much for your care and work! Julia
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What is Unction?
Unction (or Blessing of Unction) is a Sacrament in which, through anointing with consecrated oil (oil), God's help is given for the healing of mental and physical ailments. The Sacrament of Anointing is called Unction because, as a rule, several priests gather together to perform it - a council.
Why is it necessary to undergo unction?
- According to the teachings of the Church, the source of disease lies in sin, and the first prediction of disease in the human race appeared after the fall of the first people. When a paralytic was brought to the Savior for healing from an illness, He directly draws attention to the source of the illness and says: “Son, your sins are forgiven you” (Mark 2:3-11). In the same exact relationship, sin and bodily weakness are put in the Apostle James, who, having spoken about the healing of a sick person through anointing with oil and prayer, notes that at the same time the healed person’s sins are also forgiven (James 5:15). It cannot be argued that all diseases without exception are a direct consequence of sin, but still most of Diseases are recognized in Christianity as a consequence of sin, and the prayers of the Sacrament of Anointing are permeated with this thought.
For the forgiveness of sins there is the Sacrament of Confession, but the moral causes of illness are not always visible to a person; on the contrary, many of them are hidden from the judgment of his conscience. The sick person, due to his weakness, cannot fulfill all the conditions of true repentance. During the Sacrament of the Blessing of Anointing, a whole council of His servants stands before the Lord for the exhausted sick person and, with the prayer of faith on behalf of the entire Church, begs God to grant the person, along with bodily health, remission of sins. We believe that for the sake of the prayers of the Church in the Sacrament of Anointing, the sick are absolved of sins for which he could not receive resolution in the Sacrament of Repentance: long-standing sins, forgotten and unconfessed, subject, however, to a general repentant attitude; sins committed in ignorance; sins, former cause diseases, but which the patient did not know about; sins that the patient, due to his grave weakness, is not able to tell his confessor at the moment or cannot now atone for good deeds. All these and similar sins are forgiven by the grace of God to the sick person through the Sacrament of Anointing.
Can Unction speed up a person's death?
Can not. But the life span of any person depends only on the will of the Heavenly Father, Who often sends bodily illness to admonish and change life. And the Lord can prolong the life of a dying person for the purpose of allowing him to adequately prepare for the transition to eternity.
Unfortunately, persistent prejudices are associated with the Sacrament of Anointing, which repel the faint-hearted from the very possibility of resorting to the saving action of God's grace. People prone to superstitions are afraid of Unction, believing that this is “the last Sacrament and it will hasten the death of themselves or the relatives who receive it. In no case should one believe such prejudices that those who have recovered after the Blessing of Anointing should never again eat meat; that one must fast, in addition to Wednesday and Friday, also on Monday; that he cannot have marital relations, should not go to the bathhouse, take medicine, etc. These fantasies undermine faith in the gracious power of the Sacrament and destroy the spiritual life of the person who accepts these fantasies. In addition, they introduce temptation into the minds of “outsiders”, those who do not belong to the Church, but who sympathize with it.
How to prepare for the Unction?
You must receive the priest's blessing for Unction. Find out when it is held, come at a certain time, sign up at the candle shop, tell your name, buy a candle. If possible, before the Unction it is advisable to confess in advance what is recognized as a sin.
When does Unction take place?
During Lent, unction is performed several times. If necessary, it can be performed at any other time.
Usually Unction is performed at home at the bedside of the sick, but during Lent it takes place in churches. In this case, the words of the Apostle James: “Is any of you sick” (James 5:14) are taken in a broad sense, that is, they mean not only those who are physically sick, but also those who suffer spiritually - having sorrow, despondency, heaviness from sinful passions.
Is it necessary to fast before the Unction?
There is no special fast before the Unction. But since Unction in churches is usually performed during Lent, its observance is the duty of any Orthodox Christian.
Who can take unction?
Any baptized person can receive unction Orthodox Christian having the blessing of a priest for this. Children under 7 years old, as a rule, are not given unction.
There is a misunderstanding of the essence of the Sacrament of Unction, which is expressed in the fact that it is allegedly required only by the dying and only for the remission of sins. This sacrament was established by the Holy Church according to the words of the holy Apostle James: “Is any of you sick, let him call the elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will heal the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him” (James 5:14-15). The prayers of the Rite of Anointing speak not of death, but of a return to life, but a renewed life, cleansed of sins.
Is it possible to administer unction to a sick person when he is unconscious?
Participation in all Sacraments must be conscious and voluntary.
If a sick person who is in an unconscious state has previously participated in church sacraments and expressed a conscious desire to receive unction at a time when he could give an account of his actions, then the possibility of performing the Sacrament of Anointing on him should be consulted with a priest.
Is it possible to unction infants?
For infants under seven years of age, the Sacrament of Anointing is not performed on the basis of the words of the Apostle James: “let him call the elders... and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him” (James 5:14-15), which presupposes in the sick person the strength of faith, the presence of spirit and consciousness of one's sins.
What to do if the patient cannot be taken to the church for Unction?
We need to invite a priest to your home.
If after Unction you remember a sin, is it necessary to talk about it at Confession?
Unction does not cancel or replace the Sacrament of Repentance. If after Unction you remember a sin, then you need to confess it.
What to do with the oil left over from last year's Unction?
You can anoint yourself with the oil left after the Unction - apply it crosswise to sore spots, or add it to food. If you use it with reverence and faith, then any use of the “cathedral” oil will serve as a blessing from God.
Is it possible to smear sick, unseemly places with holy oil?
Man was created by God and there is nothing bad in him, therefore it is allowed to smear any place when it hurts. But usually, the following parts of the body are anointed with holy oil with prayer in a cross shape: forehead, cheeks, chest, palms and hands, legs.
What to do after Unction?
After Unction, it is necessary to partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ.
In order to properly prepare for the Unction, it is important not so much to be horrified by your bodily ailments, but to pay attention to your own soul. Spiritual diligence and a clear understanding of what is served in the Sacrament of Anointing are necessary. Unfortunately, even seriously ill people do not always understand that they are in dire need of this Sacrament. Many people begin the Unction because it is customary, because their relatives insisted on it or the day of general Unction has been appointed in the church, and so we go along with everyone, as if just in case, according to the principle: “You never know, suddenly something happens.” it will help." In this case, a person has neither sufficient faith nor fervent prayer to accept the gift offered in the Blessing of Unction.
From the Gospel we know that the Lord Jesus Christ often did not perform miracles due to the unbelief of people (Matthew 13:58; Mark 6:5-6). And it was the power of faith that often distinguished individuals from the many who approached Him. Thus, when Christ was surrounded and pressed by a crowd of people, a woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years touched the hem of His robe with faith and was immediately healed. The Savior was pressed by many people, but only one received healing, the one to whom He Himself said: Your faith has saved you; go in peace(Luke 8:48). Blind Bartimaeus, who was sitting near Jericho, learning that Christ was passing by, began to shout loudly: Jesus, Son of David! have mercy on me. And although many silenced him, he did not stop asking for mercy, and in the end the Lord healed him, saying: Go, your faith has saved you(Mark 10, 46 – 52).
So, the Savior healed during His earthly life, when He saw firm faith and persistent prayer. The same thing happens now when a person seeks healing by participating in the Sacrament of Anointing. The Holy Scripture says: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever(Heb. 13:8). This means that He gives the same gifts and heals in the same way. But we, in turn, are required, as they were required of people then, to have sincere faith and ardent request. Therefore, it is important to recognize the personal need for the Sacrament of Anointing. And, as the Apostle James said, prayer of faith(that is, filled with deep faith) heal the sick.
So, it is important to have the right inner mood. Several components can be distinguished here. First, as we have already said, one must have ardent faith and exalt sincere prayer. When preparing for the Unction, it is good to read akathists to the Savior, the Mother of God and saints who became famous for miraculously healing illnesses, for example, the Great Martyr Panteleimon and in general those saints whose memory is especially close to us. Thus, the soul is predisposed to accept the gift of healing given in the Sacrament of Anointing.
Secondly, we must have heartfelt contrition for our sinfulness. Before the Unction it is good to confess. And in the Sacrament of the Blessing of Unction, we will be forgiven of sins forgotten or committed out of ignorance, therefore, a person undergoing the cathedral must have a repentant mood of soul: it is worth remembering his whole life, the untruths he has committed and the offenses caused to his neighbors, and pray to God for the forgiveness of his sins. The person gathering must also forgive his neighbors if someone has offended him in any way. After all, the Lord said: If you forgive people their sins, then your Heavenly Father will also forgive you, and if you do not forgive people their sins, then your Father will not forgive you your sins.(Matt. 6, 14 – 15). How do we want to receive remission of sins at the Blessing of Oil if we do not forgive our neighbors?
Thirdly, it is important to learn to be more vigilant about yourself, your inner world, defeat sin at its first appearance - in thoughts or feelings. The cause of our troubles often lies within us, so it is necessary to constantly cleanse our hearts. For this, the Holy Fathers command to say more often short prayers, for example, the Jesus Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner, the publican's prayer: God, be merciful to me a sinner, or equivalent: God, cleanse me, a sinner, or briefly: Lord have mercy, and also the Mother of God: Most Holy Theotokos, save me, a sinner; Virgin Mary, rejoice and others. It is important to learn to defeat sin in the bud, to recognize the first sinful desire. Constant turning of the soul towards God, vigilant guarding of oneself from sinful thoughts and feelings, together with patient bearing of one’s life’s cross, will become a worthy preparation of the believer for the Sacrament of Anointing.
And fourthly, each of us faces, perhaps, the most difficult thing - to entrust ourselves, our lives and health into the hands of God. Spiritual life is impossible with a consumerist attitude towards God's gifts. For a Christian, the main thing is communication with God and participation in His eternal Kingdom, and we entrust our earthly well-being to God’s holy will. Therefore, preparing for the Blessing of Unction, asking for healing with faith and fervent prayer, we surrender ourselves into the hands of God, being confident that God gives a sincere Christian much more than simple physical healing, and physical health in itself is not an end in itself.
The Power of the Three Sacraments
There is a wonderful tradition according to which a Christian believer participates in three Sacraments in a row: Confession, Unction and Communion.
Any serious illness is a kind of sign, a call to turn one’s gaze from the temporary to the eternal. Indeed, during illness, our craving for earthly pleasures weakens, and most importantly, we begin to clearly see all the fragility and fragility of material wealth and values of this world. But in order to gain eternal values, it is necessary to free yourself from the burden of sins - this happens in the Sacrament of Confession. As interpreters of Holy Scripture believe, confession of sins is commanded by the holy Apostle James in direct connection with the Blessing of Unction: Confess your wrongdoings to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.(James 5:16).
What is the point of confession before the Unction? We have already said that in the Sacrament of the Blessing of Anointing a person is forgiven sins forgotten and committed out of ignorance. But how will the Lord forgive sins if there is no repentant mood in the soul? Those who confess their sins before the Blessing of Unction do well. In this case, the person acts sincerely and sincerely - he tries to confess everything he has sinned, but if he could not remember something, it will be erased by the grace of Unction.
However, if we did not have time to confess before the Blessing of Anointing, we can do so after. Just not putting it off for a long time “later”, not forgetting that in spiritual life, delay is literally like death, and this death, alas, is already eternal. Let's try not to be like a pre-revolutionary entrepreneur who once became dangerously ill. His relatives, seeing that he might not survive the illness, persuaded him to invite a priest to give him the Holy Gifts. The priest came, but at that very moment the patient received a telegram, according to which his orders on trade matters were required. Then the patient removed the priest, took up trading orders and suddenly died. Thus, a long-term habit did not allow a person to turn to God even before his death.
And in our lives it often turns out that when we are healthy, we have no time to participate in the Sacraments of the Church, and when we get sick, we simply no longer have the strength for spiritual life. It is important to overcome your inertia, to break this vicious circle, and to do this, make an internal effort, remembering the words of the Savior: Kingdom Heavenly force is taken, and those who make effort delight him(Matt. 11, 12). The Lord graciously accepts a person who, despite all his weakness, has labored for spiritual life.
In the Sacrament of Confession, a Christian is cleansed from the filth of sins committed, and in the Sacrament of Anointing he is freed from their consequences: he receives healing of the infirmities of the soul and body, as well as forgiveness of sins forgotten or committed out of ignorance.
And in the Sacrament of Communion, a person finds the greatest treasure - he is united with Christ into eternal life. And how the darkness of the night dissipates with the appearance of the first sun rays, so the thoughts that oppress the soul disappear when we worthily receive the Holy Sacraments. After Holy Communion, a sensitive soul feels amazing world, purity, true liberation from the shackles of sin and earthly vanity. A Christian who receives communion worthily acquires prudence and wisdom.
When the author of these lines studied at the Moscow Theological Seminary, he often visited one old woman, nun Nina, who was already more than eighty years old. She suffered from many illnesses, her legs were covered with ulcers, so that she could hardly walk. From pain and lonely life, she was sometimes overcome by murmurs, doubts, and worries. But when she confessed and received the Holy Mysteries - and she received communion at home - at that moment an amazing change always happened to her. Just now there was an old, tired person in front of you, and after she had confessed and received the Holy Mysteries, an amazing light emanated from her eyes, and in this peaceful and enlightened soul there was no longer a shadow of embarrassment, murmur, or anxiety. This light now warmed others, and her word after Communion became completely special, so that she now strengthened her neighbors.
Thus, the Holy Spirit in the Sacraments of the Church gives a person purity, and purity is an unclouded, clear vision of everything and everyone, a pure perception of life. Even possessing all the treasures of the world, a person cannot become happy and will not become happy unless he acquires inner treasures and is imbued with the grace of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Church offers this ineffable gift to man in the three mentioned Sacraments.
After Unction
At the very beginning of the Sacrament, the oil is consecrated, with which the priests then anoint the believers seven times. After the Unction, the holy oil usually remains in sufficient quantity and it is distributed to everyone who wants it. Holy oil is poured into small vials, which, when brought home, must be stored in a worthy place, next to holy water and other shrines. Why do we need it? Cathedral oil, as it is also called, can be anointed in case of illness, turning to God with faith and praying for recovery. You can simply anoint your forehead (that is, forehead) with holy oil every morning after reading morning prayers, with words: In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen, asking God for blessings for the coming day.
Thus, although the Sacrament “passed”, the consecrated oil remained, it can be anointed with it, and therefore the Blessing of Oil continues to bear fruit.
In the summer of 2005, Hieromonk John administered unction to more than ten special forces soldiers going to Chechnya. As parting words, he gave them blessed oil, and every morning, before going on combat missions, the group commander anointed the military with holy oil. The soldiers remembered this trip as very special - as if someone invisible was protecting them and helping them, and the commander later said: “All this time we were like Christ in the bosom.”
So, the Sacrament of the Blessing of Anointing not only frees from previous ailments, but through the consecrated oil, with which Christians are anointed with faith, it protects from possible temptations, protects from illness and bodily injury.