Blessing of Unction. The futility of the sacrament without sincere faith. What is unction

Among the seven sacraments performed by the Russian Orthodox Church, there is one that often causes completely misinterpretations and is associated with a number of prejudices. It's called unction. What this is and why it is being done, we will try to find out by turning to its history and considering the order of ceremonies. This is where we will begin the story.

What is unction and how is it carried out?

The sacrament can be performed both in a church over a large number of parishioners, and at home, over one single person who, for health reasons, is unable to go out. The order of rites requires the participation of seven priests in it, but if there are fewer of them, even just one, the sacrament of unction is considered valid. Practice shows that even in urban conditions it is very rarely possible to gather a large number of priests.

How the unction takes place is indicated in detail by the very rite of this sacrament. Before it begins, preparatory prayers and a canon are read. Following this are excerpts from the New Testament. Next comes the litany. During its reading, the deacon pronounces aloud the names of everyone over whom the sacrament is performed. After the litany, the rite of consecration of oil (oil) and anointing is performed. At this time, the priest says a special ancient prayer, read only in these cases. At the end of the prayer, he places the Gospel on the heads of those present and reads the final prayer.

When one priest finishes his actions, another comes to replace him, and the whole cycle repeats again. The rite of the sacrament prescribes its sevenfold repetition, which requires the participation of seven priests, but, as mentioned above, a smaller number is allowed.

Historical information about the performance of the sacrament

Unction, or, as it is otherwise called, consecration of oil, has its roots in biblical times. To be convinced of this, it is enough to open the Gospel of Mark. It describes how Christ sends the holy apostles to proclaim the coming of the Kingdom of God, to call everyone to repentance and to heal physical and mental ailments.

For this purpose, His disciples anointed the suffering with oil, that is, oil. Such actions of theirs, which received blessing from Jesus Christ Himself, are a prototype of the current sacrament, which we call unction. There is not the slightest doubt that this is exactly the case. In addition, the holy Apostle James mentions anointing with oil in his epistle. He writes about the need to perform this action in the event of illness of one of the brethren. According to him, by the grace of God the sufferer receives healing from illness and remission of sins.

Unction is the path to healing the soul and body

The two New Testament episodes cited irrefutably demonstrate the fallacy of the widespread opinion regarding unction - that this sacrament is performed exclusively on the dying and is, as it were, a farewell to another world. The apostles performed it for healing, and the Apostle James in his letter recommends performing it precisely in order to get rid of illness. Therefore, there is no reason to confuse it with any death rituals.

The fallacy of this understanding is explained by the fact that in the medieval Western church this sacrament was really a parting word for the dying and was called “last anointing.” In the 15th-17th centuries it migrated to Russia and established itself here in a similar status. But already in the middle of the 19th century, Moscow Metropolitan Philaret took the most decisive actions in order to give it exactly the significance that it has now.

Dying Unction. What is it and why is it done?

The Holy Church, however, emphasizes the need for unction for people near death. This is an absolutely necessary action for them, because often in such a state a person is physically unable to confess and cleanse his soul before entering another world. In this case, unction allows you to do this even without the conscious participation of the dying person. But even if he is conscious, he needs to confess, receive communion and unction. Unction of a dying person is precisely the case when it is performed not in a temple, but at home or in a hospital.

The futility of the sacrament without sincere faith

We should also dwell on one more important misconception, which is held by many on whom unction is performed for the first time. Perhaps everyone knows that this sacrament has a beneficial effect on human health. But many, unfortunately, perceive it as a kind of magical action, the result of which depends solely on correctly performed ritual actions. This is a deeply erroneous opinion.

The oil with which anointing is performed is not a cure for all diseases, and it is not it that brings healing, but the all-merciful Lord. Our prayers are addressed to Him, and He has the power to send down healing. It is truly within our power to become worthy of this grace of God. This is why the sacraments are given. They help us, with the help of God's Grace, to cleanse ourselves of sins. Diseases are their creation. Therefore, to heal the body, you must first cleanse your soul and repent of your sins.

The difference between remission of sins at confession and unction

However, for this purpose, believers regularly confess. Then what task does unction perform in this regard? What is this, a form of deepened repentance or something else? No, the matter is different. During confession, we receive remission of those sins that we have named. But in everyday life, we constantly, willingly or unwillingly, violate God’s commandments and often, when going to confession, we cannot remember most of them.

Even if you write down your sins, even then you will hardly be able to name them in full, since sometimes we sin without even realizing it. It is in order to be cleansed of all sins, conscious or not, named in confession or forgotten, that the sacrament of unction is given to us. Anointing with consecrated oil brings healing from sin to our souls.

Sincerity of repentance is a condition for remission of sins

It would be a mistake to believe that, by cleansing us from all sins, unction thereby makes it possible to break God’s commandments with impunity. To think: “Today I will sin, but at the Unction, everything will be forgiven,” is the greatest frivolity. Sins are forgiven only on condition of sincere repentance, and in this case it cannot be.

Preparation for the sacrament

There are several other questions that often arise among those who decide to undergo unction. For example, do you need to fast before it or can you not limit yourself to food? The answer is absolutely clear: no, you don’t need to fast. The only sacrament that is performed on an empty stomach is the Communion of the Holy Gifts. In addition, strength is needed to withstand the two hours during which the unction takes place.

How to prepare for it, what to bring with you to church, sometimes also raises questions. It is usually recommended to confess and take communion before unction, but if this is not done, it doesn’t matter, you can do it later. During unction, it is customary to hold lit candles in your hands, but you can buy them in a candle shop and do not need to bring them with you. But it is highly recommended to have the text of the rite with you, since in this case it is possible to better and more thoroughly understand the meaning of the prayers being read.

Having found out what unction is and how it is carried out, the following should be added in conclusion. Very often a situation arises when a person who wants to take part in it, for one reason or another, does not make it in time for the beginning of the sacrament. As stated above, it consists of seven repeating cycles. If he was late and came to the second or third, would such unction be valid for him? This question is always answered unequivocally: yes, it will. Even if a latecomer receives only one anointing, this is considered sufficient. However, it is always recommended to arrive on time.

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? Is it possible, after receiving unction, to forget about all illnesses? Archpriest Maxim Kozlov, rector of the University Church of the Martyr Tatiana, answers these and other questions.

- Father Maxim, what is Unction?

Unction, or as it is also called Blessing of Anointing, is a church Sacrament in which, by anointing the body with specially consecrated oil (oil), the grace of God is invoked on a person, healing mental and physical infirmities. The establishment of the Sacrament dates back to apostolic times. The letter of the Apostle James says: “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 be forgiven him.”(James 5:14-15)

In addition to physical healing, the Sacrament also asks for remission of sins - for most diseases are the result of sin, while sin itself is a spiritual disease. According to the explanation of the teachers of the Church, during the Blessing of Anointing, sins that are forgotten (but not deliberately hidden in confession!) are forgiven, for example, because of their insignificance for a person. However, the totality of these sins can place a heavy burden on the soul and cause not only a disorder of spiritual health, but also, as a consequence, physical illnesses.

The Blessing of Anointing is called Unction because, according to the charter of the Church, it is supposed to be performed by seven priests (a council of clergy). The number seven is a symbolic sign of the Church and its fullness; That is why the very following of the Sacrament consists of reading, after certain prayers, seven different passages from the Apostle and the Gospel, telling about repentance, healing, the need for faith and trust in God, compassion and mercy. After each such reading and prayer appeal to God for the remission of the sins of the patient, he is anointed with consecrated oil (oil) mixed with wine - that is, anointing is also performed seven times. However, the Church allows the Sacrament to be performed by three, two, or even one priest - so that he performs it on behalf of the council of priests, says all the prayers, performs the readings, and anoints the sick person seven times.

— 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, grief, despair) - for 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, primarily on the Worship of the Cross or Holy Week in the evening before Maundy Thursday or Great Saturday.

— How should one 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. The Blessing of Anointing, unless there is a particularly serious illness or difficult circumstances, should be undertaken no more than once a year.

— Do the words of the Apostle James that 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?

- You can either add oil to the food you prepare, or, in case of certain ailments, after praying, apply it to yourself in a cross shape. Wheat grains, which are still used at Unction for sticking candles into them on the central table, can be used absolutely at your own discretion. 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 in it the gifts of the Holy Spirit are given, which help us grow and strengthen in that new spiritual life into which we have just been born in Baptism. 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 litia 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.

The sacrament of healing the soul and body - these words can convey the essence of the sacrament, which is known among us as Unction, and in church books is more often called Blessing of Anointing. The name "unction" comes from the practice of performing this sacrament by several priests - a "cathedral".

Blessing of oil is a Sacrament in which, when anointing the body with oil, the grace of God is invoked on the sick person, healing spiritual and physical infirmities (Long Catechism). It is also called prayer oil and unction.

The Sacrament of the Blessing of Anointing was, without a doubt, established by Jesus Christ Himself (see Mark 16:18). The apostles, preaching the teachings of Jesus Christ throughout the universe, met people obsessed with all sorts of physical and mental ailments. Having prayed to God in front of others, and sometimes calling on Him for help in their souls, in the name of God they healed all the sick, who only among them had faith in the power of God. Healing was also given through the faith of relatives, as well as acquaintances of the patient, who interceded for him before the apostles.

The apostles left the shepherds of the Church - bishops and elders - as their successors. They entrusted to them all their power, which they themselves received from Jesus Christ. So, they commanded them to teach others, to baptize, to absolve others from sins, and so on. The apostles also gave the shepherds of the Church the power to heal the sick upon remission of their sins. For this purpose they established the Sacrament of Anointing, which we often call unction. The Apostle James tells Christians about this Sacrament: “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 forgive him” (James 5: 14 - 15). Since then, Christians have celebrated the Sacrament of Anointing.

Initially it was accomplished through the laying on of hands by the performer (see Acts 28:8 - 9). The memory of this image of the celebration of the Sacrament is also preserved in our Breviary - in the prayer read after the completion of the Sacrament with the laying of the Gospel, like the hand of the Lord, on the head of the sick person. Already in the apostolic age, the laying on of hands for healing was replaced by anointing with oil, just as the laying on of hands to communicate the Holy Spirit to the newly baptized was replaced by anointing and the right to perform the Sacraments was also granted to the elders. This practice of performing the Sacrament in apostolic times is clearly presented in the letter of the Apostle James (5, 14 - 16). We also have testimonies from the holy fathers of subsequent centuries about the performance of the Sacrament of Anointing.

St. Irenaeus (+140) refers to the use of holy oil, which was poured on the faithful who were ready to pass on to eternal life, when oil mixed with water was anointed on their heads, so that their souls would not be captured or detained by the prince of this world. St. Hippolytus (+ c. 200 - 204), in his interpretation of the prophet Daniel, addressing not those preparing for Holy Baptism, but those who have sinned after Baptism, invites them to use oil, “in order to present to God an immaculate body and so that you may light your lamps waiting for the groom." St. Aphraates (+ 338), bishop and abbot of the monastery of Mar Mattea, mentioning all the Sacraments, writes: “Holy oil, the image of the sacrament of life, creates Christians, priests, anoints kings, prophets, enlightens darkness, anoints the sick, raises up the penitent.” In Lavsaik there are several cases of anointing with oil by Anthony the Great, two Macarii and the Monk Isidore, who were all in the priestly rank. Saint Serapion, Bishop of Tmuite (282 - 366), a friend of Saint Athanasius the Great, left us a prayer over the oil, which says: “We pray to our God, Source of all power and authority, to the Savior of all men, Father of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, look upon to our prayer and sent down from the heights of heaven the grace of Your Only Begotten Son, Lord and our Savior Jesus Christ, onto this oil, so that all who are anointed with it and all who are now coming here may be delivered from every disease, the evil demon and from every unclean spirit.”

From Byzantium, the Sacrament of Unction came to us in the Russian Church almost in the form in which it is celebrated today. Researcher of ancient church rites I. Snegirev writes: “For devotees of the sacred rites of the Orthodox Church, we note that in the year there is no world-making (in Moscow), the washing of feet is performed in the Assumption Cathedral; but every year this great day (Great Thursday) was marked there after Matins by the performance of the Sacrament of Anointing, or Unction. During this solemn and touching sacred rite, after the deacons have read the seven Apostles, and the bishop has read the seven Gospels... the bishop anoints himself and those serving with consecrated oil combined with red wine, and the presbyters anoint those present.” On these days, Unction was performed on everyone and in the Cathedral of St. Sophia in Novgorod.

His Grace Innocent, Archbishop of Kherson, performed unction over all the besieged during the siege of Odessa, and, the chronicler notes, none of those who received him were harmed. Our great saint Demetrius of Rostov states that “on Holy Thursday even healthy people can take it, because on this great and holy day at the Supper Christ established a new covenant with His Body and Blood; therefore, a healthy person who does not know either the day or the hour of his death can partake of this mystery.”

Under the influence of Protestant rationalism and Western scholasticism, which left their mark on our theological school, the Sacrament of Unction began to be understood, if not entirely according to Western teaching, as a dying “last anointing,” then, in any case, as a Sacrament taught for serious illnesses, and that is ancient the custom of teaching it once a year on Holy Thursday or on Holy Saturday to all Christians began to be either completely denied as never having existed, or allowed once a year and only at cathedral councils, and certainly carried out by the bishops themselves.

Having fallen under the influence of Western theological schools, we have unwittingly adopted both their way of thinking and their emotional feeling. In the West, for centuries, Unction was viewed as the “last anointing,” which at one time was openly called the “sacrament of death,” and in the Middle Ages those who received it were deprived of the right to make wills as they were already dead. Such an attitude towards this Sacrament imposed. he is stamped with fear and horror, which has partly passed on to us, and among the common people has given rise to the most incredible superstitions.

We should be ashamed to hold on to medieval misconceptions about this Sacrament. We must return to the patristic thought of Unction as the Sacrament of healing for our sins, which are the source of all illnesses - physical and mental. It is necessary to return to the ancient practice of unction of all, sanctified by Tradition, during Holy Week. Let the monasteries, the true guardians of the purity of faith, serve here as an indication of the right path. On Mount Athos, on Holy Thursday, this Sacrament is still performed over all the inhabitants. In our time of amazing technical capabilities, everything contributes to an increase in the intensity and tension of impulses to sin. We see, hear, feel more in one week than our great-grandfathers did in five years. In one instant, over the airwaves, we are connected to the events of the entire globe; In our rapid, almost lightning-fast movement, we perceive a lot of impressions, and through television we see almost everything that is happening on our already boring Earth. Our soul is exhausted from such a pile-up of feelings, thoughts and simply sensations. In the Sacrament of Confession, it does not even occur to us to repent of ingrained habits that seem innocent to us. We do not repent of countless involuntary sins, countless superstitions that bring us countless troubles, for superstition is a kind of self-curse; we do not repent of forgotten sins, which, however, lie as a heavy burden on our souls. We often live in an atmosphere full of lies, counterfeiting the good opinion about ourselves that people have mistakenly formed about us. We play in life like good actors, without thinking at all about the falsity and sinfulness of such a state. From all sides we are tempted to “go to a distant country,” and these temptations sometimes take incredible, intricate forms, and we, due to the coarseness of our hearts and inattention, fall into the traps of the enemy of the human race. Before such a strong onslaught of our passions, our internal and external enemy, strong means are needed, and how desirable it would be to revive everywhere in our Church the ancient custom of once a year, by the grace of God, washing away all this mire of sins, tearing apart the thin web of the devil and doing this on holy days the days of Holy Week, when, purified by fasting and intense prayer, we approach the very goal of God’s entire economy, our spiritual resurrection together with Christ to the extent and with the power with which we cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. Number of celebrants of the Sacrament According to the commandment of the Apostle James, the Sacrament of Unction is performed by a council of elders, which explains the name of the Sacrament of unction. Usually this council is composed of seven presbyters, to which number the following of the Sacrament is adapted and in our Service Book. The number seven in this case, according to St. Simeon of Thessalonica, has a relationship with the number of gifts of the Holy Spirit mentioned by St. Isaiah, or with the number of bishops’ walks around Jericho, or with the number of prayers of the Monk Elijah, with which the sky was opened and rain poured down (see 1 Kings 18:43). The historical basis of the septenary number can be believed in the custom of ancient Christians, in particular elders, to visit the sick for seven days in a row, which number thus constituted a full circle of grace-filled healing.

However, the Sacrament can be performed by two or three presbyters. In case of extreme need, it is performed by one priest, but on behalf of the council of presbyters.

Performing the Sacrament

The Blessing of Anointing is performed on Orthodox people over seven years of age. Usually it is performed in a temple, but for seriously ill people it can be taught at home. The sacrament can be repeated over the same person, but not during the same continuously ongoing illness. The Blessing of Anointing is not performed on patients who are in an unconscious state, or on violent mental patients. A priest cannot perform the Sacrament on himself.

The following of the Sacrament includes three parts: prayer singing; preparation of the substance for anointing and the anointing itself. The first part is a reduction of Matins, performed on days of fasting and repentance. After the usual initial morning prayers, Psalm 142, which represents an abbreviation of the Six Psalms, and the litany that occurs at Matins, “Alleluia” is sung instead of “God the Lord,” as in the time of repentance. Next, the repentant troparia are sung, Psalm 50 is read, which at Matins is placed before the canon, and the Canon “Sea of ​​the Red Deep” is sung. After the canon, in stichera, healing is asked from the Lord for the sick. Then the substance for the Sacrament is consecrated. The consecration of the oil is accomplished through a litany, which includes petitions for the blessing of the oil through the power, action and influx of the Holy Spirit, and a prayer read by all priests. During the reading of this prayer, troparions are sung: three to the Lord Jesus Christ, two to the Apostle James, one each to St. Nicholas, the myrrh-streamer Demetrius, the healer Panteleimon, the unmercenaries, the Apostle John the Theologian, and the final troparion to the Most Holy Theotokos. Next comes the third part - the performance of the Sacrament itself. Its order is as follows: the Apostle and the Gospel are read with the usual accessories; a special litany for the sick person and a prayer for him are pronounced and a cross-shaped anointing of the sick person with consecrated oil is performed on the forehead, nostrils, cheeks, lips, forearms and hands on both sides while reading a prayer for healing to God the Father with an invocation in the prayers of the Most Holy Theotokos, the chosen and all saints

This order, according to the number of performers of the Sacrament, is repeated seven times, and each time the apostolic and gospel readings and the prayer adapted to them after the special litany change. In the apostolic and gospel readings, various circumstances related to the Sacrament are remembered. After the seventh anointing, the Gospel is placed on the head of the sick person, in writing downwards, as if by the hand of the Lord Himself. The gospel is supported by the priests, and the leader at that time reads the prayer of permission. Next, an abbreviated strict litany is pronounced, troparia to the unmercenary and to the Mother of God are sung, and there is a dismissal, at which the holy Apostle James is remembered. At the end of the rite, the one who has received the Sacrament asks for blessing and forgiveness from the priests. To perform the Sacrament, a table is provided, and on it a dish of wheat, a cross and the Gospel are placed. Grains of wheat symbolically point to new life - after recovery or after the general resurrection (see John 12:24; 1 Cor. 15:36 - 38), and the cross and the Gospel - to the presence of Jesus Christ Himself. An empty vessel (idle kandilo) is placed on the wheat, which is then filled with consecrated oil combined with wine, in imitation of the medicine used by the Samaritan mentioned in the Gospel parable (see Lk 10:34). Around the vessel, seven pods wrapped in paper (cotton) are placed in the wheat for anointing and the same number of lighted candles. The sacred rite opens with censing around the table, the entire temple or house, and those around the table. When unction is combined with confession and communion of the sick person, the “Sequence of Confession” is performed first, then the Blessing of Anointing and finally the Communion of the Holy Mysteries. In case of mortal danger, in order not to deprive the patient of his last Communion, immediately after confession the abbreviated rite of Communion is performed (Trebnik, Chapter 14) and then, if the patient has not yet lost consciousness, the Sacrament of Anointing is performed, which can begin with the litany “Let us pray to the Lord in peace... " The sacrament is considered completed if the priest, after consecrating the oil, manages to read the secret prayer over the sick person at least once and anoint the parts of the body indicated in the Breviary. The sacrament is not performed on patients who are in an unconscious state, as well as on violent mental patients. In addition, the priest is forbidden to perform the Blessing of Anointing on himself. The custom of pouring consecrated oil on the body of a person who died after Unction does not find confirmation in the practice of the ancient Church, for it serves to anoint the living, not the dead. Therefore, this custom should not be followed. In the absence of mortal danger for the patient, there is no reason to combine the Blessing of Anointing with Communion, however, preliminary confession and repentance are desirable.

Gifts sent to the Sacrament of Anointing

As can be seen from the words of the Apostle James (5, 14 - 15), in the Sacrament of the Blessing of Unction two Divine gifts are sent to people from above. The first gift is physical healing. During unction, the presbyter of the Church or priest prays for the sick person and anoints him with consecrated Oil, just as the apostles prayed and sometimes anointed them with oil when healing the sick. In addition, at the unction, the relatives and acquaintances of the patient gather, who, together with the presbyter, also pray for his health. Finally, the patient himself prays, as much as his strength allows. And the common prayer of faith saves the sick person, and the Lord heals him, because not one person is praying here, but many, and even the presbyter himself, who has been given the power to intercede before God for people. And the Lord Himself promised to fulfill the request if two or three asked Him for something. He said: “Truly I also tell you that if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven” (Matthew 18:19). Moreover, all those who pray, of course, must have proper faith and hope in God, which is why it is said: “The prayer of faith will heal the sick” (James 5:15).

The second gift that is sent to the sick person in the Sacrament of Anointing is the remission of sins. For the Apostle said: “If he [the sick person] has committed sins, they will be forgiven him” (James 5:15). Of course, in this case a person must show heartfelt contrition for his iniquities. He must bring to mind his entire life, all his lies, all the insults he has done to anyone. Having remembered all this, he must repent of his untruths from the bottom of his heart and ask God to forgive them. At the same time, he himself must forgive his neighbors, which of them is guilty of what against him, who has offended him in some way. For he must firmly remember the words of Jesus Christ, with which He taught people to pray to the Almighty: “And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). The patient must certainly fulfill all this, for this is what he desires from people. God Himself.

Who recovers after the Sacrament of Anointing and why?

The recovery of people from illness after unction often takes place before our eyes. The person gradually becomes better and better, and he soon recovers completely. This is often invisible to us: we think that the patient got up on his own, recovered on his own; in fact, the healing power of prayer helped here. It is not for nothing that it is said: “And the prayer of faith will heal the sick and raise him up. Lord..." (James 5:15). The word of God is not in vain, “for with God no word will fail” (Luke 1:37). And if the Lord, through His Apostle, said that He would heal the sick person in the Blessing of Anointing, then when after the Blessing of Anointing the sick person recovers, it follows that he recovers not on his own, but because the Lord helped him.

True, not all those who were unctioned recover. Some of them die. But this still does not mean saying or thinking that unction does not help the sick person.

The kind of relief in dying suffering that can follow the performance of this Sacrament is evidenced by the case described by the village priest Broyakovsky. One of his pious parishioners, Paraskeva, who was going to service early in the morning on the day of the Holy Great Martyr Barbara, was bitten by a mad dog a few steps from the temple, causing a large wound on her cheek. The bitten woman was immediately taken to a healer in a neighboring village. The priest, who learned about the incident only a few days later, had the intention of sending the victim to a bacteriological station. But her family opposed this, reassured by the fact that the wound had healed and the patient was feeling well. And indeed, already on December 19, she was fasting in her church, although she looked too gloomy. And five days later, the victim’s son came to the priest and said that his mother felt bad and asked him to come immediately and “cheat” her. Early the next morning, the priest found the patient lying on the stove and muttering something incoherently. While waiting for the church warden, he learned that the patient undoubtedly had rabies or, in other words, hydrophobia. For four days she refused to eat food, and especially water, and was terribly afraid of the cold, as a result of which she was always on the stove. During the ceremony, the patient sat on a bench. Her gaze was wild and wandering, so that she could not concentrate on one subject and behaved extremely restlessly: she would either utter some indistinct words, or suddenly, quite consciously and clearly, pronounce the words of prayer, very often make the sign of the cross in particular excitement , impetuously and earnestly. From time to time she cast unfriendly glances at her relatives, and at this time a terrible gnashing of teeth was heard. Obviously, she was mentally affected and greatly depressed by the awareness of her terrible situation. After reading the first Gospel, the patient, with terrible effort, gnashing her teeth, barely forced herself to kiss the holy book. Despite the fact that the husband and son were holding the hands of the tossing sick woman, the priest had great difficulty in anointing her body. And a new miracle of God’s mercy happened. At the end of the ritual, the patient completely calmed down. The grace of God, imparted by Him in the Sacrament of the Blessing of Unction, healed her spiritual infirmities. She stood up, bowed to the priest from the waist and said: Thank you, father, that you did not refuse to bring order to my soul. Some time after the unction with oil, Paraskeva asked for water, washed herself with it and drank. And in the evening, at six o’clock, she asked for food. At about 10-11 at night, the sick woman asked for her children, blessed them, and after that, shamelessly and peace, despite the difficult loss for them, they tearfully thanked the Lord God that he did not allow the disease to develop to its extreme degree and gave it to the sufferer, who had been a true Christian in life , Christian death, but, being guided by the Holy Mysteries, she departed to the Lord.

Without daring to unravel the secrets of God's Providence about human destinies, we can say the following about the death that occurred after the Sacrament of Unction.

Firstly, sometimes both the one who is about to receive unction and his relatives, who are preparing him for this Sacrament, do not do what is necessary for his recovery. Recovery requires faith in God's help and earnest petition either on the part of the patient himself or on the part of those interceding for him. For the healing Christ was, is and will be one and the same and demanded, demands and will demand the same from everyone in their healing. But what He requires often does not happen either to the patient himself or to those around him. The sick person often begins to receive unction because this is the custom among people, this is the custom. For the same reason, relatives and also acquaintances are often present at the unction of the sick: It’s not good not to be there, it’s a shame from people!” Consequently, none of those present at the unction had either sufficient faith or earnest petition. And without this, there is no recovery. For it is said that the prayer of faith, that is, faith combined with prayer, heals the sick.

Secondly, sometimes God does not send recovery to a person and for the benefit of the person himself. Perhaps, if a person recovered, he would become a great villain and sinner, and his soul would perish. God, knowing in advance what will happen next and how a person will live in the future, takes him to himself. After all, man cannot see this; the ways of God’s Providence are incomprehensible to him. You just need to firmly believe that God is good and does everything for the good of His creation! Thirdly, after unction, sometimes a person dies and because he needs it, it is time to die. God laid down an immutable law for every person to die someday: we see this ourselves. And if after unction a person always recovered, then he could never die, which is contrary to the will of God. Recovery from illness is a great gift, because every person wants to live longer. But an even greater gift is the remission of sins. This gift makes a person pure and opens the door to the Kingdom of Heaven. The Kingdom of Heaven is the most precious treasure, which a person must continually seek throughout his entire earthly life. Therefore, Orthodox Christians, do not be afraid to resort to the Sacrament of Anointing. When someone gets sick, let him receive unction without delay. And during the unction, let the sick person and his relatives pray with faith and hope for God’s mercy. By faith, God will fulfill their common desire. If the patient sees that the will of God is calling him to Himself, then he has nothing to grieve in the last minutes of his life: a blissful life is being prepared for him in the Kingdom of Heaven. Nevertheless, it must be said once again that unction very often brings a person recovery.

Gift of Healing

Health is a gift from God. This gift can be given to a person from birth and accompany him throughout his life. But this same gift can be given to a person even when his strength seems to be completely exhausted. In the Holy Church there is a special Sacrament that can be performed at any time and provide healing not just to one, but to everyone. This is the Blessing of Unction.

In the Lives of the Saints we read about how the Saints of God healed people from the most terrible ailments. They healed not by their own power, but by God's grace. In the Blessing of Unction we are given this grace, even if we ourselves are still far from holiness. And the grace of the Holy Spirit is powerful to free you from any illness.

What is Blessing of Anointing

Blessing of oil is a Sacrament in which, when anointing a sick person with consecrated oil (oil of plant origin), the grace of God is invoked upon him for healing from physical and mental ailments.

Why is this Sacrament called the Blessing of Anointing? Because during its celebration, the oil is consecrated, with which the congregation is anointed seven times, with a special prayer. Thus, the main substance of the Sacrament is the oil consecrated by prayers as established by the Holy Church, which is why this Sacrament is sometimes called Prayer Oil.

The Sacrament of the Blessing of Unction was established by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, Who gave the Apostles the power to heal all sickness and infirmity: “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, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.” (James 5:14-15).

It was the holy Apostles who became the first performers of this Sacrament. Thus, the Gospel narrates that, walking through the villages and preaching repentance, they “many patients were smeared with scrap and healed" (Mark 6:13). Healing was accomplished through invoking the name of God, with the sincere faith of the sick in the power of God, and anointing with oil became a visible sign of the descent of God’s grace on a person. Subsequently, this power of healing the soul and body was transferred to the successors of the holy Apostles - the clergy. Therefore, in the Church we have the opportunity to obtain not only forgiveness of sins, but also bodily healing.

Often the most serious illnesses leave a person who has received the Blessing of Anointing. However, it is important for a Christian to know what is the main thing in his life and what is secondary, making sure that the fruitless pursuit of bodily well-being does not become the main content of his life path. In this regard, let us remember how the Lord, instructing seventy disciples and sending them out to preach in twos, commanded: “Heal the sick who are in it (the city), and say to them: The kingdom of God has come near you.” (Luke 10:9). So, this is the most important thing - the approach of the Kingdom of God, and miracles of healing are only signs of the coming of this Kingdom. And already on earth, here and now, we can join the Kingdom of God - in church services, the Holy Sacraments and our warm, heartfelt prayers.

The Sacrament of the Blessing of Anointing confirms that God reigns over our physical nature, that all the ailments that strike us are in His omnipotent power, and He is able to overcome any of our illnesses. In the Sacrament of the Blessing of Anointing, the grace of the Holy Spirit is given, capable of freeing the soul from all forgotten sins committed out of ignorance and healing the body from illnesses . This grace transforms a sincere, believing heart, instilling in it pure, heavenly joy.

This Sacrament is also called Unction - this is the original Russian name, which has been assigned to the Blessing of the Unction since the 16th century. The fact is that this Sacrament is usually performed by a council, that is, a meeting of seven priests. However, if necessary, the Blessing of Anointing can be performed by one priest, who in this case acts on behalf of the full council of seven priests.

When performing the Sacrament, seven selected passages from the Apostle and seven from the Gospel are read, seven special prayers are said, and the sick person is anointed seven times with oil, to which red wine is added, as a reminder of the blood shed by the Savior.

Oil is a symbol of purity and zeal of sincere Christians, a symbol

the mercy and mercy of God addressed to man, and a symbol of the grace of the Holy Spirit, healing the soul and body of a person. Therefore, the use of oil in the Sacrament of Unction is not accidental, but deeply symbolic and filled with grace-filled power.

Why do you need to undergo unction?

Probably every believer asks the question, what is illness from a spiritual point of view and how to properly relate to your ailments?

Often illnesses are the consequences of sin; they indicate that our nature tends towards death. Illness is evidence that, having moved away from God, we have lost the bliss of Paradise. And therefore illness is an excellent teacher of repentance. Only in illness can we see our own weakness, the fragility of earthly well-being, appreciate the significance of God’s help for us, and realize the importance of spiritual and eternal blessings.

In suffering, accepted with faith and prayer to the Lord, the soul is cleansed from the burden of passions and sins. The Lord often allows illness to awaken in people a thirst for spiritual things. . But sometimes a person in illness gets tired of enduring. And it seems that physical ailments do not so much contribute as hinder spiritual growth. Physical pain sometimes interferes with a sober attitude towards one’s own soul, distracts from attentive prayer and loses its spiritual and educational meaning. An ill person is forced to do without church and services; sometimes he does not have the strength to read spiritual books and begins to lose heart.

In this regard, the Holy Church offers a special Sacrament aimed at healing our ailments - the Blessing of Anointing. It is important to understand: The Lord gave the Church the spiritual power of healing, so that people could use the newly received powers for good. After all, this is what health is given to us for. In the Sacrament of Anointing, we turn to God with a request to strengthen our soul and body. For many sick people, physical healing received through the Blessing of Anointing becomes a help in spiritual life. A person becomes stronger in faith and stops treating his own soul frivolously.

It is important to understand that in this Sacrament a person is forgiven sins forgotten or committed out of ignorance. . Suppose a person did not know that some act was sinful, committed it, and then completely forgot about it. Or, in another situation, having an idea about sins, a person, due to forgetfulness or absent-mindedness (not intentionally), did not mention any sin in confession - unfortunately, we are not able to see all our sinful offenses. Such unrepentant sins damage the soul, threatening it with future torment. The external manifestation of this state of affairs can be severe physical illnesses. In this case, illness is evidence of the destructiveness of missed sins and a kind of warning, a call to repentance.

In the Sacrament of the Blessing of Anointing, we pray to the Lord to send down all-healing grace on the one being gathered together. And this grace burns sins, and at the same time delivers from their consequences - bodily illnesses.

In the Sacrament of the Blessing of Anointing, people are sent from above two divine gifts.

One - physical healing . After all, spiritual shepherds, priests, who have been given a special gift to intercede for people before God, pray for the sick during Unction. In addition, the Unction is often attended by relatives and friends of the patient, who also pray. The patient himself prays as much as his strength allows. It turns out a whole cathedral of worshipers in full accordance with the very name of the Sacrament of Unction.

And the Lord promised: “Truly, I also say to you that if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.” (Matt. 18, 19).

Another gift is forgiveness of sins. This gift makes a person pure and provides him with the most precious treasure - the Kingdom of Heaven. Usually people pay attention only to the first gift - to those visible miracles (in particular, to bodily healings), which, by the grace of God, can be given in the Church, and do not notice the most important thing. However, at the Blessing of Anointing, disproportionately more is granted than just physical healing, which, by the way, according to God’s Providence, may not happen. At the Blessing of Unction, remission of sins is given - and for the eternal salvation of the soul this is the most important gift, irreplaceable by anything else.

However, in connection with the remission of sins served at the Unction, it is important to know that Blessing of Anointing does not replace the Sacrament of Penance . At the Unction, not absolutely all sins are forgiven, but only those committed out of ignorance and forgotten due to human weakness. Therefore, in order to receive the Blessing of Anointing in a worthy manner, it is advisable to first confess your sins as fully as possible.

How to properly prepare for the Unction

It is important to have the right inner attitude. Several components can be distinguished here. Firstly, before1 You must have ardent faith and offer sincere prayer. When preparing for the Unction, it is good to read akathists to the Savior, the Mother of God and the 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 a gathering 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, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive people their sins, then your Father will not forgive you your sins.” (Matthew 6:14-15).

Thirdly, it is important to learn to be more vigilant about yourself, about your inner world, and to 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. To do this, the Holy Fathers command to say short prayers more often, for example the Jesus Prayer: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner,” 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 Mother of God, 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 , so that the Lord would grant a sincere Christian much more than simple physical healing, because 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.

Since in the Sacrament of the Blessing of Anointing a person is forgiven sins forgotten and committed out of ignorance, then those who do well confesses his sins before the Blessing of Unction . In this case, the person acts sincerely and sincerely - he tries to confess everything he has sinned in, so that 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.

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.

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 quantities and is distributed to everyone. 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 the morning prayers, with the words: “ In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen", asking God for blessings for the coming day.

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.

The effectiveness of the Sacrament

It is known that in the Orthodox tradition it is customary to pray standing. This expresses our reverence, our service to the Lord God. And whoever prays sincerely, from the heart, a miracle happens - he does not notice either time or fatigue. But there are exceptions to every rule. Perhaps Unction is precisely the Sacrament in which it is possible to participate in a lying position, if, of course, this is due to the very state of the person being unctioned.

Sometimes after Unction, recovery occurs gradually, day after day, so that one might think that this is the natural course of treatment and the body’s fight against the disease. But it is important to take into account that human nature has now been strengthened by the grace of God, which is why it easily overcomes illness.

The Lord grants this joy and this spiritual light to every person who receives the Sacrament with faith. How important it is today to understand that for salvation it is enough to simply turn to the temple, and not go on long journeys to look for unknown miracle workers who heal mental and physical ailments.

If healing does not occur

It happens that the relatives of a sick person are perplexed: “How can this be? The man received unction, but he felt almost no relief.” God's providence about human destinies is a mystery that can only be partially revealed to us. The Apostle Paul has these words: “Through many tribulations we must enter the Kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). The Great Martyr Panteleimon himself experienced terrible bodily suffering at the end of his life and was killed - his tormentors tortured him, forcing him to renounce Christ. But he firmly confessed his faith even in torment

accepted bodily death. The Lord does not allow us such trials, seeing our weak faith, but He does allow illnesses and infirmities in which our faith can be strengthened. No one forces us to renounce our faith; on the contrary, in illness, faith can even increase.

In some cases, God does not provide healing, perhaps foreseeing that a person will use his health to the detriment of his own soul. Therefore, we can only firmly believe that God does everything for the good of His creation. So if even after the Blessing of Anointing health does not return, it means that there is a special Providence of God for this.

Of course, we should not forget that recovery is often achieved through the faith of the sick person and his relatives or friends who invited the priest and were present at the Unction. Sometimes the patient himself and his relatives do not have proper faith in God’s help and do not ask for it with zeal.

Why Blessing of Unction is not always

delivers from death

Sometimes people, exhausted by their sins and difficult fate, cannot die for a long time, languishing in painful and meaningless waiting. Unction, combined with Confession and Communion, helps them to inner peace and meet eternity with a purified soul. In this case, after the Sacrament, death can just come quickly - its appearance no longer brings eternal tragedy to the soul.

Unction does not always save a person from death for the simple reason that a person cannot live on earth forever. A person simply cannot be healed endlessly by accepting the Sacraments of the Church. After all, our nature bears the consequences of original sin, among which is the mortality that has prevailed over us. The Lord Himself accepted bodily death, which means we must go through this stage of our lives, knowing that the Savior was resurrected, and resurrected in order to grant us all a future resurrection.

On the correct and incorrect understanding of the Blessing of Anointing

Sometimes Unction is considered a kind of magical action, which should in itself, without moral change in the patient, heal him from the disease. In this regard, we note that the Blessing of Anointing, of course, contains the gift of possible healing. But the effect of the Sacrament extends primarily to the soul.

Some people believe that the Blessing of Anointing is a kind of addition to medicine, according to the principle: “If I go to the doctors, I’ll also go to the priest, and I’ll take unction, just in case, maybe it will help in something.” The sacrament is seen as a kind of alternative medicine that provides healing, like homeopathy, without strong medical intervention. The person doesn't understand that the spiritual gifts of the Holy Church are unearthly, they are incomparable and incomparable with any earthly healing means , traditional or non-traditional. In the Sacraments, it is not medicine that operates, but God’s grace, which heals a repentant person.

But the Blessing of Anointing in itself does not cancel the use of medicines given by God through doctors to treat our illnesses.

Some priests testify from their own pastoral practice that people who have not confessed for a long time may feel ill during Unction. Because they come spiritually unprepared for the Sacrament, viewing it as some kind of healing act, and not as a penitential ritual that requires preliminary preparation.

It is sometimes believed that the Blessing of Anointing should only be performed on the terminally ill. And by leaving Unction only for the seriously ill, we doom ourselves to possible illnesses. It is better to anticipate the possible appearance of a serious illness by timely participation in the Holy Sacraments, rather than remembering the Unction already at the moment of serious illness.

Is Unction

preparation for death

Why do some people think that Unction is a Sacrament of preparation for death? Because this Sacrament is often remembered just before death. And the reason for this is that we often remember about God in the very last place. And instead of accepting the Sacrament at the beginning of the illness, we reassure ourselves that everything will probably work out that way, and we postpone Unction until later. So it turns out that due to our negligence, it occurs just before death.

There is even an opinion that if a patient receives unction, he will definitely die. In reality, everything is completely different. The Sacrament of the Blessing of Unction was given to people to maintain their bodily strength and to sanctify their bodily nature, and not at all in order to prepare the sick person for parting with the body. The New Testament says about the effect of the Blessing of Unction: “The prayer of faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will raise him up” (James 5:15).

When can you take unction

You can and should take unction at any time when the need arises. In case of illness, you should not postpone the Sacrament until later. On the contrary, the Blessing of Anointing exists for the purpose of being received in illness.

In our time, there is also the practice of general Unctions of believers. This usually happens during Lent and other long fasts. 3apane days are appointed on which everyone gathers for church.

If you want to gather together with everyone, then it is better to come to the temple a little earlier than the appointed time, purchase a candle, make a donation and sign up, if required, for the candle box. Then stand in a place that is convenient for you next to other people who came to the Unction - usually the worshipers become rows between which it will be convenient for the priests to walk during anointings.

You must also have a napkin with you, with which, after the Blessing of Unction, we can wipe the oil from our face and hands. The napkin should then be burned, and the ashes should be poured into running water (a stream or river) or buried in the ground in an untrodden place.

Who is the Blessing of Anointing performed on?

The Blessing of Unction is being performed not only over those suffering from physical illnesses, but also over those suffering from mental illnesses . Such ailments must also include a difficult spiritual state, expressed, for example, in excessive sadness, grief, despair. The reason for this state may be unrepentant sins, perhaps not realized by the person himself. So the Sacrament of Anointing can also be received by physically healthy people.

Unction performed only on persons of the Orthodox faith , because only children of the Church can participate in the Sacraments of the Church. And for sick relatives or friends who are not baptized or non-Orthodox, we can only pray personally - perhaps the Lord will strengthen their health for future enlightenment with the light of the true faith.

It is known that It is not customary for infants to receive unction . The fact is that infants do not yet have personal sins, the Sacrament of Repentance is not performed on them, and the Blessing of Anointing is to some extent a continuation of Repentance. During the Unction, a believer and a repentant person are forgiven of forgotten sins that are the causes of illness, but infants do not have personal conscious sins, they cannot yet consciously express repentance before God, therefore the Unction is not performed on them. In case of illness of children, a prayer is performed for their health. Unction for children is blessed from the time from which they begin to participate in the Sacrament of Confession, that is from the age of seven.

Is it possible to administer unction to an unconscious patient?? The general rule is that no Sacrament is performed on a person if he is not in a conscious state. But with regard to the Blessing of Anointing, priests sometimes, out of personal boldness, allow an exception. The following conclusion can serve as justification. If the patient is an Orthodox Christian, went to church, and in general, if we know that he would not object to the Sacrament while conscious, then the Blessing of Anointing can be performed. Not every patient can ask for himself - due to his infancy or due to physical inability (when the patient is paralyzed or lying unconscious), in this case the faith and intercession of people close to him are accepted. For their sake, perhaps the Lord will heal the sick.

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 expect recovery from physical and mental ailments, and grants the sick 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 the Blessing of Anointing exists in the Church so that when a person begins to heal the body, he 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 gracious push to gather my strength and remove the shackles of despair, I can resort to to the 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 of 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 of medications, given by the Lord to heal our illnesses.

PRACTICAL TIPS: how to prepare for unction?

But before you take part in this Sacrament, you need come early and prepare. The performance of this Sacrament is paid. But it is necessary not only to pay, but also to HAVE ENTERED YOUR NAME to the list of congregants. 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.

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 need to take more headscarf(considering that your face will be oily and it will be very difficult to straighten your hair).

They also usually bring with them a bottle of oil(at your discretion, large and small, homemade oil or from the store). And place it on the table for unction (in the center).

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 dangles or fringes hanging from the sleeves - the backs of the hands will also be anointed. The forehead should 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.

The used oil bottle should be burned. Do the same with handkerchiefs and rags, with which you wiped excess oil on your face during Unction.

Unction usually performed in a temple, 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 next 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.

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 tassels 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.

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 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”... This is followed by a prayerful invocation of the Most Holy Theotokos, the 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 Anointing 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 place my sinful hand on the heads of those who have come to You to ask remission 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 there is 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 action. 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 goal and 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 illnesses” ( Isa. 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. “Always rejoice. 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 grumbled 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, grief, 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?

— Unless there is a particularly serious illness or difficult circumstances, the Blessing of Anointing should be attempted 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. The 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 for sticking candles into them on the central table, can be used absolutely at your own discretion. 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.