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 authority from Jesus Christ, “ many sick people were anointed with oil and healed”(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 Anointing exists in the Church for this reason, 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 must 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 medicines , given by the Lord to heal our illnesses.
But before you take part in this Sacrament, you must 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 while performing the Sacrament of Unction. Therefore, you must first approach church shop.
It is also necessary buy a candle, which you will hold in your hands during the entire Sacrament of Unction, which 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 also need to take 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 droops 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, maybe taught at home too.
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 oil and wine” (Luke 10:34), and the wine added to it in a small amount symbolizes Redemptive 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, telling us about miraculous healings diseases. 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 with 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 with spiritual feat and prayer and 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, a prayer is read: “ Holy Father, physician of souls and bodies, having sent Thy only begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who heals every ailment and delivers from death, heal Thy servant (or Thy servant) from the bodily and mental infirmities that beset him (or her) and quicken him (or her) with the grace of Thy Christ“…The following is a prayer 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 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 those gathered ends with the placing of the Gospel on their heads, holding it with the letters down, as if the healing hand of the Savior Himself - 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 for forgiveness of sins; but Your strong and strong hand, which is in this Holy Gospel, and I pray to You with them, our Savior, You Yourself accept Your repentant servants 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 the 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're talking about 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 remedy 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 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 Tannicity 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 reception of the Saints Mysteries of Christ, because according to the faith of the Church, Unction also provides forgiveness for the sins we have forgotten, and, naturally, a person who has confessed and sincerely cleansed his soul with repentance 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 quoted by you mean: “If anyone is sick, let him call the elders...” that Orthodox Christians do not need health care? 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 are preparing, or, in case of certain ailments, after praying, 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.
Blessing of Anointing (unction) is one of the seven Church Sacraments. Several priests participate in the Blessing of Anointing, which is why this Sacrament is called unction - from the word “cathedral”. I heard from a friend of mine that everyone Orthodox Christian it is necessary to undergo unction, and this is very important. But she couldn't explain to me why. In the article I will tell you what unction in the church is, why this Sacrament is performed, and what it gives to a person. We will find out the rules for preparing for the ceremony, a list prayers read and dangerous superstitions. I have personally heard how people were afraid to undergo the rite of unction because of the fear of death.
The meaning of unction
Let's look at why the Orthodox need the Blessing of Anointing. During the Sacrament, the priest blesses the forehead with consecrated oil, as a result of which the believer receives God's grace and spiritual healing. Along with mental healing, a person also gains physical healing, since the source of any illness is sin. We can find an example of the first Blessing of Unction in the Gospel. When a paralyzed man was brought to Jesus, he absolved him of his sins and said:
Of course, not all bodily ailments are the result of sins, but most of them come from this. That is why the church holds the Sacrament of Unction to forgive sins and help in the healing of illnesses.
The Sacrament of Unction does not replace or cancel the Sacrament of Confession.
The question arises, does confession really not forgive our sins? To this, the church fathers explain that a person does not always know all the sins that he has committed. There are also unconscious sins that are hidden from understanding. It is because of this that a person is unable to produce true repentance. During the Sacrament of the Blessing of Anointing, a council of priests asks for a person and petitions the Lord for mercy.
What sins are forgiven during unction:
- old forgotten sins;
- committed in ignorance;
- sins unknown to man.
The listed sins are absolved to a person during the Sacrament of Unction. If a person is in in serious condition due to illness and cannot repent, unction removes all sins from him. Blessing of oil is always carried out in case of a serious, deadly illness, so that the person does not die without repentance. This is a very important church rite that has a deep spiritual meaning.
Blessing of oil is the complete healing of a person.
At the end of the Sacrament, one should partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. After the ceremony the person is left with blessed oil, which can be used at home. Anoint sore spots with oil in a cross pattern. If there is no sore spot, lubricate with oil:
- cheeks;
- heart area;
- hands and palms;
- shins.
You can also add it little by little to your food.
Is unction a guarantee of recovery? This depends entirely on the will of God. The purpose of the Sacrament is to change a person’s perception of suffering and illness, to change thinking and life values. The Sacrament should not be confused with a magical rite or medical procedure - it is, first of all, repentance and correction of the soul. Some faint-hearted Christians may even lose faith in the faith without receiving the long-awaited healing.
Why does a person not always receive healing after unction? Because it is a gift from God, and this gift does not depend on the actions of the clergy or any actions. Therefore, you should not expect a miracle, but you should simply strengthen your faith and try to live according to God’s commandments.
Dangerous superstitions
Many have heard that unction is carried out just before death, so they are afraid of this rite. Cowardly Christians believe that the Blessing of Anointing will inevitably hasten their death. But these are just prejudices that have no meaning. Unction removes unrepentant sins, and does not prepare a person for death.
Life and death are in the hands of God and do not depend on the Sacrament of Unction.
There are also other superstitions associated with the Blessing of Anointing:
- you can’t eat meat;
- you need to fast three times a week;
- marital duty cannot be fulfilled;
- It is forbidden to take medications and take a steam bath.
These superstitions are extremely dangerous and undermine faith in receiving God's grace. If a seriously ill patient has recovered after unction, he can carry out the usual righteous life without additional restrictions.
Carrying out the ceremony
How to prepare for unction? First of all, the priest must bless the unction. Then you need to buy a candle at a candle shop and sign up to participate in the ceremony. Before unction, you should confess the sins that you remember in order to remove excess burden from your soul. You don’t have to go to confession, but the priests recommend doing so.
When is the unction held? On the eve of Easter, the Sacrament of Unction is performed several times in a row, however, this ritual can be performed at any other time if necessary. For example, for a bedridden patient, you can invite priests to your home.
How often can you receive unction? This Sacrament is performed only once a year. If a person suddenly becomes ill, the unction is repeated.
Does preparation for unction involve fasting? There is no need to specially fast before the Sacrament, because seriously ill people need a special nutritional regimen. However, healthy Christians who wish to receive unction on the eve of Easter are required to follow the rules of Great Lent.
Who can take part in the ritual? Anyone baptized in Orthodox Church person aged 7 years and older. Infants are not given unction. Forget that unction is performed only with a dying person. This covenant was established by the apostles of the first church:
Relatives of seriously ill people are interested in Is it possible to administer unction to a person in a coma? You need to talk about this in detail with the priest. If a person has previously taken part in church life, was a conscientious Christian, the clergy will definitely meet the requests of his relatives.
Who needs unction? Not only physical illnesses are caused by unrepentant sin, but also mental ones. A person who is in despondency and despair is considered spiritually weak, and therefore needs absolution.
Sometimes the Blessing of Anointing is confused with Confirmation. These are two different rituals. Confirmation is performed after a person’s baptism; it contains the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Blessing of Oil is carried out according to the commandment of the Apostle James. who instructed to heal the sick through repentance.
Many people associate unction with a dying church rite, because a priest is always invited to a dying person for the final anointing. I was very surprised when my sister-in-law suggested that I undergo unction during Lent. I’m not going to die, why should I receive unction? But it turned out that I was very mistaken, and the Sacrament of Unction is performed even for healthy young people. In the article I will tell you about the features of the blessing of oil, when it is performed and why.
During the consecration of oil (anointing of the sanctified church oil) God's grace descends on a person. At this time, you can be healed from serious illnesses. But the main meaning of unction is the remission of even those sins that a person does not know about or has forgotten. Although unction is performed for dying people, it is intended for all believers. Only children under seven years of age are not given unction, since they do not commit conscious sins.
Unction is one of the seven Church Sacraments and differs from prayer or liturgy. If during a prayer service we testify to our faith, we hope for God’s forgiveness and mercy. Then, during the Sacraments, God's grace descends on a person, regardless of his merits.
The sacrament of the consecration of oil was established by the apostles, disciples of Jesus:
Since most diseases are caused by human sins, remission of sins leads to bodily healing. However, wickedness will not help a person receive God's grace. If during confession a believer concealed his sins, counting on automatic forgiveness through the blessing of oil, this option will not work. God sees the heart of a person and knows all his secret thoughts. Therefore, before unction you should go through confession and repent of everything sincerely.
Why is the consecration of oil called unction? Because 7 priests take part in the ritual - the cathedral. During the consecration of oil, 7 chapters from the gospel are read after obligatory prayers. The number 7 in Christianity is considered sacred and denotes the completeness of something. After each reading of a chapter from the gospel, the priest anoints the body of the believer with oil. A total of 7 anointings are performed.
The sacrament of unction is carried out in the church during the days of Lent, as well as in any other place where a seriously ill person is located. If a believer takes unction during Lenten days, he must observe church post. However, seriously ill people do not need to adhere to this rule if they are prescribed a medical diet.
What needs to be done after the blessing of oil? It is necessary to receive Holy Communion at the nearest liturgy.
The difference between anointing and confirmation
Some believers do not see the difference between confirmation and unction, as well as anointing All-night vigil. Confirmation (the seal of the Holy Spirit) is carried out immediately after a person’s baptism; these are two complementary Sacraments. Anointing during the All-Night Vigil does not belong to the Sacraments, it is part church rite.
Who needs unction
Blessing of oil must be performed on a dying person in order to cleanse the soul of sins. The sacrament is also performed on all Orthodox Christians suffering from physical and mental illnesses. For example, despair and sadness are considered mental illnesses that require healing. Unconscious sins, which a Christian does not take into account, lie a heavy burden on the soul - hence sadness, sorrow and despondency.
The sacrament is not performed on mentally ill people and unconscious patients.
Many believers do not understand why unction is needed if there is a Sacrament of repentance? Human nature is inherently weak, and we may not always be aware of our sins. The intercession of a council of priests for a person has enormous spiritual power, because God is pleased when they pray for their brothers and sisters. The Council of Priests begs the Lord to grant the believer remission of sins and bodily healing, and this plea cannot fail to be heard.
What sins are forgiven during unction:
- long forgotten and unconfessed;
- committed in ignorance;
- which a seriously ill person cannot talk about due to health reasons;
- which cannot be redeemed by good works.
Are all believers healed after the Sacrament of Unction? There is a superstition that after the blessing of oil a person will either recover or die. It's a delusion. There may not be healing, because everything is God’s will. A believer should strive to improve, lead a God-fearing lifestyle, and not be disappointed in the lack of healing. Unction is not a magical rite or medical procedure, but the grace of God.
Healing is a free gift of God's grace, which does not depend on the actions of people. We must, first of all, think about spiritual things, and not the desire to get help in need.
Seriously ill people are sometimes afraid of the blessing of oil, thinking that it will inevitably lead to death. But this is a serious misconception. The hour of death of a person does not depend on church rites. God can prolong the life of a sick person so that he can take care of his soul: have time to repent, take communion and prepare for the hour of death.
Questions and answers
Is special preparation required for the Sacrament? If possible, it is advisable to confess and receive communion before the blessing of oil. For the blessing of oil, bring with you vegetable (olive) oil, Cahors, candles, rice (wheat).
You must come to the Sacrament in advance and sign up at the church shop, indicating your baptismal name. You also need to buy a candle there.
Is special clothing required for unction? Since the priest will anoint the chest with oil in a cross pattern, you should wear a jacket with buttons or a zipper. You cannot wear a turtleneck sweater or turtleneck. It is recommended to take a handkerchief or napkin to the Sacrament of Anointing to remove excess oil from the skin.
How many times a year can you have unction? Once is enough, unless an unforeseen illness or traumatic event occurs.
Unction does not replace the Sacrament of repentance and does not cancel it.
Is it possible to continue medical treatment after unction? Spiritual healing does not replace medical treatment, as these are different things. It is necessary to complete the entire course of prescribed therapy to the end.
Is it possible to eat meat after healing? Many people are sure that the resulting healing imposes on them a ban on eating meat. This is a superstition not related to church rules.
Is it necessary to fast on Mondays after healing? except Wednesday and Friday? This also applies to superstition; unction does not impose an obligation for additional fasting.
There is another superstition that After unction, it is forbidden to have marital relations and take a steam bath. This is an absolute misconception and does not apply to church canons and rules.
How to properly use consecrated oil, taken from the church? Oil can be added to food, and also smeared crosswise on sore areas after the prayer has been said.
What to do with wheat grains taken after unction in church? You can cook porridge from them or sprout them on a dish with water and eat them. In church practice there is no special ritual with wheat grains, which were used at the blessing of oil.
Wine after unction can be added to food, take orally. After the blessing of oil, candles are lit at home when one of the household members becomes ill. However, if many sick people took part in the Sacrament of Anointing, it is better not to take candles home.
What is unction in church and how to prepare for it. Unction is a sacrament of the Orthodox Church that is rarely performed, mainly during periods of great Lent. It is also called the Blessing of Anointing. Because during the Sacrament with prayers and reading scriptures The oil (oil) is consecrated and those participating in the Sacrament are anointed with it seven times.
For deliverance, by the grace of God, from diseases of the body and soul and sins, which are the main cause of illnesses. A powerful spiritual energy can be felt, so much so that some priests only recommend it to sick people.
They usually take part in it once a year and take consecrated oil with them to consecrate their oil throughout the year. Now this very Sacrament is carried out in many churches.
What is unction and how is it carried out?
What is unction and how is it carried out?
This is a Sacrament in which, when a sick person is anointed with consecrated oil, the grace of God is invoked upon him for healing from physical and mental illnesses and the remission of sins forgotten without malicious intent.
The sacrament of the consecration of oil is also called unction, because seven priests gather to perform it, although one priest can perform it if necessary.
Unction begins with the Holy Apostles. Having received from the Lord Jesus Christ the power to heal every disease, they “anointed many who were sick with oil and healed them” (Mark 6:13). St. speaks in detail about this Sacrament. James: “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.
The Sacrament of Anointing (Unction)
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). Infants are not given unction, because they cannot consciously commit sins.
Previously, the blessing of oil was performed at the bedside of the sick, now - more often - in church, for many people at once. A small vessel with oil is placed in a dish with wheat (or other grains) as a sign of God’s mercy, to which, in imitation of the Gospel good samaritan and as a reminder of the shed Blood of Christ, red wine is added.
Around the vessel, seven candles and seven sticks with cotton wool at the end are placed in wheat. All those present hold lit candles in their hands. After special prayers, seven selected passages from the epistles of the apostles and seven gospel narratives are read.
What is unction in Orthodoxy
What is unction in Orthodoxy?
After each of them, with a prayer to the Lord, the physician of our souls and bodies, the priest anoints the sick person’s forehead, cheeks, chest, and hands with a cross. After the seventh reading, he places the opened Gospel, like the healing hand of the Savior Himself, on the head of the sick and prays to God for the forgiveness of all their sins.
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.
How does unction take place in church?
Taken from church literature
How is unction performed in church?
Unction is usually performed for parishioners during Lent. On Thursdays, if a holiday does not fall on it, you can receive this sacrament in the afternoon.
Usually a week after fasting, a notice is posted in the church with the dates and times of unction. Several days are given. You can choose any one. Throughout the fast, you can choose a convenient day. You don’t need to go to all the unctions, just one. Many days are given so that everyone who wants can receive the sacrament.
Ask in advance what to bring. Usually they ask for 1 kg of any cereal, a bottle of oil and a bottle of Cahors. Money for alms and for a candle.
If you have a problem with money, then you may not bring everything or bring a little - God sees everything and will reward you according to your diligence.
Sacrament of Unction: how to prepare
Sacrament of Unction: how to prepare
Buy 7 candles or one large one. Candles are lit before the next reading of the holy scriptures and extinguished before anointing. There are 7 anointings in total. For each one, take a new candle or light the old one.
Take a handkerchief with you; women also need to take a headscarf, a container for oil (a jar or bottle with a lid) and a bag or pouch for cereals.
You need to dress so that you can unbutton your blouse on your 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. Do not wear gold on your neck and fingers, the bracelets will also get dirty and get in the way.
You will need a handkerchief to wipe yourself off a little at the end (not wipe everything clean) or during the unction, if the oil leaks, blot it with a handkerchief.
Unction what to do
Unction, what should be done?
After the unction, everyone will be given oil mixed with wine and cereals - usually a mixture of different cereals - in their containers.
You can add a tablespoon of this oil to a bottle of regular oil that you use for frying, salads and other dishes. You can also rub sick parts of the body with consecrated oil. This oil, like the cereal, is used a little at a time throughout the year - until the next post.
Small handfuls of cereal are added to dishes during cooking. All this greatly helps the one receiving the unction.
After this sacrament there may be any aggravations in life or in physical body. They'll pass soon. Do not worry.
The unction takes a long time. Depending on how many people are in the church - from 2 to 4 hours. Take this into account and plan how you will get home. The main thing is to try to reverently carry the sacrament on yourself for at least the entire next week from the unction. After the unction, the candle or candles should be taken home and lit for yourself in case of illness or other emergency with prayer.
If a priest has come to you, then you can administer unction to everyone who wishes and is present, and special preparation for this is required. by and large not required. But there must be understanding and repentance of sins. But still, find out from a specific priest which unction you should tune in for, or immediately discuss all the details of your initial appeal.
If someone is sick, you should definitely offer to confess, receive communion and receive unction.
It often happens that a person cannot come to church on his own or has never gone to church at all, but, having fallen ill, he wants to confess, take communion, receive unction, and if he has not been baptized, also be baptized. Even if the patient himself has not thought about it, his close people should remind him of this. The sooner you begin these sacraments, the faster Divine Grace will begin to act on a person with all its beneficial consequences.
Before calling a priest, you need to correctly explain to the sick person the meaning of these sacraments and under no circumstances wait until the person is in a very serious condition
Many are afraid to invite a priest home, because the sick person may think that this is preparation for death... As they say, “iron logic”, let the person die like this, and then we will write queries on the Internet: “What to do if a person died without confession and communions." And in general, such thinking simply undermines any greater chance for a person to improve.
The practical meaning of unction
The meaning of confession (confession precedes repentance), communion and unction comes down to the forgiveness of sins and the effect of Divine Grace on a person - both healthy and sick people, therefore communion and unction have a beneficial effect on the condition of people: someone actively begins to recover, and someone suddenly goes to the Lord, bypassing many bodily sufferings that were prescribed for a person for his sins, but the Lord has mercy on the person.
And if a person is dying, does he need it?
Yes, firstly, there are also examples of healing, and secondly, if a person dies, then his soul will experience heavenly joy, and not hellish melancholy, because everyone will answer for every idle word he says if the sin is not forgiven, and the sacraments are precisely connected with the forgiveness of sins.
What to do if a person is no longer conscious?
The priest will decide whether to give communion to a person or not, but it is definitely necessary to administer unction
How to invite a priest?
Most the best option- personal communication, not by phone or online, but in person.
How to prepare a patient for the sacrament of unction?
It is very important that a person sincerely repent and understand his sins. Therefore, it is important to tell what sins there are, to simply acquaint a person with sins. There is a section on our website for this, special books. Without repentance you won’t have to wait for a miracle; believe me, this is very important.
How to prepare for the arrival of a priest?
It is necessary to prepare an empty table, a chair and boiling water in the volume of a kettle, olive oil.
What would be nice?
If you read any prayers you can
The importance of participation in the sacrament of unction is very great
If you knew how important this is, you would carry your loved one to the temple in your arms! But not everyone understands this, and this, of course, is extremely sad!
Which priest is better to invite?
It is better than the one who knows the patient, if not, then anyone, because the celebrant of the Sacrament is still Christ. It is important that the priest tries to open the person to repentance, but here a lot is done based on the situation, so everything depends on the “X” factors.
What is the price? Or how much should I give the priest for confession, communion and unction?
The question is common, but not entirely correct. Everyone has their own possibilities, and they usually proceed from the possibilities during sanctification, avoiding extremes. Ask the priest who performed the unction. If he answers “how much will you give,” then you can ask for guidance, saying, “how much do they usually give?” and the priest can give you direction of thoughts.
The question is posed completely incorrectly - we will give as much as we don’t mind, this formulation is incorrect. Another thing is that if there is no opportunity, it happens, and there are no questions at all, the priest will do everything that is required of him without any problems and will not take money. The priest visits the barracks and is very nice apartments, because people are people everywhere, and this is life.
It is good and right when people treat with respect, understanding that such a sacrifice is a sacrifice and it comes from the heart, and the Lord will reward everything a hundredfold.
Interesting remarks that few people talk about
The priest often confesses to people in hospitals in various states, and the Lord expects repentance and change from all of them. It is important here that the priest makes attempts to explain to the person the need for sincere repentance and the meaning of the sacraments. And if a person’s heart softens and he repents sincerely and in detail, then extraordinary Divine joy and resolution of the situation await him.
But if everything goes off formally or without proper repentance, then, as a rule, there will be some relief, but completely temporary - for a day, two, three, and so on.
I have seen many people who have been sick for years, many are in a 50/50 situation, for some the doctors have already told how much is left, and a painful death awaits them, but in reality everything happens in a special way, according to God’s will, only you need to allow God to come to you, and not move away from it.
So, you come to confess, take communion, but the person does not really repent, and does not understand his sins, in practice, it becomes easier for a couple of days, those who have not slept begin to sleep, those who suffer severe pain are consoled, those who are tired are relieved, some even begins to walk temporarily. But in fact, he will continue to suffer until he atones for his sins with bodily suffering and until a person develops humility. There are many such cases, and the priest actually sees it all: the attitude and everything else.
