Unction of a seriously ill person: the meaning of the sacrament. The Rite of Unction: what is it and what is it for? When is unction performed in the church?

The Sacrament of Anointing is more often called Unction. Unction is the Sacrament of the sick and the healthy. You can learn more about this from our article!

What is Unction?

The Sacrament of Unction is not well known to many. That is why the strangest prejudices and misconceptions are associated with it. Sometimes it is believed that only the hopelessly sick need to be given unction, that after Unction a person either certainly dies or is certainly healed... What does the Church actually understand by this sacrament? Archpriest Valentin ASMUS tells.

Forgiveness of forgotten sins

The Sacrament of Anointing is more often called Unction (since it is usually performed by several priests, that is, conciliarly). What is its essence? Firstly, the prayers of this sacrament can heal a sick person, if it is God’s will. Secondly, and no less important, in the sacrament of Unction a person receives forgiveness of sins.

But what sins? Not those that need to be confessed in the sacrament of Repentance, which we are aware of and are trying to overcome. But each of us has many sins that pass by our consciousness due to our spiritual relaxation and coarseness of feelings. Either we, having sinned, immediately forget it, or we don’t consider it a sin at all, we don’t notice it. However, unconscious sins are still sins, they burden the soul, and it is necessary to be cleansed from them - which is what happens in the Sacrament of Anointing. In addition, if we talk about seriously ill people, it happens that, due to their general painful state, they simply cannot notice in themselves those sins that they would otherwise necessarily repent of in confession. So, if we bring sincere repentance, then in the sacrament of Unction we receive forgiveness of such unmentioned (beyond our will) sins in confession.

As for physical recovery, it can happen, we pray about this when performing the sacrament, and such miraculous healings actually often occur after Unction. However, one cannot count on this; one cannot perceive the sacrament as some kind of magical procedure that guarantees healing from all diseases.

From time immemorial

The Sacrament of Anointing, like other sacraments, is of evangelical origin; it was established by Christ Himself. As we learn from the Gospel of Mark (chapter 6), “having called the twelve, Christ began to send them out two by two, giving them power over unclean spirits. They went and preached repentance, cast out many demons, and anointed and healed many sick people.” According to this testimony, even before the Savior’s suffering at Calvary, such a sacred rite existed; it provided help to the sick both physically and spiritually. Then we find information about the Sacrament of Anointing in the letter of the holy Apostle James (chapter 5, verses 14-15). “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.”

The liturgical rite of the sacrament of Unction has been known in its current form only since the 15th century. The rite (that is, the order of performing the sacrament) has changed over the centuries, becoming more extensive, more fixed.

What were the stages? I’ll say right away that we don’t know everything. We know very little about the first centuries. In the earliest monuments that are related to this rite (III-IV centuries), there are such rites as “thanksgiving of water and oil” and prayer for the offered oil. The prayer for oil included asking God to bless this oil for anointing the sick and for them to consume it as food. In the 4th century, the consecration of oil was sometimes performed by a bishop - however, at that time other sacraments were performed mainly by bishops.

Then, in the Byzantine liturgical books of the 8th century, we see a more detailed sequence of prayers, the first of which is the one that begins with the words: “Holy Father, to the physician of souls and bodies...” This ancient prayer is still pronounced in our time during the celebration of Unction, and moreover, it is, in theological language, a secret-fulfilling formula.

Sometimes people ask: when did Unction begin to be perceived as a sacrament, when was it included among the seven church sacraments? By the way, the idea that there are exactly seven sacraments is not dogmatized in Orthodoxy; it is a Western theological tradition, which is also included in our textbooks. But some holy fathers considered other sacred rites to be sacraments, for example, the Great Blessing of Water on the Feast of the Epiphany, monastic tonsure... Be that as it may, the Blessing of Anointing began to be perceived quite early as a sacrament both in the East and in the West.

However, in Catholicism, the understanding of this sacrament until recently differed from the Orthodox one. In the medieval Western tradition, the Blessing of Anointing was customary to be performed only on dying people, hence its Catholic name, “extrema unctio” - “last anointing.” It must be said that this name for the sacrament, together with the corresponding understanding, penetrated into the 17th century. XVIII centuries and into our Church, was established in official church documents. And only in the 19th century, Saint Philaret (Drozdov) of Moscow insisted that this name of the sacrament be withdrawn from use as inconsistent with Orthodox understanding - which is what happened in the Russian Church. But even in the West, the medieval understanding of this sacrament has not been preserved. In recent decades, after the Second Vatican Council, Catholics have changed their attitude towards Unction, and now call it something else - for example, “the sacrament of the sick.”

Unction: two options, one essence

The Sacrament of Unction has two options for its implementation. Sometimes it is performed at home on one sick person, and sometimes in church, on everyone who wants to begin this sacrament and who can come to church for health reasons. In this case, it is usually timed to coincide with some special events of the church year. In the Russian Orthodox Church, this is most often the period of Great Lent, less often - Christmas.

Should you take unction often? As a rule, the sacrament of Unction is resorted to once a year, but, of course, the person himself must come to the realization that he needs healing. Not only in physical healing (even a physically healthy person can undergo unction), but above all in spiritual healing, he needs cleansing of his unconscious sins. I would like to note that after a person has received unction in church, it is extremely advisable for him to confess and partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ as soon as possible.

How does this sacrament happen? According to the rite, it should be performed by seven priests, although in reality there may be fewer priests - it is not always possible to gather so many even in the capital’s churches. But even with a smaller number of priests (even with just one), the sacrament will still be valid.

The modern rite of Unction is lengthy and complex. First, preparatory prayers and the canon are read, and then the rite itself is performed. Excerpts from the Apostolic Epistles included in the New Testament and from the Gospel are read, then a litany (a prayerful appeal to God pronounced by the deacon on behalf of those praying) is read, remembering the names of those who receive the sacrament. Then a prayer is read for the consecration of the oil and the anointing itself is performed. During anointing, the priest reads the already mentioned prayer “Holy Father, physician of souls and bodies...”. Then the second priest begins to participate in the sacrament, and again a similar cycle follows. This is repeated seven times. At the end of the rite, the Gospel is placed on the heads of those who have begun the sacrament with the reading of a special final prayer. After the service, believers can take home the oil left after the sacrament and use it for anointing. The same oil is also used at the burial of a Christian - it is poured into the coffin before closing the lid. So this sacrament reminds us of eternal life and prepares us for it.

How not to take Unction

Sometimes people have rather strange ideas about Unction. For example, that only seriously ill people who are on the verge of death should resort to it. This is a relic of the non-Orthodox perception of the sacrament as the “last anointing” - which is completely inconsistent Holy Scripture. After all, the apostles anointed with oil precisely for the sake of healing.

But one also cannot expect immediate recovery after Unction. Alas, sometimes in people’s minds this sacrament turns into something self-sufficient, external, almost magical. When I see crowds of people coming to church for Unction, I wonder: do they all confess and receive communion? Some of them 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, and no results No! As a result, people may grow cold towards the faith and towards the Church.

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.

I think it is necessary to say separately about the unction of people who are near death. Sometimes such people are afraid of this sacrament, believing that it will lead to an imminent death. But the duration of human life depends only on the will of a loving God, and the Lord often prolongs the life of a dying person precisely for the purpose that he can adequately prepare for the transition to Eternity - to confess, take communion and receive unction. Often, a priest called to a dying person immediately performs these three sacraments, sequentially. Unction for a dying person is absolutely necessary, because he is often simply physically unable to confess - but the sacrament of the Blessing of Anointing will free him from the burden of those sins that he would like to, but did not have time to, was unable to repent of in the sacrament of Repentance.

- Father Maxim, what is Unction?

Unction, or as it is also called Blessing of Anointing, is a church Sacrament in which, when 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, 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 illnesses are the result of sin, while sin itself is a spiritual illness. 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, sorrow, 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 serious 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 mean: “if anyone is sick, let him call the elders...” - that Orthodox Christians do not need medical 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 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, standing 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 of these 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.

Archimandrite Spiridon (Khodanich) talks about the rules of Unction.

Sacraments of the Church. Unction. Nicolas Poussin

During the days of Great Lent in all Orthodox churches The Sacrament of Unction is performed. However, many believers have a misconception about this Sacrament. Father, please tell us about him. What is the meaning of this Sacrament?

The Sacrament of Unction, or Blessing of Anointing, like all other Sacraments of the Orthodox Church, is of evangelical origin and was established by the Lord Himself. In the 6th chapter of the Evangelist Mark we read: “Having called the twelve, Christ began to send them out two by two, giving them power over unclean spirits. They went and preached repentance, cast out many demons, and anointed and healed many sick people.”

In the Apostle James we find a more specific indication of the meaning of the Sacrament of Unction: “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). From the words of the apostle you can see that we are talking about a sick person who wants to receive healing from the Lord from mental and physical illnesses - mercy (Greek. elaioa- oil; eleos- mercy). At the same time, it is important to understand that the “prayer of faith” should be not only among the shepherds performing the Sacrament, but also among the sufferer who falls before the Lord. In other words: whatever cup of repentance, heartfelt contrition for sins, pure prayer and faith a person brings to God, the Father will fill that with his life-giving grace.

“...Your faith has saved you...”(Mark 5:34).

“...According to your faith be it done to you”(Matt. 9:29).

“...He who doubts is like a wave of the sea, raised and tossed by the wind: Let such a person not think of receiving anything from the Lord.”(James 1:6, 7).

- Is it true that only the seriously ill and dying are given unction?

Can we determine the severity of the disease? There are no clear instructions regarding the degree of illness to perform this Sacrament. Unction is held for the seriously ill, the dying, and those suffering from mental illness: sorrow, despondency or despair, since their cause is most often the unconscious and unrepentant sins of a person. It is not necessary to perform the Sacrament of Unction on children under 7 years of age and on unconscious people.

Very often you can also come across the erroneous opinion that exists among the people that, they say, the Sacrament of the Blessing of Anointing is performed before a person’s departure from earthly life. In this way, people deprive themselves of this grace of God... Most likely, this is the influence of either the medieval Western tradition that existed before the Second Vatican Council, where Unction was actually performed only on a dying person and in connection with this was called the “last anointing” by the Catholic Church, or, as evidenced by history, the naming of the Sacrament of Unction as “last unction” penetrated and existed in our Church in the 17th and 18th centuries and was even established in official church documents. Only in the 19th century, thanks to the works of St. Philaret (Drozdov), the name was abolished as inappropriate to the Orthodox understanding. I think that now there is no person who would position himself as completely healthy, both mentally and physically.

Unction of old Count Bezukhov. Reproduction for L. Tolstoy’s book “War and Peace”. Artist A. V. Nikolaev

- How often can you receive unction?

We find the answer to this question in the Breviary of St. Peter the Mogila, where he says that during one illness we gather together once. If a person, in the same illness, resorts to the Sacrament many times, then he shows little faith or even distrust in God. You need to understand that illnesses are also sent to a person for his salvation, and the Lord, as the True Doctor of souls and bodies, knows best who benefits from what. All who approach in faith receive spiritual benefit.

- How to properly prepare for unction? Is it necessary to confess and receive communion before this?

There are no special instructions or instructions regarding preparation for the Sacrament of Unction, but, according to the established pious tradition of the Orthodox Church, we precede the Sacrament of Unction with confession and conclude with the Communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. If it is not possible or you did not have time to confess before the unction, then you can confess and receive communion after.

- Do the candles that we hold in church during the Sacrament of Unction need to be stored in some special way afterwards?

There are also no statutory regulations regarding the candles, oil and grains of wheat used in the Sacrament, but there is a tradition.

Candles can be left in the temple or taken home and lit during home prayer. Sometimes you hear such things about candles that you are simply surprised how a believer speaks and believes in such things. Talk that the candle has absorbed illness and will cause harm should be immediately rejected as superstition.

The oil that we are given in the temple after the Sacrament can be used, like wheat grains, in cooking. Also, during periods of certain illnesses, a person can prayerfully anoint himself with oil at home, applying it in a cross shape.

There is an opinion that during unction, sins that were forgotten to be mentioned in confession are forgiven. Is this true?

Regarding the forgiveness of forgotten sins in the Sacrament of Unction, he tells us great old man Optina Venerable Ambrose: “The power of the Sacrament of Anointing lies in the fact that it especially forgives sins that are forgotten due to human weakness, and upon the forgiveness of sins, bodily health is also granted, if God’s will be for it” (Collected letters in 3 parts. Sergiev Posad, 1908. Part 1. P. 80).

If we delve into the meaning of the prayers in the Order of Holy Oil, we will see that they are all permeated with the idea of ​​​​the connection of bodily healing with the forgiveness of sins. In the Gospel, our Lord Jesus Christ, when healing the suffering, does not say: “I heal you,” but always points to the root of the disease: “Your sins are forgiven you.”

By “forgotten,” that is, forgotten, sins are meant those to which a person has not attached importance in life and does not remember them due to his weakness, but these are by no means deliberately hidden sins that confuse us and are not consciously confessed.

Interviewed by Natalya Goroshkova

Probably, none of the seven church sacraments is surrounded by so many myths and superstitions as the Blessing of Anointing, or, as it is more often called, so to speak, in the worldly version - Unction.

For many people who are far from the Church, this very name causes trembling in their limbs: how can this sacrament not be perceived otherwise as pre-mortem preparations!

The “term” Blessing of Unction itself has a Greek basis and consists of two words: elaioa, which means “oil”, and eleos - mercy, which can be “translated” more broadly: when a clergyman prayerfully anoints a sick person with blessed oil, he is overshadowed by God's grace, capable of healing infirmities - both mental and physical.

The name “unction” comes from the word “cathedral” - not in the sense of “temple”, but in the sense of “meeting”, implying that ideally this sacrament is performed by a council of seven priests. But not every church has such a clergy, therefore it is quite acceptable to conduct the unction with just one priest.

About the essence of the sacrament

In the sacraments, all actions are not divided into major and minor. Ignorant people believe that the main thing in Unction is to be “anointed” with oil. This is fundamentally wrong. By itself, this product participating in the ritual does not possess the slightest magical power.

When a person, in principle, has no faith, when during the course of the action his thoughts are hovering somewhere and are far from the prayerful mood, then for him the Sacrament of the Blessing of Anointing loses all meaning.

Unction, like, indeed, each of the other church sacraments, requires the presence of the fear of God and faith.

What does church unction give to a person?

It is worth dwelling on this point in more detail. Everyone’s life is filled with a huge number of sins, and a person, due to his common sinful essence, sometimes does not even recognize them as such, simply does not attach importance to them.

But this does not even prevent them from remaining sins, gradually burdening the soul. Someone says: something is heavy on the soul, but perhaps he is completely unaware of why this is happening... But sometimes a sin is committed and forgotten. Note: it is not deliberately hidden, but forgotten, and that is why he does not repent in confession. It is from such sins that the Blessing of Anointing cleanses.

If we talk about, so to speak, physical recovery, then we can refer to the phrase of the Apostle James: “Is any of you sick, let him call the elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 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.”

At all Often after the Unction, truly miracles of healing occur. But this does not mean that this sacrament should be regarded as a procedure with a magical “accent”, providing one hundred percent and immediate healing from all sorts of ailments. But some who come to receive unction do not even take the spiritual aspect into account.

The other extreme is when people have very strange ideas regarding the described sacrament, in particular, that it is performed only on seriously ill, literally dying people. This is a non-Orthodox understanding, or rather misunderstanding, of the action perceived as the “last anointing.” Let us again remember the gospel testimonies: after all, the apostles of Christ anointed with oil precisely for the sake of healing.

And already There is absolutely nothing to fear from Unction and sick people themselves - it will in no way hasten their death, and, it is possible that it will help to recover or at least prolong life, in order to peacefully and Christianly pass on to another world - with the inevitable confession and communion.

Symbolism of the Blessing of Anointing

You can bring olive or sunflower oil.

Vegetable oil, called oil in church language, used in worship since biblical times, symbolizing the Holy Spirit. It can be olive or, in the absence of it, sunflower.

Light, God's mercy and healing are symbolized by oil in modern Christian Church. From the Gospel we know about many miraculous healings performed by Jesus Christ.

We also know that He endowed the gift of healing to His apostles, who, preaching Christ’s teaching, “anointed many sick people with oil and healed them,” which testifies to the establishment of this sacrament by the Savior of the world Himself.

Many of the actions performed in the process are rooted in those ancient gospel times and are therefore filled with special symbolism.

So, before the beginning of Unction, the fir trees are combined with red wine, as in Christ's parable of the Good Samaritan. He, having stumbled upon a traveler wounded by villains along the way, treated the wounds of the sufferer, pouring wine and oil on them.

Seven candles are lit near a vessel filled with oil, which marks the beneficial effects performed on us by the gifts of the Holy Spirit - and there are also seven of them.

The oil placed in the wheat is also a deep symbol, telling the patient about the following truth: after death, he will inevitably be resurrected in a renewed and incorruptible bodily shell, just as in nature a new stem sprouts from a sown grain of wheat.

When a priest blesses the oil with the sign of the cross, this shows that the entire action is performed by the power of Jesus Christ crucified on the Life-Giving Tree.

Anointing is performed with oil - oil consecrated in the church.

The clergy anoint those who come to the sacrament with oil, also depicting a cross on the forehead, on both sides of the nose, on the lips, cheeks, chest, palms and their back, as if conveying to them the grace of the Holy Spirit.

This action is a symbol of the purification of thoughts, as well as the five human senses, hearts and creations of our hands, i.e. all those “sources” that can help us commit sin.

The final ritual is the placing of the Holy Gospel on the heads of those praying- also a very important symbol. A special closing prayer is read. And this action is symbolized by the fact that the Savior Himself visited the sick - through His Holy Gospel, which tells how Jesus Christ healed all those who came to Him.

How it goes and how to behave

On the appointed day, a table is installed in the middle of the temple, where a cross is placed, Holy Gospel and a dish with grains of cereals, where they place the vessel where the oil and wine will be blessed. Seven tassels with which the anointing will be carried out are placed nearby, and seven lighted candles are placed. They will be extinguished one by one as the next Gospel passage about the healings performed by the Savior is read, as well as fragments of the messages of Christ’s apostles.

Those who wish to receive unction must write down their names on the list for priestly prayer at the candle box/church bench and buy candles. This is also a symbol testifying that the Son of God is the light of our lives. Holding them in their hands, the congregation stands around the perimeter of the temple.

The prayer begins with the exclamation “Blessed is our God now, and ever, and unto ages of ages,” and the names of those gathered are listed. The priest adds wine to the oil with a prayer for its consecration for the sake of “healing and cleansing the flesh and spirit” of the anointed parishioners.

During the entire performance, prayer appeals to the Creator and saints are heard, marked by the gift of healing. After each Gospel passage listing the names of those present, the Most Pure Mother of God, the Life-giving Cross, John the Baptist, the apostles and all the saints, and the priests go around all those present, anointing them with consecrated oil, with the prayer “The servant of God is anointed in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit for the healing of soul and body."

The blessing of oil lasts more than an hour.

At the same time, the anointed one says “Amen!”, translated as “Truly!”, thereby expressing his faith in the effectiveness of the sacrament being performed. During the priestly round, people sing a common prayer: “Hear us, O God, hear us, Master, hear us, O Holy One.”

Unction lasts quite a long time, maybe even a couple of hours. It depends on the number of parishioners who came and the number of clergy employed.

When the priest (or priests) returns to his place, prayers, special chants and the following Gospel and Apostolic passages are heard again. All this is repeated seven times.

When it happens

In some churches, registration for the Blessing of Unction is carried out several days before it, but it’s okay if you decide to take unction on this very day. Therefore, it is better not only not to be late for the sacrament in church, but to come early - add yourself to the list, buy a candle, venerate the icons, and get yourself into a prayerful mood.

Loud talking, laughing, and walking around unnecessarily are not allowed in the temple.

What clothes to wear?

You should choose clothes like this. so that the forehead and neck are exposed.

Considering the places that are anointed with oil, you need to choose appropriate clothing. It should be as comfortable as possible. A sweater or turtleneck that covers the upper chest would be clearly inappropriate. But a deep neckline in a woman's dress is also inappropriate - you are going to church.

It is best if it is a blouse or blouse that is easy to unbutton at the chest. Since the backs of the hands are also anointed, there is no need for this to be interfered with by, say, fringe or other danglers hanging from the sleeves.

A headscarf, headscarf or scarf must be tied so that they do not interfere with the ritual, opening your forehead as much as possible.

It is recommended not to wear jewelry in the form of rings, bracelets and chains: not only will they just get in the way, but they will also be generously smeared with oil.

To prevent oil stains from appearing on clothes, you can rub it into the skin or blot it with paper napkins.

In the temple and at home

You can call the priest to a sick person’s home or hospital.

Blessing of oil can be performed on one person who is sick, in his apartment or, if he is there, in a hospital, or, as is already clear from the above, in a church - above everyone who wants and can get here.

Unction in Orthodox Church usually occurs from the second week of Lent until Holy Week. During the Nativity fast, this is practiced less frequently.

Each church has its own schedules and customs; this can be held once during the Lenten period, or twice - at the beginning and towards the end. In crowded parishes there is a need to hold the sacrament literally every week. There are no other “Lenten features” regarding the sacrament.

There is no special fast established before the Unction. But since it is usually celebrated during Lent, naturally any Orthodox Christian is obliged to observe it.

As for the Blessing of Anointing at home or in the hospital, if a priest is invited for this, unction can be administered to everyone who is willing and present. You don’t need any special preparation for this. The main thing is that people understand their sins and repent of them.

However, again, each temple has its own rules. Therefore, it would not be superfluous to clarify with a specific priest what you should tune in to, and discuss all the details during your initial appeal.

In preparation for performing this sacrament at home, in the patient’s room in front of the icons, you need to place a table and chair covered with a tablecloth, boil a kettle of water, and prepare vegetable oil. A dish with wheat grains is placed on the table. If there is no wheat, other cereals are quite suitable: millet, rice, rye, etc.

The priest begins the ritual by censing around the table, the room, and everyone present. And then everything goes according to the regulations.

It may happen that, due to the condition of the patient, Unction must be combined with his confession and communion. In this case the order will change:

• first confession
• behind her is the Blessing of Unction,
• and everything ends with communion.

Life is full of various situations, and if there is a threat of imminent death, then so that a person cannot lose the last communion, immediately after confession they perform its abbreviated rite, and after that, if the sick person is conscious, they perform the Blessing of Anointing.

It is worth knowing that the sacrament is considered to have already been completed if the priest, having consecrated the oil, manages to read the necessary prayer over the sick person with anointing of the indicated parts of the body at least once.

Who can, who can't

Children under 7 years old cannot participate in the Sacrament.

At what age can you come to the Blessing of Unction? In the church, this is the age definition: a baby is a little person from real infancy to seven years old.

Unction is not performed on infants, after all, healing is directly related to the cleansing of the soul of the person receiving the unction from sins, as already mentioned, forgotten or unconscious. What kind of sins do children of this age have?

For a baby, the most healing remedy will be communion - as often as possible.

Blessing of oil is not performed on the sick if they are unconscious, as well as over mentally ill patients with manifestations of violence.

There is also no correspondence ceremony - you must attend and participate in person.

During the same long-term illness, the ailing person is given unction only once.

Those sentenced to death, people of other faiths, unrepentant sinners, and offenders of the faith cannot begin Unction.

According to the rules, this sacrament cannot be performed on those who have already died.

Unction is not a rite, it is a church sacrament, and the Church, through the blessing of oil and intense prayer, appeals to the Almighty to grant the sick recovery. At the same time, it is necessary to understand that this action is not at all a parting word with a dying context. On the other hand, a completely healthy person does not need such a sacrament. He should be cleansed of sins through confession, repentance and communion.

Many consider the sacrament of unction to be the last rite performed on the dying: all sins are forgiven and anointed with oil. But this is an incorrect understanding of the consecration of oil: it can be performed on any sick people and even on healthy people. The latter is carried out once a year over all those present in the church, sometimes several times a year.

Sacrament of Unction

Unction. or blessing of oil. - this is one of the seven sacraments in Christianity, it consists of anointing the body with consecrated oil. It is carried out both in Catholicism and Orthodoxy, the ceremony is performed by a priest or bishop.

Unction was established according to the Council Epistle of the Apostle James. He said that it was necessary to call a clergyman to the sick person so that he would anoint the sick person with oil and pray over him. Then the Lord will heal the sick person and forgive him all his sins. A similar thing can be read from Simeon, Archbishop of Thessalonica. He wrote that consecrated oil was given by God for the purification and sanctification of believers who want to get rid of sins.

Unction could only be used under certain conditions. Unction of the sick at home was performed and is performed today over:

In this case, the ceremony can be performed both at home and in church. It can be performed on one or several people; it can be performed on one person several times. Once a year during Lent, unction is performed in all churches over all the people who come to it. Occasionally it can occur several times a year.

Features of the Blessing of Anointing

Often the word “unction” is used in relation to a person who is near death and who can no longer be saved. Starting from the 19th century in Russia (and a little earlier in the West), the consecration of oil was performed on precisely such people and became a symbol of the dying rite, the last anointing. This was also reflected in the Apostle’s message: anointing was carried out on seriously ill people who were unable to come to church.

However, this is not the case:

In other words, unction is often performed precisely as a sacrament of cleansing from sin and thus delivering a person from illness. This will also help you understand how often a sick person can receive unction: the sacrament will not harm him at all and can be performed several times.

However, unction cannot replace confession and Communion. If a person has a grave sin in his soul, he needs to start with repentance and confession.

It is also worth noting that unction does not guarantee complete physical healing. Protopresbyter Alexander Schneeman notes that Christ first forgave a person’s sins and only then physically healed them. That is, the true meaning of the sacrament is to change the understanding of the essence of the disease, to change the patient’s perception. Only by understanding what caused the suffering (committed sins) can a person be healed by accepting this suffering as the gift of the suffering of Christ.

But the sacrament cannot hasten the death of a person.: the duration of a person’s life depends solely on the will of the Lord; cleansing from sin and anointing with oil cannot affect this.

Another misconception relates to the concept of “confirmation” - it is performed immediately after baptism. It has nothing to do with the consecration of oil and is performed under a completely different sacrament.

Procedure and conditions

Unction is performed by a council of seven priests(hence the name “unction”), however, if necessary, the ceremony can be performed by one person. Usually a mixture of oil and wine is used. They lubricate sore spots, and you can lubricate any area, including unsightly places. But usually the forehead, cheeks, lips, chest, legs, palms and hands are lubricated in a cross-shaped motion.

In addition to healing the disease, the priest forgives the patient’s sins, which he did not report in confession or forgot. Since it is believed that illnesses are sent to a person for his sins, it is important not only to pray for physical health, but also to remove the spiritual cause.

Preliminary preparation

If the unction takes place in a temple, you need to prepare for it:

You need to take with you:

If the blessing of oil is performed on a seriously ill person at home, no special preparation is required. It is enough for the patient to get in the right mood by reading a prayer, and for his relatives to prepare everything they need. The priest will give you the exact list.

Conducting a general sacrament

It is held in the church once a year for everyone. It can last from one to four hours, depending on the number of parishioners, priests and location.

How much does unction cost? It should be noted here that the amount depends only on the location. It can range from one hundred to a thousand rubles, usually no more. In this case, the money itself is considered a donation, not payment. In a number of churches, priests can perform the sacrament free of charge for poor parishioners, but you can only find out about this on the spot.

It goes like this:

When administering unction to a seriously ill person, the procedure does not change, only improvised furniture is used instead of a lectern. There is also usually one priest present, without a choir or assistants. Depending on the condition of the patient, the sacrament can be reduced: for example, instead of seven passages, one is read.

Sequence of prayers

According to tradition, the rite of the sacrament consists of several stages:

After each reading of the Apostle and the Gospel, a litany and a final prayer are read, at the same time the sick person is anointed with oil. After the last reading of the Gospel and anointing, the priest places the Gospel on the patient’s head and reads a prayer of permission.

Unction or consecration of oil is a sacrament in Christianity that is performed on a sick person for his recovery and forgiveness of sins. Contrary to popular but incorrect belief, the sacrament can be performed not only on the dying, but also over healthy people. This helps them rid their souls of hidden or forgotten sins. General unction is held at least once a year for everyone in almost all churches.