About the rules of Unction: how this Sacrament takes place. The sacrament of unction: what is it, essence, unction at home

The sacrament of healing the soul and body - these words can convey the essence of the sacrament, which we know as the Unction, and in church books is often called the Sanctification of the Unction. The name "unction" comes from the practice of performing this sacrament by several priests - "council".

The purpose of the sacrament of Unction is the total healing of a person. In the prayers that are read during the celebration of the sacrament, requests are repeatedly addressed to God for the forgiveness of the sins of the afflicted and for his recovery. The very bodily healing in the prayers of the sacrament is made dependent on the healing of the soul, for which repentance is necessary, that is, the forgiveness of sins, combined with a firm promise to correct one's life in accordance with the commandments of God.

To perform the sacrament, oil is used (vegetable oil, if possible - olive oil). Oil is one of the oldest religious symbols. Since ancient times, it has been not only a food product, but also a medicine, a substance for lamps, and a cosmetic product. The abundance of oil was perceived as a sign of God's blessing. They rubbed the body with oil, anointed the hair. Oil was anointed for the ministry of prophets, priests and kings.

Even the holy apostles anointed the sick with oil, praying for their healing. App writes about it. James: Is any of you sick, let him call for 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, he will be forgiven (James 14:15). From this text it can be seen that already in apostolic times there was a practice of anointing the sick with oil, but, it is important to note, the healing power is attributed not to the oil itself, but to the “prayer of faith”. The consequence of this sacrament, according to the apostle, is the healing of the body and the forgiveness of sins.

Traditionally, this sacrament is performed by several priests, not necessarily seven. But in exceptional cases, one priest can do it.

The modern rite of Unction is a lengthy one. First, preparatory prayers, the canon, are read, and then the rite itself is performed. Reading excerpts from the New Testament apostolic letters, from the Gospel, then the litany is pronounced ( prayer appeal to God, pronounced by the deacon on behalf of those who pray) with the commemoration of 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. When 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 concluding 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 for the burial of a Christian - it is poured into the coffin before being closed with a lid. So this sacrament reminds us of eternal life and prepares us for it.

Are sins forgiven at Unction?

Undoubtedly, yes, if a person internally repents of them - after all, it is with a request for the forgiveness of sins that prayers for healing begin. But it is important to remember that in order to repent of such serious sins that are incompatible with being in the Church (such as murder, including abortion, fornication and adultery, including cohabitation in the so-called “civil marriage”, without registration, and falling away from the faith in various forms, including turning to other religious practices, fortunetellers, invoking spirits, various forms of magic and the occult, and other serious sins in relation to neighbors) - the sacrament of Penance is required, which for a person who has committed serious ("mortal") sins, is in fact the sacrament of return, re-joining the Church. And the notion that only forgotten sins are forgiven in Unction is absolutely absurd. In the prayers of the sacrament, nowhere is it specifically said about "forgotten" sins, it is always about the complete forgiveness and healing of a person.

Unction does not guarantee healing

Everything depends solely on the will of God, and we cannot force Him to do as we see fit. As Prot. Alexander Schmemann, recalling how, during His earthly life, Jesus Christ first forgave the sins of people, whom He then granted healing, “the true healing of a person does not consist in restoration - for a while! - his physical health, but in changing, truly transforming his perception of illness, suffering and death itself ... The purpose of the Sacrament is to change the very understanding, the very acceptance of suffering and illness, to accept them as a gift of the sufferings of Christ, converted by Him into victory ”(from the book“ For the life of the world ").

On whom is the sacrament performed?

In the West, Unction is often perceived as the "last anointing" and is performed exclusively on the dying.
From the apostolic epistle it is clear that we are talking about such sick people who themselves cannot come to the temple. However, since antiquity (from the 4th century) the practice of consecrating the Unction has been known not in the patient's house, but in the temple. Later, in the West, Unction was perceived as the "last anointing", performing it exclusively on the dying. There are no grounds for such an opinion, because the purpose of the Unction is the healing of a person, and not a dying parting word.

Until now, among Orthodox theologians there is no unambiguous opinion whether it is possible to perform Unction over healthy people. The practice of mass gatherings in great post, and sometimes - in other positions, has spread in the Russian Church only in recent years.
However, since the tenth century there are references to the fact that the anointing was performed not only on the sick person himself, whose life was in serious danger, but also on all those in his house. One of the Greek manuscripts of the 11th century says that along with the sick person, not only his household can receive anointing: even the house, rooms, doors, walls are anointed with oil, because a person’s illness affects everyone and everything around.

General unction is also known in Greek Church from where it penetrated into Russia. In the 17th century, this rite was performed on Maundy Thursday and Holy Saturday. Once a year, after Matins on Maundy Thursday, a general Unction was also held in the Dormition Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin. At the same time, both in Greece and in Russia, during the general Unction, the anointing was performed not seven times, as over the sick, but only once - at the end of the rank.

Recently, the practice of frequent unction of people who do not have obvious diseases has spread. This is done under the pretext that we are all "sick with sin." This is true, but sinful people should first of all strive for repentance and correction of life, and not unction. Rector of the Church of St. Martyr Tatyana at Moscow State University, father Maxim Kozlov, regarding this practice, asks fair questions: “Can this practice be further developed or should it be limited? And if so, what are the limits of frequency for a person who does not suffer from diseases, for a person suffering from diseases, for a mentally ill person. Or the question of the unction of children. In the synodal era, children under 7 years of age were not unified. What is it based on? Can we agree with this limitation, formulated in the synodal era, or is there no serious theological justification for it, but is simply connected with the then structure of church life?

These issues still require a conciliar church discussion and decision. For now practical advice for parishioners may be the following:

Undoubtedly, it is desirable to unify people suffering from serious illnesses. The opinion that during the course of one illness one can take unction only once has no serious grounds.
Healthy people during Great Lent may, but not necessarily, receive the sacrament of Unction. At the same time, it is not necessary to take unction several times during the year, unless, of course, the person has undergone a new illness.
It is possible to unify children under 7 years old if they are sick. There is no need to bring children to the general Unction.
Unction does not replace confession and Communion. In order to repent of serious sins, one must begin not with Unction, but with repentance before God and confession to the priest.
After a person has taken unction in the temple, it is highly desirable for him to confess and partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ in the near future.

Following the Sacrament of Unction with translation of texts

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Among the great sacraments of the Church, the rite of Unction is singled out. According to the church, this action is called the consecration of the Sick. There are many prejudices around this sacrament. In this article, we will try to answer the most common questions related to the sacrament: what is Unction for? , how it happens, what rules to follow and how to pray.

The rite of Unction is associated with oil anointing. Oil is a special oil that Jesus Christ and his disciples once used to heal suffering and seriously ill people. The sacrament is aimed at healing not only bodily, but also spiritual wounds of the believer.

The Unction itself can be held both in a sacred place and at home. Unction at home is carried out if a person is unable to come to church on his own. In this case, they invite the holy father, who conducts the sacrament. In this case, the patient must be conscious, because he is an active participant in the ceremony.

Most often, the Consecration of the Unction is performed by several priests, that is, a “council”. Depending on the church, the sacrament can be held at different times of the year, but most often this happens during Great Lent.

For the rite of Unction, the following are allowed:

• children over 7 years old;
• the mentally ill;
• those who have major health problems;
• people who are dying.

In the latter case, the sacrament is performed at the home of the dying. Babies do not need to be unified.

Unction is aimed at getting rid of sins that a person committed unconsciously, or does not remember them, or cannot repent because of big problems with health, or those that caused the disease, but the sufferer does not know about the presence of such sins. Also, sins are forgiven, about which the sufferer did not tell the clergyman for personal reasons.

How the sacrament is performed

Believers often ask how the Unction goes, and how one should prepare for it. The Church is very thoroughly preparing for the sacrament. To do this, on the day of the Consecration of the Sick:

• in the center of the temple they put a table on which they put the Gospel, a cross and a container of wheat;
• a small vessel is placed in the cereal, which is filled with oil and red wine;
• surround the wheat with seven candles, to which cotton wool is attached for anointing. Cotton wool is attached not to candles, but to anointing sticks. Often, instead of sticks, an anointing brush is used.

The number of candles corresponds to the number of priests who perform the ceremony. In the church where the Unction is held, everyone present lights a candle, prays, closely follows what is happening and waits for their turn to be anointed.

Everyone is anointed with oil in 7 approaches to the cross, paying attention to such parts of the body:

• forehead;
• nostrils;
• mouth;
• cheeks;
• hands on both sides;
• breast.

After the rite of anointing has taken place, the Gospel is opened above the head of the believer, and always down in text. This means that the very hand of the Lord blesses the person. Then the holy father reads the necessary prayer, and at the end of it, the unctioned person kisses holy book and a cross with the belief that he is under the fullest protection of the Lord God.

When the sacrament is completed over all those who wish, a little oil, wine and cereals are distributed to everyone. Oil after unction can be used for treatment at home. They can lubricate sore spots on the cross. Wine is added to food a little, as well as cereals. The candles used during the sacrament of the Unction are brought home and lit when someone in the family is sick. If during the ceremony there are many sick people in the temple, candles are left in the church, as they are able to absorb all the negative energy.

How to Prepare for the Unction

Every person has the right to choose where to take Unction . But regardless of the place where the sacrament is held, the question should be studied - how to prepare for the Unction. To do this, you must follow a few rules:

• receive a blessing from the holy father;
• study the question of when and how the ceremony takes place in order to be ready for it;
• before the rite, in a couple of days it is necessary to confess and take communion, that is, to repent of those sins that a person remembers and admits;
• there is no need to fast. In addition, Unction often falls during the period of Great Lent, and at this time all believers observe a strict fast;
• on the day of the sacrament, it is necessary to write down your name in the temple and bring vegetable oil, rice or wheat and wine, preferably Cahors. All these attributes are necessary for the rite;
• choose the right clothes. The priest will need to anoint his chest with oil, so button-down or zip-up sweaters should be preferred;
• it is recommended to take a small handkerchief with you to remove the remaining oil and not stain your clothes;
• after the Unction it is obligatory to take communion.

If the believer is healthy and does not have major life difficulties, it is enough to celebrate Unction once a year.

Prayers for the Unction, what to do after the Unction

During the Consecration of the Sick, a prayer for healing is read. Its reading may differ in different temples. But the Perfect Prayer is the same for everyone, it is read during the anointing with oil. The Perfect Prayer is read seven times. Previously, the priests came seven days in a row to a sick person and prayed for his recovery, anointed him with sacred oil. This was the procedure according to the tradition of the apostles.

After the Unction, the communion procedure is mandatory. It should also be remembered that the sacrament is not aimed at the remission of all sins. And this is necessary so that a person realizes all his deeds and, if necessary, repents. Therefore, after the Consecration of the Sick, having sinned, one must not forget about repentance and confess. But it is best not to allow sins in your life.

This sacrament is not known to many believers, but this does not diminish its significance. The rite can not only heal the soul, but also the body. The main thing is to approach the Sanctification of the Sick consciously and with deep faith. And healing will surely come. It is necessary to gather together not only for seriously ill people, but also for healthy people, for the healing of spiritual wounds.

The Lord is always with you!

Watch the video from which you will learn about the Sacrament of Unction:

During Great Lent, the Sacrament of Unction is performed in many churches. What does it mean? When do you need to meet and how often? Is it possible, after a meeting, to forget about all diseases? these and other questions are answered by Archpriest Maxim Kozlov, Rector of the University Church of the Martyr Tatiana.

- Father Maxim, what is Unction?

Unction, or as it is also called the Consecration of the Unction, is a Church Sacrament in which, when the body is anointed, it is specially consecrated oil(with oil) the grace of God is called upon a person, healing the infirmities of the soul and body. The establishment of the Sacrament dates back to apostolic times. The letter of the Apostle James says: “Is any of you sick, let him call for 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, he will be forgiven"(James 5:14-15)

In addition to bodily healing, the Sacrament also asks for forgiveness 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, sins forgotten (but not deliberately hidden at confession!), For example, because of their insignificance for a person, are forgiven during the Consecration of the Unction. However, the totality of these sins can be a heavy burden on the soul and cause not only a disorder of spiritual health, but also, as a result, bodily diseases.

The consecration of the Unction is called Unction because, according to the charter of the Church, it is supposed to be performed by seven priests (a council of clergymen). The number seven is a symbolic sign of the Church and her fullness; that is why the very following of the Sacrament consists in reading, after certain prayers, seven different passages from the Apostle and the Gospel, telling about repentance, about healing, about the need for faith and hope in God, about 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, the anointing is also performed seven times. However, the Church allows the celebration of the Sacrament by three, two, and even one priest - so that he performs it on behalf of the council of priests, says all the prayers, performs readings and anoints the sick seven times.

- In what cases does a person need to consult? Until now, it is widely believed that Unction is performed only before death.

- The anointing of the Unction is performed on Orthodox believers older than seven years old, suffering from bodily and mental illnesses. The latter can also be understood as a difficult spiritual state (despondency, sorrow, despair) - because the cause of it can be (and, as a rule, there are) unrepentant sins, perhaps not even realized by a person. Consequently, the Sacrament can be performed not only over those suffering from severe bodily ailments or dying. In addition, few people living in our time can consider themselves absolutely physically healthy even in the absence of serious illnesses ... The Unction is not performed on the sick 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 the established tradition, the common Unction in many churches takes place on the days of Great Lent, first of all - on the Cross or on Holy Week the evening before Maundy Thursday or Holy Saturday.

— And how should one prepare for the Unction?

- Special preparation before the Sacrament is not necessary, 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 in the Unction, forgiveness of sins we have forgotten is also given, and naturally, the person who confessed sincerely cleansed his soul repentance, he will get together with greater benefit for himself. As a special case, it can also be said that, apart from very special situations, women during a period of regular weakness do not proceed to Unction, as well as to any other Sacrament. The Consecration of the Unction, unless there is a particularly serious illness or grave circumstances, should be undertaken no more than once a year.

— Do the words of the Apostle James quoted by you: “if anyone falls ill, let him call for presbyters…” mean that Orthodox Christians do not need health care? Is healing only possible through spiritual means such as unction?

— No, of course, the Consecration of the Unction as spiritual healing does not eliminate the laws and forces of physical nature. It spiritually supports a person, provides him with grace-filled help to the extent that, according to the care of God, is necessary for the salvation of the soul of the patient. Therefore, Unction does not abolish the use of medicines.

- How to properly use the oil taken in the temple after the Unction, and what should be done with grains of wheat?

Oil can either be added to cooked food, or, in case of certain ailments, after praying, apply it on yourself crosswise. Grains of wheat, which are nevertheless used at the Unction to stick candles into them, standing on the central table, can be used absolutely at one's own request. If you want - germinate, if you want - bake a pie from them, if there are enough of them - there are no instructions here church charter.

Unction (Consecration of the Unction) is often confused with Confirmation and with anointing during the All-Night Vigil. What are their differences?

— Confirmation and Unction are two completely different Sacraments. Chrismation is performed, 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 at Baptism. In some special cases, Confirmation is performed separately; Suppose we accept into Orthodoxy a person from a heterodox denomination (for example, from traditional Protestants or from most Old Believer directions), whose Baptism we recognize as valid, but we do not consider other sacraments to be valid.
Undoubtedly, one should distinguish from both Sacraments that anointing with consecrated oil, which is performed during the Vespers, and which people only approaching the church fence or who have recently entered it sometimes take for some sacred action. This is only the anointing with holy oil, which was blessed by the previous Vespers, when the litiya was performed - part of the service, during which the blessing of wheat, wine, oil and loaves is performed. It is with this very consecrated oil that the anointing is performed on All-night vigil. We repeat, this is not a sacrament of the Church.

What is a Sobor?

Now, at the beginning of Lent, many church people they proceed to one of the seven sacraments of the Church - the sacrament of the Anointing of the Unction, or Unction. However, the sacrament of Unction is not well known to a wide circle of people. That is why the strangest prejudices and delusions are connected with it. Sometimes it is believed that only the hopelessly sick should be unctioned, that after the Unction a person either certainly dies, or is certainly healed ... What does the Church really understand by this sacrament? Archpriest Valentin ASMUS tells.

Unction: Forgiveness of Forgotten Sins

Photo by Yulia Makoveychuk

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

But what sins? Not those that need to be confessed in the sacrament of Penance, which we are aware of and are trying to overcome. But each of us has a lot of sins that pass by our consciousness, due to our spiritual weakness, 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 cleanse them of them - which is what happens in the sacrament Unction. In addition, if we talk about seriously ill people, it happens that, due to their general morbid condition, they simply cannot notice in themselves those sins that they would otherwise have repented of at confession. So, if we bring sincere repentance, then in the sacrament Unctions we receive the forgiveness of such unmentioned (against our will) at the confession of sins.

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

From the depths of centuries

Sacrament of Unction, like other sacraments, has an 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 the unclean spirits. They went and preached repentance, cast out many demons, and anointed many sick people with oil and healed.” According to this testimony, even before the Savior's sufferings on Golgotha, such a sacred rite existed, it gave help to the sick both bodily and spiritually. We then find information about Sacrament of Unction in the Epistle of the Holy Apostle James (Chapter 5, verses 14-15). “Is any of you sick, let him call for 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, he will be forgiven.”

Liturgical rite of the sacrament Unctions known in its present form only from the 15th century. The rite (that is, the order in which the sacrament is performed) has changed over the centuries, becoming more extensive, more fixed.

What were the stages? I must say right away that we know far from 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 “giving thanks for water and oil” and a prayer for bringing oil. The prayer for oil included asking God to bless this oil for anointing the sick and for them to eat it. In the 4th century, the consecration of the oil was sometimes performed by the bishop - however, at that time other sacraments were performed mainly by bishops.

Then, in the Byzantine liturgical books VIII century, we see a more detailed sequence of prayers, the first of which is the one that begins with the words: “Holy Father, doctor of souls and bodies…” theological language, a sacramental formula.

Sometimes they ask - when Unction began to perceive it as a sacrament when it was included among the seven sacraments of the Church? By the way, the notion that there are exactly seven sacraments is not dogmatized in Orthodoxy; it is a Western theological tradition that has also entered our textbooks. But some holy fathers considered other sacraments as sacraments, for example, the Great Blessing of Water on the feast of Theophany, monastic tonsure ... Be that as it may, Unction quite early it began to be perceived 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. In medieval Western tradition Unction it was customary to perform only over dying people, hence its Catholic name, “extrema unctio” - “the last anointing”. It must be said that such a name for the sacrament, along with the corresponding understanding, penetrated into our Church in the 17th-18th centuries, and was established in official church documents. And only in the 19th century, St. Philaret (Drozdov) of Moscow insisted that this name of the sacrament, as inconsistent with the Orthodox understanding, be withdrawn from use - which happened in the Russian Church. But even in the West, the medieval understanding of this sacrament has not been preserved. In recent decades, after Vatican II, Catholics have changed their attitude towards Unction, and now they call it something else - for example, "the sacrament of the sick."

Unction: two options, one essence

Photo by Yulia Makoveychuk

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

How often should you get together? As a rule, to the sacrament Unctions they resort once a year, but, of course, a person himself must come to the realization that he needs healing. Not only in bodily healing(a physically healthy person can also take unction), but first of all - in spiritual healing, he needs to cleanse his unconscious sins.

I note that after a person has taken unction in the temple, it is highly desirable for him to confess and partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ in the near future.

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

Photo by Yulia Makoveychuk

Modern rank Unctions- large and complex. First, preparatory prayers, the canon, are read, and then the rite itself is performed. Excerpts are read from the apostolic letters included in the New Testament, from the Gospel, then the litany (a prayerful appeal to God, pronounced by the deacon on behalf of those who pray) is pronounced, with 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. When 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 concluding 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 for the burial of a Christian - it is poured into the coffin before being closed with a lid. So this ordinance reminds us of eternal life and prepares us for it.

Unction: how not to

Photo by Yulia Makoveychuk

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 with Holy Scripture. After all, the apostles performed the anointing with oil precisely for the sake of healing.

But one cannot also expect an immediate recovery after the Unction. Alas, sometimes in the minds of people 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 go to confession, take 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 - not having received the expected bodily recovery, a person is offended: how is it, I defended a long service, did everything that was supposed to, but the result No! As a result, people can grow cold towards faith, towards the Church.

Photo by Yulia Makoveychuk

Healing is a free gift of the All-Good loving God rather than the inevitable result of some external action. This must be remembered by all who approach the sacrament of Unction. You need to think about your life, about your sins, strive to be cleansed of them. The Sacrament of Unction is partly akin to the Sacrament of Repentance.

I think that 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 early death. But timing human life depend only on the will of a loving God, and the Lord often prolongs the life of a dying person for the very purpose that he can adequately prepare for the transition to Eternity - confession, communion and unction. Not infrequently, a priest called to a dying person performs these three sacraments at once, in succession. Unction for a dying person is absolutely necessary, because he often simply cannot physically confess - but the sacrament of the Unction of the Unction will free him from the burden of those sins in which he would like, but did not have time, could not repent in the sacrament of Repentance.

And at the end - practical advice to the readers of Thomas. Nowadays, it often happens that a person comes to the Unction late, when the service is already underway. And the person is confused. Can he still take part in the sacrament? Yes maybe. Even if he managed to receive at least one anointing, the sacrament will be valid. However, there are situations when a person is late due to circumstances beyond his control, and there are situations when he is late due to his own fault. In any case, if there is such an opportunity, I would still recommend taking unction another time - in the same temple or in any other church.

Priest Valentin Asmus

Some of modern people they perceive Unction as a medical procedure, there is no thought about its spiritual aspect. The consequences here can be very sad, Archpriest Andrei Nikolaidi is sure.

Unction, or Unction, is a Sacrament in which, when certain parts of the body are anointed with consecrated oil, that is, vegetable oil, the sick person is asked for the grace of healing from ailments, from bodily and spiritual illnesses.

In addition to bodily healing, the Sacrament also asks for forgiveness 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, sins forgotten (but not deliberately concealed at confession!), For example, because of their insignificance for a person, are forgiven during the Consecration of the Unction. However, the totality of these sins can be a heavy burden on the soul and cause not only a disorder of spiritual health, but also, as a result, bodily diseases.

The consecration of the Unction is called Unction because, according to the Charter of the Church, it is supposed to be performed by seven priests (a council of clergymen). The number seven is a symbolic sign of the Church and its fullness; that is why the very following of the Sacrament consists in reading, after certain prayers, seven different passages from the Apostle and the Gospel, telling about repentance, about healing, about the need for faith and hope in God, about 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, the anointing is also performed seven times. However, the Church allows the celebration of the Sacrament by three, two, and even one priest, so that he performs it on behalf of the council of priests, recites all prayers, readings, and anoints the sick seven times.

The anointing of the Unction is performed on Orthodox believers suffering from bodily and mental illnesses. The latter can also be understood as a difficult spiritual state (despondency, sorrow, despair), because the cause of it can be (and, as a rule, there are) unrepentant sins, perhaps not even realized by a person. Consequently, the Sacrament can be performed not only over those suffering from severe bodily ailments or dying. In addition, few of our contemporaries can consider themselves absolutely physically healthy even in the absence of serious illnesses ... The Unction is not performed on the sick 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 the established tradition, the common Unction in many churches takes place on the days of Great Lent.

The Sacrament of the Unction, like the other Sacraments, has an evangelical origin, it was established by Christ Himself. As we learn from Mark 6, “Having called the twelve, Christ began to send them out two by two, giving them power over the unclean spirits. They went and preached repentance, cast out many demons, and anointed many sick people with oil and healed.” According to this testimony, even before the Calvary sufferings of the Savior, such a sacred rite existed, it helped the sick both bodily and spiritually. About the Sacrament of the Unction of the Unction, the Epistle of the holy Apostle James says: “Is anyone among you sick, let him call for the presbyters 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 is probably no coincidence that vegetable oil is used in the Sacrament, or, in Slavonic terms, oil. The fact is that even in ancient times, fir trees were used as one of the medicines for anointing, lubricating wounds, and therefore in the mind ancient man he was closely associated with healing. Moreover, on Greek, which was used in the 1st century as a language of interethnic communication, the words oil and mercy are consonant, and therefore oil becomes a symbol, a sign of the graces of God poured out on the afflicted at the time of this Sacrament.

How often should you get together? As a rule, the Sacrament of Unction is used once a year, but, of course, a person himself must come to the realization that he needs healing. Not only in bodily healing (even a physically healthy person can take unction), but above all, in spiritual healing, he needs to cleanse his unconscious sins. I note that after a person has taken unction in the temple, it is highly desirable for him to confess and partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ in the near future.

How does this Mystery take place? According to the order, it should be performed by seven priests, although there may be fewer of them - it is not always possible to collect so many even in the capital's churches. But even with a smaller number of priests (even with one), the Sacrament will still be valid.

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

The modern rite of Unction is lengthy and complex. First, preparatory prayers, the canon, are read, and then the rite itself is performed. Excerpts are read from the apostolic letters included in the New Testament, from the Gospel, then a litany (a prayerful appeal to God pronounced by a clergyman on behalf of those who pray) is pronounced with the memory of 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 prayer “Holy Father, doctor of souls and bodies…” Then the second priest begins to participate in the Sacrament, and a similar cycle is performed again. This is repeated seven times. At the end of the rite, the gospel is placed on the heads of those who have approached the Sacrament, with the reading of a special concluding prayer.

I would like to note that 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 not consistent with Holy Scripture. After all, the apostles performed the anointing with oil precisely for the sake of healing.

But one cannot also expect an immediate recovery after the Unction. Alas, sometimes in the minds of people this Sacrament turns into something self-sufficient, external, almost magical. Some of modern people perceive Unction as a medical procedure, there is no thought about its spiritual aspect ... The consequences here can be very sad - not having received the expected bodily recovery, a person is offended: “How is it, I defended a long service, did everything that was supposed to, but there is no result! As a result, people can grow cold towards faith, towards the Church.

Healing is a free gift from an all-good loving God, not the inevitable result of some external action. This must be remembered by all who approach the Sacrament of Unction. You need to think about your life, about your sins, strive to be cleansed of them. The Sacrament of Unction is partly akin to the Sacrament of Repentance.

Separately, it must be said about the unction of people who are near death. Sometimes many are afraid of this Sacrament, believing that it will lead to an early death. But the terms of human life depend 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 - confession, communion and unction. Not infrequently, a priest summoned to a dying person performs these three Sacraments at once, in succession. Unction for a dying person is absolutely necessary, because he often simply cannot physically confess - but the Sacrament of Unction will free him from the burden of those sins in which he would like, but did not have time, could not repent in the Sacrament of Penance.

And, of course, it should be noted that those approaching the Sacrament of Unction must remember that all Sacraments are inextricably linked with the Sacrament of Communion, with the Eucharist, which the holy fathers call "the seal of all Sacraments." If we receive some document, then the seal confirms its validity. Thus, when approaching any Sacrament, we must seal it with the Sacraments of Confession and Communion. In other words, after the unction, it is imperative to confess and, having prepared, partake of the Holy Mysteries.