2003.03.09 Strana.RU:
An Almost Forgotten Mystery
Maria Sveshinkova
No other Mystery has so many superstitions and misunderstandings connected with it as Holy Unction. One hears so many astounding things about it from elderly "Babushkas" who fancy themselves as authorities on Church order. They say that following Unction there is only one thing left to do: enter a monastery or, while remaining in the world, carry out various vows, for example: not to marry, never to wash, eat no meat, fast on Mondays. But most important - this Mystery can only be received by those who will surely die soon. None of this is true.
Holy Unction is one of the Church's seven Mysteries which is for help to
the ill who desire to be healed from both bodily and spiritual ailments. It
grants forgiveness of forgotten sins which have not been confessed (but not those willfully concealed). It is not an immediate preparation for the
other world but is a healing for this life in repentance. It has its beginning from the Apostles who, having received the power from Jesus Christ, ". . .anointed with oil many that were sick and healed them" (Mark
VI:13).
The Apostle James speaks definitely and clearly about the Mystery of
Unction: "Is any among 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 save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven" (James V:14-15).
Clearly, the Apostle speaks about Unction not as some novelty, previously unknown to Christians, but merely points to this means for healing as something established and well-known and calls for its use in the case of illness.
From the 17th century Holy Unction was celebrated for the healthy in all cathedrals and monasteries. But by the end of the 18th century this Mystery was a special rite celebrated only in Moscow's Dormition Cathedral and in certain monasteries. This took place only once a year on Holy Thursday.
Holy Unction is the Mystery of Healing. The Orthodox author Evgenii
Poselyanin wrote in the 19th century: "Nowhere does it say that the illness must be terminal or that the individual must be completely helpless. One must not forget that Christianity also looks upon spiritual suffering as an illness. Thus if I am spiritually suffering because of the death of a loved one, or from misfortune, or if I am in need of a kind of a spiritual jolt in order to gather my strength and move away from a state of misery, I should approach Holy Unction".
The rite consists of seven segments with the reading of the Epistle and
Gospel and of prayers calling forth Divine grace. After each segment the
priest anoints the person's face, hands and feet.
The oil used in the Mystery represents God's mercy and compassion (recall the Parable of the Good Samaritan). The small amount of wine added to it recalls the Savior's redeeming Blood. Along with the wine and oil, the faithful bring wheat or millet. The grain is symbolic of the beginning of life and resurrection following the body's death.
Following the seventh anointment the priest opens the book of the Gospel
and holds it with the print down upon the head of the ill person, as if it
were the healing hand of the Savior himself, and prays to God for the
forgiveness of his sins.
Since it is related to the cleansing from sins and worthy Communion, the
general Unction service is performed on those days which the Christians
consider as special times for penance and the reception of Christ's Sacred Mystery. Such are the days of Great Lent. Traditionally the general Unction service can take place on the week of the Cross and in Passion week on the eve of Holy Thursday or Holy Saturday.