#holy unction

In the mystery of holy unction, the faithful Christian who is sick receives invisibly, through the anointing with consecrated oil and the accompanying prayers of the priests, the grace of healing or of the easing of his bodily pains, the grace of spiritual strengthening, and the forgiveness of those sins he has committed since his last confession. The practice of this sacrament in the time of the apostles, and hence its origin from Christ Himself through the apostles, is attested in the Epistle of James: "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, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven." (Jas 5:14-15).

Human existence is something unspeakably complex. As long as a man lives, there is no possible way of separating body and soul, and hence there can be no separation either between the working of grace in the body and its working in the soul. The very healing of the body is felt by the sick person as a grace given to him as an integral human person. The body is full of the energies of the soul; through it the soul works, and without it the soul cannot work. Hence grace does not work upon the body without also working upon the soul, but as it works upon the soul--strengthening it, purifying it of sin, and thus calming its conscience--these works in turn have a fortifying effect upon the body too, making it an instrument of the soul's activity on behalf of the good and a source of strength for the soul.

Is there anyone who at some point in his life has not passed through sickness and through these depressions and anxieties that increase his suffering? They make up part of the reality of our human existence. Can we possibly believe that God has given no thought to some help that might be given to human beings in these situations of illness and spiritual weakness? The mystery of holy unction shows that God, faced with those who are suffering and who put their hope in Him and call out to Him when sickness touches them, shows them His mercy. Hence in all the prayers of this mystery, appeal is made especially to the mercy of God, and God appears in this sacrament as the "Physician" at His work and filled with compassion.

Holy and Heavenly Father, Who are the perfect physician doctor of our souls and bodies, Who sent Your only begotten Son -- our Lord Jesus Christ -- to heal every illness and redeem us from death, hear our prayers. Touch us with Your fatherly hand and with Your divine grace. Heal us from every bodily and spiritual illness. Give us life. Give our bodies life, freeing them from every illness. Give our souls life, cleansing them from every sin. Guide our steps to the sacrament of Holy Unction. Make us receive it with true faith, repentance, and be filled with life, physically and spiritually. O, Lord, how greatly we thank You for the sacraments of our Church, through which our salvation is accomplished.

Holy Wednesday: Unction of Healing and Forgiveness

What is and why do the Orthodox christians receive the Holy Unction?