About Holy Unction
Holy Unction is the Church’s Mystery of physical and spiritual healing for Orthodox Christians. It is also called euchelaeon, a transliteration of the Greek ευχέλαιον, and stands for “blessed oil” (ευχή = blessing prayer, έλαιον = oil). Healing was part of the Lord Jesus Christ’s ministry as the Messiah, through which He proved He was fully man and fully God. As the Body of Christ and His active presence in this world, the Church continues this ministry through the Mystery of Holy Unction: sacramental anointing with blessed oil and prayer.
In New Testament Greek, there is a play on words between olive oil (elaion) and mercy (eleos), which sound incredibly similar. Thus, oil and mercy are often synonymous in the life of the Church.
Healing and forgiveness are the purpose of Holy Unction in the Orthodox Church. Because of mankind’s fall into sin, illness, pain, and death entered the world. We have lost our organic connection with the source of our being and life: God. And without this vital connection, we become enslaved to death and decay. Our Lord Jesus Christ restores this break in communion through His salvific work on the cross. With forgiveness and healing, we can once again draw near to God and become partakers of the divine nature. Holy Unction is one such way to receive that healing and forgiveness from Christ.
When Is Holy Unction Celebrated?
In Greek and Antiochian parishes, it is most commonly celebrated during Holy Week on Holy Wednesday evening. However, celebrations on other days are common. Everyone in the parish in good ecclesiastical standing may be anointed with the holy oil for the healing of spiritual and bodily ills. As this is one of the sacraments of the Orthodox Church, it may be administered only to Orthodox Christians.
The oil carries God’s grace both to renew the body and to cleanse the spirit. The service follows the apostolic tradition mentioned in the New Testament: “…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 5:14-15).
Holy unction is a mystery of great comfort to the faithful. It provides uplifting and asks for patience to accept the will of God whatever the physical outcome.