Unction

Unction is a Sacrament, during which during the body is anointed with Holy oil to invoke the grace of God, which heals infirmities of the soul and body. It is performed on a grievously ill person. This sacrament is also known as Soborovanie because, according to the church rule, the Sacrament of Holy Unction is ideally performed by seven priests.

During the service of the Sacrament of Holy Unction, healing of the body and remission of sins for the ill are asked. This is because the majority of illnesses are a consequence of sin, and sin is a spiritual illness.
The Sacrament of Unction is performed over an Orthodox believer more than seven years old, who is suffering from illnesses of body and soul.

The Sacrament may be performed in a church, in a hospital or at home. The Holy Unction or Soborovanie could take place for the whole parish (at the bishop's convenience) during Great Lent: on the day of the Veneration of the Holy Cross or Passion week or in the evening before Great Thursday or Great Saturday. This anointing of all parishioners is preformed by the bishop and several priests. The Sacrament of Holy Unction is closely connected to the Sacrament of Confession and the Sacrament of Communion.

Before the Sacrament of Holy Unction, a table is placed in the church (or the patient's room in front of the icons) and is covered with a clean cloth. On it, a bowl with grains of wheat (rice, rye) is placed, this symbolises the start of a new life - recovery and life and in death resurrection of the body. In the middle of the bowl, on top of the wheat, a glass for the sanctification of oil is placed. Seven sticks, the ends of which are wrapped in cotton wool, are stuck into the wheat. They are symbols of the olive branch, which was brought to Noah in his ark, and signify grace filled spiritual renewal from the flood of illnesses and sins. A vessel with pure olive oil is placed on the table, along with a vessel containing an equal amount of wine. The Gospel and a Cross are also placed on the table. The Sacrament of Unction begins with censing, the priest's exclamation, "Blessed is our God", the reading of a series of required prayers, psalm 142, penitent troparions, psalm 50 and a canon relevant to this service. After that, the priest pours oil and wine into the empty container. Wine represents the Blood of Christ, spilled on the cross for the salvation of people. Seven candles are then lit, which are stood in the wheat. Lit candles are given to the person being anointed and all present. The priest reads a prayer for the sanctification of the oil. Then the priest reads the first reading from the General Epistle of Apostle James about the establishment of the Sacrament of Unction, and the first Gospel beginning about the Good Samaritan, following the required prayers, brief litany with prayers about the sick. Following this, he takes a stick, immerses it in the oil and anoints the forehead, nostrils, cheeks, lips, chest and hands of the one who is sick in a sign of the Cross, simultaneously reading this prayer "O Holly Father, Physician of souls and bodies, Who sent Your Only-begotten son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to heal every sickness and to deliver from death..." The sequence is completed with the extinguishing of one of the candles, which are in the dish with wheat in it.

This is repeated six more times ending each time with the extinguishing of one more candle until all candles are extinguished.

Having finished the seventh prayer, the priest lays an opened Gospel on the head of the person receiving unction and reads a prayer to the Lord: "O Holy King, Deeply-compassionate and Greatly-merciful Lord Jesus Christ, Son and Word of the Living God, Who desires not the death of a sinner: I lay not my sinful hand on the head of him (or her) who has come to You in iniquities and asks of You, through us (or me, if only one priest serves) remission of sins, but through Yours strong and mighty hand which is in this Holy Gospel held (by my sellow ministers) on the head of Your servant." The recipient of unction repeats quietly, "Lord, have mercy," throughout the reading of this prayer. At the end of the reading by the priest, the recipient kisses the Gospel. After a brief Litany and two hymns are sung a Dismissal prayer takes place. The unction recipient kisses the Gospel and the Cross asks for a blessing and forgiveness of the serving priest or priests of this Holy Sacrament.

It is necessary to consult a priest on what to do with any unction oil remaining after the Sacrament has been performed.