Unction (Anointing of the Sick)

Unction (Anointing of the Sick)

Holy Unction, also known as Euchelaion, meaning “prayer of oil,” is a divine mystery of healing for both body and soul. Through this sacrament, the Church invokes the mercy of God upon those afflicted by physical illness, spiritual weakness, or both.

Traditionally, Holy Unction is served either communally, most commonly on Holy Wednesday, or individually for the sick. The service includes seven Epistle readings, seven Gospel readings, seven prayers, and seven anointings with blessed oil, signifying the fullness and completeness of divine grace bestowed by God.

This mystery is not limited to bodily healing alone. It is also ordered toward the forgiveness of sins and the restoration of the whole person, affirming the Church’s understanding of illness as encompassing both the physical and spiritual dimensions of human life.

Holy Unction is firmly rooted in apostolic tradition. The Apostle James explicitly instructs the Church to anoint the sick with oil and to pray for their healing, linking bodily restoration with the forgiveness of sins.

“Is anyone 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 one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.” (James 5:14–15)

Through Holy Unction, the Church acts as a spiritual hospital, calling down the grace of the Holy Spirit upon the suffering. Whether healing is granted in body, soul, or both, the sacrament remains an encounter with Christ the Physician, who raises up the fallen and restores the faithful according to His saving will.