Holy Unction (Anointing of the sick)

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Oil

All over the Mediterranean lands you will find groves of olive trees.  The berries are picked and crushed, and in this way olive oil is produced.  In Our Lord’s day olive oil was used for all sorts of purposes, including the treatment of wounds and various diseases.  You will remember how, in the Parable of the Good Samaritan, the Good Samaritan bandaged the wounds of the bandits’ victim, “having poured oil…on them” (NRSV, Luke 10:34).

During the early days of Our Lord’s Ministry in Galilee he sent his Apostles out in pairs to preach and to heal the sick; and, as St Mark tells us, they “…anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them” (NRSV, 6:13).  This prepared the way for the Sacrament of Holy Unction, or the anointing of the sick with oil, which we find in the earliest days of the Church.  St James refers to it in his letter in the New Testament.  This is what he says: “Are any among you sick?  They should call for the elders of the Church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.  The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven” (NRSV, 5:14,15).  You will notice that the oil is no longer used as a medicine for the body, but is the means by which health of soul and body is given by God to the sick person.


The Sacrament

Minister and matter

In order to receive the Sacrament of Holy Unction, people must be baptised; they must have reached the age of reason, that is to say, a baby cannot receive this Sacrament; and they must be seriously ill, or in danger of death because of old age.  The Minister of the Sacrament is a priest.  The matter is anointing with oil which has been blessed by a bishop.  The bishop blesses the oil for the various parishes during the Eucharist on Maundy Thursday, and it is then taken to the different churches where it is kept locked up in a safe place.

Form

In administering the Sacrament those parts of the body may be anointed which are connected with the five senses – the senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch.  So the priest may anoint the eyes, ears, nostrils, mouth and hands by making the sign of the Cross on each of them with holy oil, and at the same time saying a prayer asking God to forgive the sins which the person has committed through each sense. It is the prayer which is the form of the Sacrament.  For example, when the ears are anointed, the priest says, “Through this holy Anointing and of his most tender mercy may the Lord forgive thee whatever sins thou hast committed by hearing.  Amen”.

The priest may just anoint the person’s forehead and perhaps the hands also.  But in any case, if the sick person is likely to die at any moment it is sufficient to anoint him or her on the forehead only as including all the senses.  After each anointing the priest wipes the oil away with a piece of cotton wool.

Inward grace

The inward grace given through the Sacrament of Holy Unction is, first, forgiveness of sins; that is, of course, if the person is sorry for his or her sins.  In the ordinary way people would make their Confession beforehand.  Holy Unction also heals the soul of the weaknesses and ill effects caused to it by past sins.  It gives peace of soul and great confidence in God, and strengthens sick people to bear the troubles and sufferings of their illness as Christians, and to resist temptation.  And lastly, if it is God’s will and for the good of the person’s soul, Holy Unction also helps him or her to recover from the illness.


Communion of the sick

Normally the sick person makes his or her Confession and receives Holy Communion before receiving the Sacrament of Holy Unction.  If you are caring for someone who is seriously ill, or in danger of death because of old age, you should send for the priest in good time.  Indeed, if anyone is seriously ill or in danger of death, the priest should be told without delay.  People are not always good at doing this.  They may think that someone else will tell the priest and then it can happen that no one does so.  You should put a small table at the foot of the bed where the sick person can see it.  Cover the table with a white cloth.  The priest will let you know if anything else is required. 

If the sick person is going to make his or her Confession, you go out and come back when you are called.

The Sacrament of Holy Unction cannot be repeated in the same illness unless the sick person takes a turn for the worse after beginning to get better.


SUMMARY

1. The Sacrament of Holy Unction is the anointing of the sick by a priest with oil which has been blessed by a bishop.  The five senses may be anointed (eyes, ears, nostrils, mouth and hands), though it is sufficient if the forehead only is anointed.

2. The person must be baptised and be sorry for his or her sins.  The grace given is forgiveness, the strengthening of the soul and, if it be God’s will, recovery from illness.

3. Usually the sick person makes his or her Confession and receives Holy Communion before receiving the Sacrament of Holy Unction.

4. If anyone is seriously ill, or in danger of death because of old age, the priest should be informed without delay.

Note

At the beginning of the Common Worship text for Funerals, there is a section entitled, ‘Ministry at the Time of Death’. (1) This may include the laying on of hands and anointing with oil.  This ministry is plainly for people who are dying, not for people who are seriously ill but may recover.

Common Worship also has a texts for ‘Ministry to the Sick’, which includes Laying on of Hands with Prayer and Anointing.  “This form may be used at the prayers during the visitation of the sick, either at Holy Communion with the sick or as part of another form of prayer at the bedside”. (2)

References

1. ©The Archbishops’ Council (2000) Common Worship.  Funeral.  Available from: http://www.cofe.anglican.org/worship/downloads/pdf/psfuneral214-end.pdf  (Accessed 25 August 2010) (Internet).

2. ©The Archbishops’ Council (2000) Common Worship.  Laying on of Hands with Prayer and Anointing.  Available from:
http://www.cofe.anglican.org/worship/liturgy/commonworship/texts/healing/layingonofhands.html (Accessed 25 August 2010) (Internet).