Holy Wednesday: Unction of Healing and Forgiveness

“Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the presbyters of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven” (James 5: 14–15).

Healing of the infirm was one of the signs of our Lord’s divine ministry. He healed those who were blind, paralysed, possessed, crippled, deaf, dumb, and all types of infirmities. The gift of healing was given to the Holy Apostles and through them to the bishops and priests. One of the ways that healing was done was through the anointing of the sick with blessed oil.

The Mystery (Sacrament) of Holy Unction is a service of the anointing of the sick with blessed oil. It is the Church’s specific prayer for the spiritual, physical, and mental healing of the infirm. Is there any one of us who does not need healing for some physical, emotional, or spiritual illness? As Saint James says in his Epistle, Holy Unction is not only for healing, but it is also for the forgiveness of our sins.

Although this service can be celebrated any time during the year when one is ill, the Mystery (Sacrament) of Holy Unction is traditionally celebrated on Holy Wednesday evening in parishes observing the Byzantine Rite tradition.

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