Categories: orthodox-life
Date: 14 October 2004 13:23:52
A discussion on a bulletin board refreshed this in my mind.
We have the Sacrament of Holy Oil on the first Saturday of each month, after the Paraklesis, or Small Canon to the Theotokos (which is a wondrous service -- soaked through with beautiful imagery. I'll have to talk about it one day). This page explains the Sacrament of Holy Unction in Orthodoxy.
I was a bit taken aback the first time I saw the faithful going up to receive the anointing of oil, having never encountered it before. I'd read about it in The Epistle of James, but never considered it as still happening! I see it is a biblical practice and am glad indeed that it has been kept, but I can't say I fully understand what place it has in the life of a Christian. This, from the above page, helps,
The express purpose of the sacrament of holy unction is healing and forgiveness. Since it is not always the will of God that there should be physical healing, the prayer of Christ that God's will be done always remains as the proper context of the sacrament. In addition, it is the clear intention of the sacrament that through the anointing of the sick body the sufferings of the person should be sanctified and united to the sufferings of Christ. In this way, the wounds of the flesh are consecrated, and strength is given that the suffering of the diseased person may not be unto the death of his soul, but for eternal salvation in the resurrection and life of the Kingdom of God.but I still wonder what it all means -- how can we be "united to the sufferings of Christ"? Can anyone reading this shed any light?
Though, perhaps I should stop trying to intellectualise everything. May God help me.