The meaning of the prayers read at Holy Unction

The ordinance of the Sacrament of the Holy Unction, as a visible part, consists of prayers for the sanctification of the oil, the anointing of the sick with it, the reading of the seven fragments of the Apostle and the Gospel, prayers for forgiveness and healing, and as an invisible part, it consists of the forgiveness of sins, therefore the healing of the soul.

The seven different prayers that are said during the service of the Holy Unction occupy a central place in the service. Recalling the mercy and kindness that God has always shown towards people, they ask for the preservation of the life of the sick person, relief from torment, healing and strengthening of the body, and at the same time forgiveness of sins, spiritual strength, the renewal of his whole being, and the renewal of his life in Christ. Each prayer insists in a particular way on one or another of these aspects, but all of them put together the comfort of the soul and the relief of the body; they link spiritual and physical healing, emphasizing the fundamental importance of the former, without disregarding the value of the latter.

In the first prayer, the priests ask the Merciful God: “May this oil be, Lord, the oil of joy, the oil of holiness, a royal garment, a powerful shield that delivers from all the devil’s work, an incorruptible seal, joy of the heart, eternal joy.”

In the second prayer, the Great and Most High God is called to help, to send His most holy grace upon the sick person who has recognized his sins and has come to Him in faith. God is asked to receive him with His love for people, to forgive him for any wrong he has done in word, deed or thought, to accompany him and guard him in the remaining years of his life.

The third prayer is a direct invocation of God's help, to ease the physical pain of the sick person: "So, Lord, send from heaven Your healing power; touch the body, soothe its fever, ease its suffering, and drive away all its hidden illness. Be the healer of this, Your servant; raise him from the bed of pain and from the couch of torment. Give him healthy and whole to Your Church, that he may be pleasing to You and do Your will."

In the fourth prayer, the Merciful God is prayed thus: “You who heal all infirmities, heal Your servant; raise him from the bed of pain for the mercy of Your goodness; search him with Your mercy and compassion; remove from him all sickness and infirmity.”

In the fifth prayer, the Merciful God is called “Father of the fatherless, the haven of the stormy and the physician of the sick; You who bear our infirmities without sorrow and take upon Yourself our sufferings; You who have mercy with peace; You who pass over transgressions and forgive iniquities; You who are quick to help and slow to anger; You who receive the repentance of sinners and have the power to forgive the many and grievous sins and give healing to all who spend their time in infirmity and in dark sickness.”

The following prayers, the sixth and seventh, as well as the prayer that is read while the Holy Gospel is open on the head of the sick person, ask for forgiveness of the sins of those in suffering: “We pray to You and humbly fall to You: in Your goodness, Yourself weaken, leave, forgive, O God, the transgressions and sins of Your servant and his voluntary and involuntary mistakes”.

The faithful who participate in the service of the Holy Unction are penetrated by the prayers and readings that are made, understanding them in a different spiritual light and penetrating them with a different strength. They are holy readings and prayers, meant to bring repentance, peace, tranquility and relief to the troubled and sorrowful soul.

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