Holy Unction

The Mystery of healing — the anointing with oil for the healing of soul and body.

Holy Unction is the Mystery in which the Church anoints the sick with oil for the healing of both soul and body. It is rooted in the words of the Apostle James: “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.”

This Mystery is not only for those who are near death. It is for anyone who is suffering in body or soul — illness, weakness, chronic pain, or the deeper wounds that come from sin and sorrow. The Church offers it as a tangible expression of Christ’s healing presence.

The service of Holy Unction is filled with prayer. The oil is blessed, the Gospels are read, and the sick person is anointed on the forehead, nostrils, cheeks, lips, chest, and hands. The priest prays for the forgiveness of sins and for the healing of the whole person. In some traditions the service is celebrated with several priests, recalling the words of James about “the elders of the Church.”

Healing in this Mystery does not always mean the immediate removal of physical illness. Sometimes the healing is of the soul — the restoration of peace, the strengthening of faith, the forgiveness of sins, or the grace to bear suffering with hope. At other times, physical healing is also given. In every case, the Church entrusts the person to the mercy of Christ the Physician.

Holy Unction reminds us that God cares for the whole human person — body and soul together. We are not merely spiritual beings temporarily inhabiting bodies. We are embodied souls, and the Lord who took on flesh continues to care for our flesh as well as our spirits.

This Mystery is a quiet but powerful gift of the Church. It is the hands of Christ reaching out once more to touch the sick, just as He did in the Gospels, and to speak peace to those who suffer.