THE HOLY MYSTERY OF THE

ANOINTING OF THE SICK

NOT the Last Rites

• If the person is dying:

• Canon of Departure of the Soul from the Body

• The Office at the Parting of the Soul from the Body When there has been Prolonged Suffering.

• In addition to the usual:• Last Confession and Last Holy

Communion

Holy Mystery of Anointing• For the sick• To heal them!

– Not the Dying

• The Priest can use a shorten form

• If the circumstances are urgent or in another way requisite

• Eg: hospital etc.

• The full Office is served on Wednesday of Great Week

• All the Faithful may receipt the Holy Mystery

Theology

• Therapeutic: for Healing• Healing Both Physical & Spiritual• Conversion and Illumination:• Communal and Collective healing• Eschatological preparation

– Preparing for Pascha & Parousia

The Full Office

• 7 Presbyters (cf. Jas.)• 7 Liturgies of the Word• 7 Prayers of Healing• 7 x Anointed• Commingling the Oil & Wine• Blessing the Oil & Wine• Absolution of Sin w Gospel

Book– Again, deprecatory: Jesus’s Hands– Laying on of Hands (Jas.)

Full Office: II

• “Unmercenary Saints”– Special category of saints:

• Commemorated at the Offertory• At every Divine Liturgy

– Physicians– Healed without demanding $– Miraculous healings– Post glorification miracles (eg via

Icons)• Cosmas & Damian, Pantaleimon• Invocation & intercession• Singing their Hymnody: Kondaks

Healing Prayer• "Look down and hear us, Thine

unworthy servants, and wheresoever in Thy great name we shall bring this oil, send down the gift of healing, and remission of sins: and heal him, in the multitude of Thy mercies." We also find this connection in scripture.

• cf. the 1st Apostol Reading:• "Is any among you sick? Let

him call for the elders of the church, and them them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up (Js. 5:).

Remission of Sins• Do Thou, O tender-hearted master, look down

from the height of Thy sanctuary, overshadowing us sinners, who are also Thine unworthy servants, with the grace of the Holy Spirit,

• at this hour, and take up Thine abode in thy servant, N., who acknowledgeth his iniquities, and draweth near to Thee in faith; accepting him because of Thy love towards mankind,

• forgiving him whatsoever he hath done amiss, whether by word, or deed, or thought, forgive him, cleanse him, make him pure from every sin; and abiding ever present with him, preserve him all the remaining years of his life; that, walking ever in Thy statutes, he may in no wise again become an object of malignant joy to the devil; and Thy holy name may be glorified in him.

Vocation & Victory• The healing that Christ

offers is victory over this world and the devil

• that they who shall be anointed with this oil of regeneration

• may be terrible unto their adversaries, and may shine in the radiance of thy Saints, having neither spot or wrinkle; and that they may attain unto thy rest everlasting, and receive the prize of their high calling

Anointing• Head• Eyes• Ears• Nostrils• Mouth• Chest• Back• Hands• feet

Absolution• O Holy King• merciful and most compassionate• Lord Jesus Christ, Son and Word of the

living God• You do not want a sinner to die but to

convert and live.• Upon the head of him/her who seeks

forgiveness of sins through us• I do not place my sinful hand• But Your Hand, mighty and powerful,• which is in this Gospel being held by me

(my co-celebrants)• upon the head of Your servant NN.

Absolution II• Together with them, I too pray and beseech

Your sympathetic and forgiving benevolence• O God our Saviour, • Who through the Prophet Nathan pardoned

David when he repented of his sins• Who accepted Manasseh’s prayer of contrition.• With Your customary benevolence, accept Your

servant NN,• Who today repents of his/her faults and overlook

all his/her sins.• For you are our God,• Who commanded the forgivenness those who

sinned even seventy times seven.• As is your immensity so is your mercy.• All glory, honour, and worship belong to You• Now and ever and for ages of ages. Amen

Order of Anointing Service• Introductory Prayers and Psalms 143 & 51

– confess our sinfulness before God and ask Him to cleanse us and make a "new and right spirit within us"

• The Canon of the Anointing Service

• we ask God to show mercy upon us• cleanse our souls• drive away all evil powers• grant salvation to those who are sick or

suffering• grant us the healing of our souls and

bodies

Unmercenary Doctor Saints• Hymns invoking the intercession of

the “Unmercenary” Saints– “anargyroi” = without silver/$

• Saintly Doctors• who helped the sick and suffering• Esp. those poor, without insisting

on $• God granted them Miraculous

healing power• In their lifetime & after their

Repose• Cf. miracles of Saints walking out

through their icons to cure the sick

7 Apostle & Gospel Readings• James 5:10-16; Luke: 10:25-37

– the Good Samaritan (Oil and Wine for healing)

• Romans 15:1-7; Luke 19:1-10– Zaccheus: Repentance & Forgiveness of Sin

• I Corinthians 12:27-31;13:1-8; Matthew 10:1,5-8

– Call of the 12: empowering to heal all manner of disease, cleanse lepers, raise dead

• II Corinthians 6:16-18, 7:1; Matthew 8:14-23

– Healing of St Peter’s Mother-in-law• II Corinthians 1:8-11; Matthew 25:1-13

– Wise Virgins: Oil and Light and the Bridegroom cometh

• Galatians 5:22-6:2; Matthew 15:21-28– the Syro-Phoenician Woman: daughter

healed from demonic possession• I Thessalonians 5:14-23; Matthew 9:9-13

– Call of St Matthew: It is not the healthy but the sick that need a physician

• I came to call not the just, but sinners to repentance

Blessing of Wine & Olive Oil• Exapostelarion and Tropar of the

Office:

• Prayer of the Oil• (wine bz antiseptic properties• Cf. the Good Samaritan parable)

• O Lord who, in thy mercies and bounties, healest the disorders of our souls and bodies, do Thou, the same Master, sanctify this Oil, that it may be effectual for those who shall be anointed therewith, unto healing, and unto relief from every passion, every malady of the flesh and of the spirit, and every ill;

• and that therein may be glorified Thy most Holy Name, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Prayer of Anointing• O Holy Father, Physician of souls and bodies, Who didst

send Thine only-begotten Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to heal every infirmity and deliver from death:

• Heal Thou, also, Thy servants from the ills of the body and soul which do hinder them, and quicken them, by the Grace of Thy Christ;

• through the prayers of our most Holy Lady, the Birth-Giver of God and Ever Virgin Mary; through the intercession of the honourable bodiless Powers of Heaven; through the power of the Precious and Life-Giving Cross; through the protection of the honourable, glorious, Prophet and Forerunner John the Baptist; of the holy, glorious and righteous Martyrs; of our righteous and Godbearing Fathers; of the holy and healing unmercenaries Cosmas and Damian, Cyrus and John, Thaleleus and Tryfon, Panteleimon and Hermolaus, Samson and Diomidis, Mokius and Aniketos; of the holy and righteous ancestors of God, Joachim and Anna; and of all the Saints.

• For Thou art the Fountain of healing, O God, our God, and unto Thee do we ascribe glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen.

Heaven/Kingdom = Bridal Chamber

• Let us, like the wise virgins, prepare for the Resurrection & Second Coming of the Lord• I behold Thy Bridal ChamberRichly adorned, O my Saviour

But I have no wedding garmentTo worthily enter

Make radiant the garment of my soul

O Giver of Light and Save me