In Christian Orthodox practice, there are seven sacraments, participation in which gives a person special divine grace. Unction is one such rite.
The sacrament of unction is otherwise called blessing of oil. This formulation is due to the fact that during the rite a person is anointed with holy oil (oil) to heal mental and physical ailments. It is also believed that forgotten sins are forgiven in unction.
The custom of anointing the sick with oil has been known since biblical times. The Apostle and Evangelist Mark in his good news tells that Christ called the twelve apostles and commanded to anoint the sick with oil for healing. This is described in the 6th chapter of the Gospel of Mark. In addition, the Bible also contains specific instructions for anointing a sick person with oil to relieve bodily ailments. The conciliar epistle of the Apostle James says that a sick person must call on church elders to receive the anointing with oil. For the sake of the faith of the sick person and the prayers of the clergy, the Lord is able to grant healing and health to a person in need (James 5: 14-15). Thus, the indication of the performance of the sacrament of unction is contained directly in the New Testament texts of the Bible.
The very sacrament of unction (or rather, its rite) has changed over the centuries. In biblical times, the main performers of the sacrament were the holy apostles. Later, when the Christian faith became more widespread, the priests of the Church performed the blessing of oil. This is precisely what the Apostle James points out in his conciliar epistle.
The rite of unction also changed from the first centuries. Approximately the following, which is still being performed in Orthodox churches or at home, took shape in the 15th century.
In Russia, the sacrament of unction until the 19th century was called the "last anointing." However, Saint Filaret Drozdov insisted that such a naming of the church sacrament be withdrawn from use due to the inconsistency with the main essence of the sacrament. The sacrament of unction was performed not only on the dying, but simply on sick people. This is the practice that the Russian Orthodox Church adheres to today.
