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I noticed in a thread in the Kliros section the different services offered for Holy Week. In Greek liturgical practice it normal to offer the Sacrament of Holy Unction on the afternoon or evening of Holy Wednesday. This is standard at the conclusion of any fast period.

I see that some communities or liturgical usages do not offer this, and others go by the name Service of Annointing. I understand that in older Slavic practice the sacrament was not offered with any regularity to the parish community as a whole, though some are readopting to offer this on a more regular basis, i.e. OCA. Is there a difference in the Service of Annointing or is it the same as the Sacrament but renamed and if so why has it been renamed?

In IC XC,
Father Anthony+

Father Anthony,

This Forum may well be in a privileged position to gather data on just how prevalent this usage is in the English speaking world at this time. I doubt there has ever been a more convenient way to sample actual parish practice.

I am curious about your observation that such an anointing is common at the end of a fast. Could you say more?

There is no mention of the practice in the editions of the Triodion that I have checked. I have only looked a a few Typika but it was not mentioned in any of them either. I have heard it said that it is a relatively recent Greek practice, but have not seen any evidence to support that assumption.

The cycle of Prokeimena readings [begining with Ps 1 on the First day of the Fast and culminating in Ps 150 at Vespers on Great Wednesday] suggests that at one time one strand of the Byzantine tradition calculated the 40 day fast as ending at this service. [Current Byzantine usage calculates the 40 days as concluding on the eve of Lazarus Saturday, as the hymns of that service explicitly and repeatedly affirm.]

A common element in these two "endings of the Fast" is a gospel reading of the anointing in Bethany. On Great Wednesday,the reading is from Matthew [which is strongly attested as the Gospel followed in the Jerusalem Holy Week as early as the end of the 4th century.] The reading of John 11 on Lazarus Saturday is closely tied to the reading of John 12 on Palm Sunday, which includes a reference to the anointing at Bethany.

Thank you for raising this interesting point!

In our Eparchy (UGCC) only a few parishes do it (one of them is the cathedral). In my little parish we do not, but after reading this thread I am asking myself why and why not.

The great debate as I have heard it among my peers is whether one can give the sacrament to people who are not "seriously" ill or injured.

I think when they do the service, they call it "the Annointing of the Sick" for several people who are seriously in need and who pre-arrange it. Then the rest of the people who line up are just "blessed" or "annointed" with the same oil. The service itself is simply advertised as a "Healing Service" although many people call it "the Annointing of the Sick Service".

I will continue to read this thread with interest.

Fr. Bo

Dear Father Bo,

Are we not all, '"seriously" ill or injured.' in the spiritual sense?

A bit of history - for centuries in the Slav Churches the only use of this Holy Mystery during Holy Week was at the Monastery of the Caves in Kiev, where the Metropolitan would administer it to all those who presented themselves for it. Quite recently, it has been spreading strongly in the Slav Churches and has become quite popular. The process is continuing.

Incognitus

Dear Phil,

In Greek liturgical usage it is common to end each fast with the offering of the Sacrament of Unction. Also, a family or individual may request it at other times when it was felt necessary out of physical illness or spiritual need. There are parishes that still offer frequent celebrations of this sacrament at least three times a year, depending on the community, as well as monasteries.

For Holy Week, it is generally offered in place of the fourth Bridegroom Matins, though in some OCA parishes I have seen it served either before or after this service.

The general rationale is that we conclude the time of the fast or spiritual renewal with the seeking of the healing of soul and body. In Greek practice, the sacrament is used on a more frequent basis than I have observed in in Slavic or western practices, and is made available to the congregation or community. I know this tends to be one of the more popular services for both adults and children. I know of some communities that now offer the service twice on Holy Wednesday, one specifically for children and the other for the community at large.

In IC XC,
Father Anthony+

Dear Father Bo,

Incogneat3 (who I am really getting to like alot for his excellent posts ) put it the way my priest and my church explain it: we are ALL sick spiritually, though only some may be sick physically.

With respect in Christ,
Alice

Also as an after thought of thinking about this sacrament and Holy Wednesday, I remember it was only 20 years ago that then Bishop Herman now Metropolitan of the OCA reinstituted the sacrament on Holy Wednesday and had it as a diocesan event. If I remember right it was done in a centrally located parish of the diocese and the church was packed. It was the first time for that diocese that it was offered in that context, and if I remember right a great deal of activity went into to compiling books for the sacrament in English. I know that for a long time after that it was a regular diocesan event. I am not sure if the pactice has continued under his diocesan successor.

In IC XC,
Father Anthony+

This practice is very much alive in the Maronite Rite. We call our Liturgy on Holy Wednesday the "Lighting of the Lamp", and it concludes with the "Anointing of the Sick". I look forward to this, because I agree we are all sick in our souls...and we need a "touch from the Master's hand".

Blessings,

Cody

Phil and Father Bo,

I just checked the Lenten Triodion (Mother Mary and Bishop Kallistos Ware) and on page 60 of my edition, next to the last paragraph is the following note:
I hope this helps.

In IC XC,
Father Anthony+

It is my understanding that the traditional Ruthenian custom was to offer the Sacramental Mystery of Holy Anointing at least twice each year. The first time was during Cheesefare Week and again on Great and Holy Wednesday. I have been told that it was also customary to offer the Sacramental Anointing again at the end of Dormiton Fast (seems logical but no one has offered any evidence of this). I have not seen it celebrated at the end of Nativity Fast.

Somewhere the use of this Sacrament at these times fell into disuse in the Ruthenian Church (and, it appears, in the other Slavic Churches).

Sometime during the 1970s my local parish here in Virginia restored the full service (including the 7 epistles and 7 Gospels), based upon Hapgood�s texts. In the early 1980s I �cleaned up� some of the language and printed a new edition. I did another update in the 1990s. About 50 or 60 parishes have requested copies of this service over the years, but I have no idea as to how many are actually celebrating it. In addition, my guess is that there are probably several parishes that have created their own books.

I�d really like to see a good translation of the rubrics and texts for whatever is in the official Ruthenian books. That is what we should be doing.

In recent years there have been mandates to celebrate the Divine Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts during the evening of Great and Holy Wednesday. Some eparchies have also added the Sacramental Anointing in the middle of the service. I have some issues with this because it once again presents the idea that a service (even a Sacramental Anointing service) must also include Eucharist in order to be worth celebrating.

I don�t have it handy but the explanation in Hapgood is also quite good.

I like what Bishop Herman and the OCA have done. It brings the people together and allows for anointing by seven priests, which is customary for our Church.

Dear Friends,

Some of our parishes up here do have the Anointing on Holy Wednesday, although I have yet to have received it even once in my life!

Could you explain to me how it is administered? Is it administered by anointing the hands only?

Hmmm?

Alex

Dear Incognitus,

You raise a fascinating point with your reference to the Kyivan Caves Lavra!

A number of liturgical practices that were original with the Lavra spread outwardly to the Church throughout Rus' as you know.

The practice of kissing the edge of the Chalice and touching the heads of those who had communicated with the Chalice afterwads, came originally from the Lavra as well.

In addition, the use of the Shroud of the Most Holy Theotokos for the feast of the Dormition came from the Lavra, as it had the miraculous shroud/icon of the Dormition which was/is suspended on ropes above the Royal Doors and is let down on those ropes for special services.

The Pochaiv Lavra has imitated this tradition by having the Pochaiv Icon suspended on ropes above the Royal Doors as well.

Do you know of any other Churches that follow this practice as well?

Alex

A deanery-wide Holy Unction still continues. Last year, it was in Olyphant. This year, it will be in Jermyn. And you're right, there is always a packed house.

Dave

I'm intrigued. Do you know if this is talked about in any book or publication? Perhaps our resident liturgical scholar, Fr. David, has some information on this.

Dave