Today, at the parish of St. Joseph the Betrothed, the Sacrament of the Consecration of Oil (Consecration) took place. What was supposed to be a regular prayer service as part of a deanery meeting suddenly became something else.
This event forced those present to look differently not only at the Council itself, but also at how we understand it today. Because there is a noticeable distance between what it is by its nature and how people perceive it.
Today, there was a moment when people who usually stand side by side in the church suddenly became much closer to each other. Everything that happened had a special silence and at the same time an inner tension – the bishop, priests, deacons, and parishioners who needed the Sacrament. They, our women, at that time became the center of attention of the entire community. Everyone in the church was present not as individuals, but as something integral.
At some point, it was very clearly felt that the Church is not just people who came to the service, but a living organism, the Mystical Body of Christ, in which the pain of one person is not alien to others. And, perhaps, this is what touched the heart the most – the depth of unity that is born where people stand together before God with a real need.
To be honest, in the minds of many, the Council is associated primarily with the end of life. It is perceived as something that is postponed “for later,” when there is no other way out. But if we return to the sources, such an interpretation does not withstand any theological criticism.
The Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick (Consecration of the Sick) has apostolic origins. The Epistle of the Apostle James explicitly states that in the event of illness a person should call for the elders of the Church to pray over him and anoint him with oil. This text leaves no room for later fears or postponements; it is about the illness itself, not about the last moments of life.
Already in apostolic times, anointing with oil was combined with prayer and understood as an action of God's grace that touches a person in his weakness. The Evangelist Mark writes that the apostles "anointed many sick people with oil and healed them." Thus, the original practice of the Church was aimed not at a symbolic "farewell to life," but at an encounter with God in a state of struggle, when a person is still alive, still suffering, still seeking help.
Throughout history, this Sacrament has developed along with the liturgical life of the Church. In the Eastern tradition, a complete rite has been formed, which includes the reading of seven passages from the Apostle and the Gospel, prayers, and a sevenfold anointing with oil. The number seven is not accidental: it symbolizes the fullness of the Church. That is why the Sacrament was called “congregation,” because it is performed by priests together (congregationally), as a visible sign that the whole Church is praying.
Each Sacrament of the Church has its own matter and formula, therefore, the matter of the Sacrament of Unction is oil. Oil in the biblical tradition means healing and grace. The form of the Sacrament is the prayer of the Church, in which priests ask for a person not only bodily healing, but also forgiveness of sins and the restoration of inner life. It is in this unity of matter and prayer that its depth and the action of grace are revealed.
And here a key question arises: why is this Sacrament today either perceived as something marginal, or, conversely, sometimes becomes almost a formality?
The reason is obviously twofold.
On the one hand, the Church has always tried to preserve the sanctity of the Sacrament and avoid its devaluation. When something holy becomes habitual and regular without inner understanding, it risks turning into a ritual without meaning. That is why there was a certain restraint in the tradition: the Council was held where there was a real illness, where there was a real need.
On the other hand, over time, people became afraid of this Sacrament. It began to be associated not with hope, but with completion. And this change in perception actually distanced people from what the Church offers as help.
In the contemporary practice of the Eastern Church, particularly in the Ukrainian context, one can see two parallel lines. The first is the preservation of the original understanding of the Anointing of the Sick as a Sacrament for the sick, which is performed in specific situations.
The second is the practice of performing the Synod during Great Lent for a wider circle of the faithful, with an emphasis on spiritual healing and forgiveness of even forgotten sins. Both of these lines have their explanation, but it is their coexistence that sometimes creates misunderstanding.
Because then the question arises: is this Sacrament for everyone, or for specific people in a specific state?
The Church's answer is more complicated than a simple "yes" or "no." This Sacrament is primarily for the sick, but illness is understood not only physically. At the same time, it cannot become an ordinary practice without inner preparation, faith, and repentance. Because then it loses its depth.
Today's Synod in our parish very clearly showed this balance. It was not mass. It was not formal. It was performed over specific people who needed the prayers of the Church. And that is why it looked the way the sources describe it: like a person's encounter with God in a moment of weakness.
This forces us to ask questions not only about the Sacrament, but also about ourselves in a different way. Do we truly believe that the Church has the answer to human pain? Are we willing not to put God off until the last moment? Do we understand that grace works not only when it is too late, but when a person opens himself to it?
Communion is not an extreme gesture. It is part of the life of the Church, which accompanies man in his struggle. And perhaps the greatest problem today is not that this Sacrament is rarely celebrated, but that we have not yet learned to live with the awareness of its true meaning.
We thank our clergy for being able to so subtly see the needs of their flock and respond to God's call!
May the LIFE-CREATING AND ONE-BEING LORD HEAL AND HAVE MERCY!
Christ is risen! Truly Risen!
