Even if a Christian lives very remotely from an active church and, accordingly, from a priest, there are cases in life when it is impossible to do without the prayer of a clergyman. And, first of all, this concerns the performance of divinely inspired Sacraments. In this case, you usually have to decide on making a trip to the temple or inviting a priest to your home. In some cases, such as the communion of capable adults or the sacrament of a wedding, a trip to the temple will still be the best option. However, there are cases when the only opportunity to perform the sacrament is to invite a priest to your home. This situation usually arises when a participant in the sacrament, for example, a newborn baby or a seriously ill person, does not have the physical ability to go on a long journey.
What is the Sacrament of Unction
Unction is one of the ancient sacraments of the Orthodox Church. The purpose of this procedure is to forgive sins and heal ailments: both physical and mental. The ritual involves anointing a person’s forehead, nose, lips, cheeks, chest and hands with sacred oil. The anointing is done in the form of a cross. The procedure is performed for a person who has been ill with a serious illness for a year or more. Also, this ritual is carried out in the church every year on the eve of Lent, and all parishioners who wish can voluntarily undergo it.
The name of the procedure itself comes from the word “cathedral”. The ritual, as has long been customary, is carried out over a person by a “cathedral”, that is, several priests at once. During unction, priests read prayers, the texts of which speak of the remission of sins and the healing of the soul.
Oil is consecrated vegetable oil. In ancient times, oil was used not only for cooking, but also as a medicine, cosmetic, and fuel for lighting. In ancient times, the abundance of oil was considered a blessing. Therefore, it is still used in church rituals to this day.
And how much does it cost?
In our mercantile times, we have become unaccustomed to the simple word “donation”, but this is what is used to “evaluate” services in the church. Much more familiar: how much does it cost? By and large, all sacraments are free, but how much to donate to the temple and its needs as gratitude for performing a particular sacrament is a personal matter for everyone, and it often depends on both financial capabilities and considerations of conscience.
The amount of donations in different churches may be different - there is no single established fee. Many churches have posted “price lists,” as their detractors call them. But this is not a dogma, but rather a “compass”, based on the readings of which, you can figure out how much each service costs.
How to prepare for unction?
How to do it at home
Unction at home is usually carried out for seriously ill people who cannot be physically present in the temple. However, if a clergyman comes to your house, he can perform this ritual for all members of the household who wish. This ritual does not require special preparation from a person, but he must understand the meaning of the sacrament and have a desire to confess.
How to prepare for the priest's arrival
Before the clergyman arrives, you need to talk with him, discussing how the sacrament will take place. Do you want to perform the ceremony only for the sick person or do other family members also want to undergo unction. If the sick person cannot come to church or if he has never been to church before, it is also worth having confession and communion for him.
Do not delay the unction too much. There is an opinion that this ritual is a preparation for death, because of this, people often postpone the sacrament until the moment when the patient becomes very ill. This is wrong, the sacrament is not in itself a preparation for death, since even healthy people undergo it before Lent.
The meaning of the sacrament is the remission of sins and the discovery of Divine Grace for a person.
However, it is absolutely not necessary to do this only before the death of a person. Death and unction are not directly related; it is simply customary to carry out the ritual without fail before the death of a seriously ill believer.
How it goes
During unction, the priest anoints the person’s body with oil in a cross pattern: forehead, nostrils, cheeks, lips, chest and each of the arms. The anointing occurs seven times in succession. At the same time, the clergyman reads prayers for the remission of sins. After this, the priest places the Gospel on the patient’s head while he reads “Lord, have mercy.” The sick person kisses the Gospel, and at this moment it is believed that the Lord sends grace to the person, relieving his sins.
How the Unction takes place
The preparatory rite is read: prayers of repentance, canon and stichera - the essence of the future sacrament is spelled out in the texts. Oil and grain (rice) are blessed, which means a person reborn to eternal life after the general resurrection.
The main part consists of three-component parts. Each includes an apostolic reading with a prokemenon and alleluary, a reading of the Gospel, a litany for the healing of the participants and prayers for them.
Before the first anointing, the testimony of the Apostle James about the recovery of the sick after anointing and the parable of the Good Samaritan are read.
The second reading calls for loving the suffering like Christ. Afterwards they recall the plot of the meeting of the sinner Zacchaeus with Christ, the story of repentance and spiritual rebirth.
Before the third, they quote the incomparable “hymn of love” of the Apostle Paul and the biblical story about the calling of the apostles to serve Christ, bestowing upon them the gifts of love (the ability to heal the sick and raise the dead).
Before the fourth is a reminder of the original purity of man, as the Creator intended him, and the biblical passage tells of Christ’s healing of Peter’s mother-in-law.
Fifth part: words of hope in Christ are spoken from the apostle, who feels the breath of death on himself. The parable of the ten virgins contains the theme of the coming Last Judgment. And the prayer seems to put those present before God the judge with the hope of His condescension.
Before the sixth anointing, they talk about the spiritual fruits of faith (Gal. 5:22-6.2, 1 Thess. 5: 14-23). There is a biblical story about rewarded human humility (the story of a Canaanite woman and the recovery of her demon-possessed daughter).
The last reading calls upon the example of the preacher Matthew to steadfastly follow Christ (Matthew 9:9-13).
The entire reading of sacred texts, prayers spoken and the prayer “Holy Father” are crowned.
Afterwards, the Holy Gospel is placed on the heads of the parishioners, which promises a test at God's judgment. Those who have begun the Sacrament, as a sign of gratitude, attach their lips to the Book of Holy Scripture and the Cross.
What to do after the sacrament
After the sacrament, a person should also make confession and communion. At the request of the owners, the priest can leave them the remains of the oil. It can be used for household purposes, for example, to smear sore areas of the body with it.
There is a misconception that after unction a person should forget about washing and brushing his teeth for some time. This is not true, the church does not prohibit washing immediately after the sacrament and washing off the oil. So you can follow the rules of hygiene without fear of breaking Orthodox traditions.
Interesting remarks that few people talk about
The priest often confesses to people in hospitals in various states, and the Lord expects repentance and change from all of them. It is important here that the priest makes attempts to explain to the person the need for sincere repentance and the meaning of the sacraments. And if a person’s heart softens and he repents sincerely and in detail, then extraordinary Divine joy and resolution of the situation await him.
But if everything goes off formally or without proper repentance, then, as a rule, there will be some relief, completely temporary for a day, two, three, and so on.
I have seen many people who have been sick for years, many are in a situation of fifty/fifty, for some the doctors have already told how much is left, and a painful death awaits them, but in reality everything happens in a special way, according to God’s will, you only need to allow God to come to you, and not move away from it.
So, you come to confess, take communion, but the person does not really repent, and does not understand his sins, in practice, it becomes easier for a couple of days, those who have not slept begin to sleep, those who suffer severe pain are consoled, those who are tired become relieved, some even begins to walk temporarily. But in fact, he will continue to suffer until he atones for his sins with bodily suffering and until a person develops humility. There are many such cases, and the priest actually sees it all: the attitude and everything else.
About the cost
As a rule, the church does not name the specific cost of the procedure. Priests usually answer the question about the cost in the spirit of “how much will you give.” It is best to ask the clergyman how much they usually give him for performing the sacrament, and pay a comparable amount if you have such an opportunity.
If you have nothing to pay, the priest will perform the ceremony for free. However, you should not abuse this, if you have something to pay, it is better to pay - this will be a sign of respect for the clergyman and the church. And the Lord loves it when people treat each other with respect.
How a sacrifice will help the temple
There is no escape from the market economy, and the Church, although separated from the state, lives in the same state. What does the money earned by the temple go to?
- The money can be used to repair the church. New temples are being built;
- are being reconstructed;
- repairs that require updating;
- the interior and temple grounds are being improved;
- wages are paid to repair workers;
- social programs are being implemented;
- events related to spiritual enlightenment and religious education are held;
- and no one canceled the salaries of priests (as we see, on a residual basis).
Here they are - donated funds, including for the Unction. Its implementation is work, and every work must be paid.
As a rule, the cost of the Sacrament of Anointing is set by the rector of the temple.
The fact that the sizes of donations recommended by the church are changing, and for the most part increasing, is not at all surprising: prices are rising for everything, including utilities, which churches also pay. After all, they do not live in airless space.
To summarize what has been said, let us remind you once again that the figures indicated in the church price lists are just the estimated recommended amount of donations. Church services cost exactly as much as a particular parishioner can pay for them. This money is voluntary donations. There is no money at the moment - what can you do? There’s nothing wrong with that: everyone is equal before God. The only pity is that not everyone knows about this, and in some churches they deliberately hush up the issue of “price” and “sacrifice.”
What else do you need to know
If a believer is unconscious in intensive care, in any case, he should be given unction. The decision to receive communion is made by the clergyman. Different people, in different states, undergo the sacrament. During confession, the Lord expects repentance from every person. The priest’s task is to explain to the person the meaning of the ritual and the need for sincere repentance.
It is important that the person repents sincerely - then the effect of the procedure will be lasting - God's Grace will descend on the person, and his soul will receive relief.
With a formal attitude, when a person does not understand the need for repentance and is not aware of his sins, the relief will be short-lived. During the performance of the sacrament, even people who have been in a very serious condition for a long time receive peace of mind. And if a person can no longer be physically healed, having forgiven his sins, he, in any case, will receive forgiveness and enter the Kingdom of God with a calm soul.
Russian Orthodox Church
In Moscow, priests visit patients with COVID-19 at home and in hospitals. How to perform the sacraments in this case, whether clergy can come to the hospital to see people with coronavirus, whether hospital churches work, Archpriest John Kudryavtsev, deputy chairman of the Commission on Hospital Ministry at the Diocesan Council of Moscow, told in an interview with the Orthodoxy and World portal.
— Father John, why does a priest visit a sick person?
“Any hospital chaplain knows that people who are sick and suffering ask themselves questions. Why do I need this? Why am I sick? How can I survive this test, why was it sent?
We always very clearly feel and notice that it is in suffering that the Lord is especially close to man. During illness, especially during such a large-scale epidemic that has swept the whole world and which is a clear visitation of God, it is especially important that the priest be with his flock, with the suffering.
The main job of a priest is to save a person’s soul, so that the person understands God’s Providence about himself. I understood why the Lord allowed this test, and made the appropriate conclusions, changed my attitude towards God, towards the people around me, towards myself. And the most important goal of a priest is to help a person on this path, to support him with prayer and participation in the sacraments.
That is why we, priests caring for the sick, have been trying for days to be allowed to visit patients with coronavirus in hospitals, because they now need not only medical care, but also spiritual consolation, spiritual support. It is clear that doctors are doing a very important job, and we should not interfere with them under any circumstances; we must obey all their demands and instructions.
The Lord Himself says in the Gospel “we must fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). That is, we must fulfill both the medical truth and the human truth. But we must also fulfill God’s truth. And it is to help a suffering person meet Christ, to give him words of consolation and support.
There is a concept that illness heals the soul. So, if the disease passes simply in unbelief, in despair, in fear, then it can only lead to a state of despondency and depression. A person will no longer suffer so much from the virus and epidemic as from depression, from terrible thoughts that life is not worth living at all, because life is terrible and meaningless. And to prevent this from happening, we must be close to suffering people.
We are trying to convey to everyone and explain that we are ready to comply with all sanitary standards. We are ready to put on protective suits; we have already conducted several seminars and trainings on how to do this correctly.
— Who conducts these trainings?
- Of course, we consult with professionals - with doctors, in order to do this competently and correctly, without endangering anyone: neither ourselves, nor our parishioners, nor our loved ones. We have many consultant doctors, we take into account all their recommendations in everything. In addition, we have a priest-doctor on our hospital committee.
Protective suit, mask, goggles. And underneath them is a man with consolation and prayer
— Do you come to people who have been diagnosed with coronavirus, but their condition allows them to be treated at home?
“We have already visited such patients’ homes several times, observing all safety measures: we put on a protective suit, a mask, gloves - we do everything the same way as doctors do.
But patients who are at home are, as a rule, people with moderate to mild severity of the disease, and yes, they also need pastoral support. But, having recovered, after the general self-isolation regime in the country is lifted, they will be able to go to church.
In the hospital there is a group of seriously ill patients who can leave without bringing repentance to God, without reconciling with Him. This is a more serious problem. Therefore, we ask that we be allowed to see seriously ill patients. This is very important for those people who are suffering now. Perhaps this is the only chance for a believer to be reconciled with God.
— Please tell us in more detail how you visit patients with coronavirus?
— Firstly, we have complete protective kits - overalls. On the advice of doctors, when we come home to a person with COVID-19, we put on protective overalls while still on the street: there can also be an infection in the entrance. We put on protective overalls, shoe covers, gloves, respirators or a protective mask, glasses that completely cover the face, put on a cap, a hood and, only dressed like this, we go to the person.
We even have the order of confession and communion at home printed on a printer, then we leave it in the apartment so as not to take anything out of it. We usually ask in advance that everything be prepared for prayer, confession, and communion. We perform the rites and give the person communion.
It is very important that a person is not afraid of a priest in an unusual attire, so that he understands that it was not an astronaut or a robot who came to him, but a living person with prayer, with consolation. Therefore, through a mask, through glasses, I try to somehow make a person feel warmth, sympathy, compassion. There is a requirement that you cannot stay in the patient’s apartment for a long time. Usually we are there for 20-25 minutes, no more.
We regularly practice how to properly put on and take off protective clothing. Removing it correctly is an even more difficult task. When the priest leaves the patient’s apartment, an assistant is waiting for him on the street, also in protective clothing, who helps to remove everything correctly so that we ourselves do not become infected. We take off the protective overalls, turning them inside out, as doctors do, and gradually remove all the protective equipment in the order it should be. We disinfect it, we have disinfectant solutions. We disinfect gloves several times. Then we put everything that remains in special yellow bags, which we take to the Alekseevskaya hospital, where a special collection point for such waste of class “B” has been created, where it is disposed of in a special way.
We even use a special cassock, only in it we come to the patient. Then we wash it at 60 degrees, sanitize it and try not to use it under normal conditions. That is, we try to comply with all sanitary safety measures.
Recently, priests from different regions began to contact us with a request to teach them how to do the same. I think now the need for this will increase - more and more people with coronavirus will call priests to see them. And therefore, of course, there is a lot of work ahead - not only to visit the sick ourselves, but also to train those priests who have not yet encountered this. It is important that the shepherds are protected so that they do not fall ill.
— How do you give communion to people with coronavirus?
— We have the blessing of His Holiness the Patriarch on how to give communion in such conditions. I will not go into details - this is such a special question, it is not entirely clear to a wide audience. But, in any case, we try to minimize contact. We try to give Holy Communion to a person in such a way that we do not take anything home from him later - neither the Cup nor the spoon. We give communion according to the image that was accepted in the ancient Church - the believers put a particle directly into their mouths. This is done in order to minimize all risks of infection.
— When you came to such people in a guise unusual for a priest, how did they react?
- Complacent enough. When I arrive, I immediately apologize: “Forgive me for looking like this, but these are the instructions.” And people are understanding. They are not offended, they are not afraid. Even the three-year-old child whom I gave communion was not afraid of me, although he looked in surprise.
You try to say something neutral, joke, defuse the situation. Everyone understands the situation perfectly, they say: “Yes, doctors have already come to us in the same suits.”
— Are not all priests sent to people who have been diagnosed with coronavirus, but a specific group?
— Yes, with the blessing of His Holiness the Patriarch, a special group of hospital priests for Moscow has been created, who have undergone special training. And, in addition, there is a group of volunteer assistants to these priests. As I said, priests need help; they alone cannot cope with the removal of special protection.
You can call a priest to see a coronavirus patient by calling the number of the Hospital Commission at the Moscow Diocesan Council.
There are special coordinators who direct priests on calls.
Unfortunately, this group of priests is very small for Moscow. If the number of requests increases, we simply will not be able to cope. Therefore, we ask priests, including monastics, to join us.
The situation with visiting hospitals is very difficult
— Isn’t it possible to transfer the Holy Gifts to a hospital to someone who wants to receive communion through someone, say, through a health worker?
— So far, this method of receiving communion has not been blessed by the Hierarchy. Although there are cases in history when, for example, during the period of persecution, the Holy Gifts were passed on in prosphora, even in bread. But these are exceptional cases.
In this situation, there is a risk of great temptation if a person who is far from the Church - a nurse or a doctor - takes this prosphora, which contains the Holy Gifts, and, due to misunderstanding, throws it away, forgets, and so on. This will be a great sin and a great desecration of the Body and Blood of Christ.
— Do you adopt the experience of priests serving abroad, in those countries where the epidemic began earlier?
— We haven’t looked into this issue yet. Although, probably, our brothers who are now serving in Western Europe have such experience - in Italy, Germany, France. I think that we will look for opportunities to contact them and borrow something from their experience. The world is very fragile, and we are very weak, so we need to support each other and be closer.
— At what stage are the negotiations now regarding allowing priests to enter hospitals to see patients with coronavirus?
— So far we have not been able to obtain permission to visit most hospitals. And not only hospitals where people with coronavirus are staying. Nowadays, if a person in a hospital asks for a priest to come to him, in most cases we simply will not be allowed to see him. But over the past few days the ice has broken, and we still got into some hospitals with the permission of the management of the institutions. True, so far this, unfortunately, is the exception rather than the rule.
— Do the patients themselves or their relatives call the priest to the hospital?
— As a rule, relatives, when the patients are already in a rather serious condition and cannot call themselves. There is often a situation where people before illness did not particularly strive to confess or receive communion. And when trouble happens, when there is a great risk that a person may leave this life, relatives, worried about their loved one, at the last moment begin to sound the alarm, asking: “Father, please come quickly, because he is very ill.”
This is the most difficult situation for a priest, because he has to confess to a person in serious condition. Maybe he already speaks poorly, but we should try to confess him. This is very difficult when there is very little time left, and the patient has little strength, he no longer perceives everything correctly.
Unfortunately, there is some bad idea that a priest should only be invited to a dying person. Of course not. We come to the patient not in order to admonish him before death, but in order to let him meet Christ, to give him the opportunity to receive spiritual grace-filled help. And there we no longer know whether it will be God’s will for this person to live and bring God the fruits of repentance, or for him to go to the Lord in peace, in repentance.
— Are there any recommendations for a priest if he goes not to a patient with coronavirus, but to a believer in self-isolation?
— Yes, such recommendations were developed by our commission and sent to all churches. The main recommendation: the priest should wear a mask and, better yet, gloves, trying to minimize contact.
— If we’re not talking about coronavirus patients, but about people who are in other hospitals, are priests allowed to see them? Are hospital churches open?
— Many hospital churches are open. But, as I already said, access to patients directly in most hospitals is now either limited or completely prohibited for us. In general, the situation with visiting hospitals is very difficult.
“Orthodoxy and the world” / Patriarchy.ru
