I have mentioned a few times before that the Church is a hospital for sinners. The Church is not to be a courtroom presided by judges who condemn us for our sins. But it is there to help heal us. This is seen in all of the sacraments, but especially the sacrament of Holy Unction.
Holy Unction is a sacrament that is the anointing of the sick with a special, blessed oil. St. James wrote in his Epistle "...let him call for the elders of the church, and let 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; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven" (James 5:14-15). So we see that there is a biblical basis for this sacrament - like there is for the rest of them.
In certain jurisdictions there is a service during Holy Week for the Sacrament of Holy Unction. GOArch says this about the service of Holy Unction,
"On the afternoon or evening of Great and Holy Wednesday, the Sacrament or Mystery of Holy Unction is conducted in Orthodox parishes. The Sacrament of Holy Unction is offered for the healing of soul and body and for forgiveness of sins. At the conclusion of the service of the Sacrament, the body is anointed with oil, and the grace of God, which heals infirmities of soul and body, is called down upon each person. The Sacrament is performed by a gathering of priests, ideally seven in number, however, it can be performed by a lesser number and even by a single priest."
We also see from the quote from the Epistle of James that Holy Unction not only heals us, but also forgives our sins. The Church sees sin and sickness as coexisting, not necessarily that sin causes sickness, but that often the two can go hand in hand.
I want to note here that when I was taking Resiliency classes in the Army that they stressed the importance of our spiritual health just as much as our regular, and mental health. Of course, it being the military, it was more of an ecumenical idea of spiritual well being, but they did say that if you were religious to try to attend your church's services and take part in what they had to offer.
So, we see that the Church has recognized a great truth before much of the secular world did - which is really often the case - and that is that our bodily health (to include physical, mental, etc) go hand in hand with our spiritual health. The Sacrament of Holy Unction is a Mystery of the Church which helps to heal both of these.
Now, this service during Holy Week is not the only time that the sacrament is given. If at any time someone is sick they can request that a priest come and give them this sacrament (like if you're sick at home, in a hospital bed, dying on the street, etc).
The Sacrament of Holy Unction also works depending on the faith of the believer, and the Will of God. If our faith is weak, it might not work to heal us. Or maybe it will so our faith will be strengthened. It is a Mystery, honestly and truly. Perhaps God has some way that our illness is to work for Him. I know hearing that sucks when you are suffering - it is hard to think of how being laid up in bed with a bum back can work towards the glory of God, but again, Mystery.
That may seem like a cop-out, or some excuse to explain why God isn't being an amazing sky wizard who magically heals all who ask. But we are told many times that God works in mysterious way. His ways are not our ways, nor His thoughts our thoughts. Also, God is not a sky wizard.
Instead of focusing on the things that we cannot change, we should instead focus on what is good and holy. The sacraments are a pouring out of God's grace upon us, and we should seek to partake of them as often as we can - except marriage, no multiple marriages. Honestly, who could put up with multiple in-laws?
As an aside, I did adore my former mother-in-law. She is a sweet lady, and I'll miss eating her wonderfully made home-cooked meals.
Anyway, the Church is a hospital and the sacraments are a way for us to receive spiritual healing, as well as physical healing as we see in the Sacrament of Holy Unction. This should not bee seen as a "last rites", but any time that we are ill in any capacity we should seek this sacrament (OCA).
I want to state that this Sacrament should in no way take the place of actual medical treatment for serious ailments. Much like when I was taking courses in Alternative Medicine, this should be used in conjunction with whatever your doctor recommends. Both this Sacrament, and our current medical understanding have been given to us by God, for God reveals to us what He will, and also conceals what He will.
But, like all sacraments, this is an outpouring of God's grace upon us, so why wouldn't we want to partake as often as possible?
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