On Great and Holy Wednesday, 16 April 2025, His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia conducted the Sacrament of Holy Unction at the Church of Saint Spyridon, in Kingsford, Sydney, and was joined by the Parish Priests, Father Steven Scoutas and Father Stavros Ivanos.
At the end of the Service, addressing the hundreds of faithful of all ages who had filled the beautiful Church, His Eminence analysed the deeper meaning of the Holy Unction. He noted, in his introduction, that it is offered for the healing of both our soul and our body, as well as for the forgiveness of our sins, as a preparation to meet the Lord. “While Holy Unction can be performed at any time during the year,” he explained, “its placement within Holy Week is important and decisive for our preparation to receive Christ. This is because the Sacrament focuses on the healing of both our physical ailments and those of the soul. It is personal, as it is addressed to each one personally, and at the same time collective, because our healing is part of the healing of the wider “body,” the Body of the Church. “God forgives us so that we can forgive others.”
The Archbishop then emphasised that Holy Unction is a reminder that Christ is present when we are in pain, whether it is physical pain or emotional or spiritual distress. “Christ is with us through the ministry of His Church,” he emphasised, adding: “He is among us, to give us strength to face the challenges of life. He is near us, even as we approach death, awaiting our entrance into the light of His glory.”
He also discerned that the ultimate purpose of the Sacrament of Unction is for the human person’s suffering to be sanctified and united with the passions of Christ. As he explained, with the holy anointing on the suffering body, the wounds of the flesh become sacred; they are elevated to a different level. “Pain and suffering are transformed,” he emphasised, “they are no longer a cause of spiritual death, but, united with the passions of Christ, they open the way for our participation in His Resurrection.” “The Sacrament of Holy Unction,” he added, “fills us with hope and gives us strength and courage to take up our personal cross, as we stand on the threshold of the great sacrifice of Christ on the cross.”
Finally, His Eminence observed that oil functions as a sign of God’s mercy and forgiveness, while clarifying that a person’s physical healing should not be understood as a return to their previous life, but as an opportunity for spiritual renewal. “Healing,” he emphasised, “is the means by which God grants us His mercy and transmits His grace to us, so that we can live anew; to live in more meaningful communion with Him; to live united with our fellow human beings and with a sacrificial spirit, serving their needs with humility and love. Exactly as Christ did.”
