"Through this holy anointing may the Lord in his love and
mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit. May the Lord who frees you from sin save you
and raise you up.” (From the Rite of the
Anointing of the Sick)
Anyone with even a passing knowledge of the Bible knows well
that a central part of the public ministry of Jesus was to heal the sick both
physically and spiritually, and He gave His Apostles the authority to do the
same. This authority was passed on to
the successors of the Apostles and has continued to be handed down to the
present day. The Catholic Church
continues Jesus’ ministry of healing through the Sacraments, and one of the
ways this is done is through the Anointing of the Sick.
Baptism restores us to life and makes us new creations in
Christ. Through Confession, sins
committed after Baptism are forgiven and we are restored to friendship with
God. Receiving the Eucharist also heals
and restores us, but in addition to these beautiful Sacraments Jesus has given
us, through His Body the Church and the ministry of His priests, the Anointing
of the Sick.
Physical healing is possible and does happen for some, but
the primary effect of the Anointing of the Sick is the grace through which one
receives the courage to trust God more fully and to unite our sufferings with
the Cross of Christ. It helps us to put
our illnesses in perspective and to carry our crosses, following Jesus more
closely in His suffering and death. We
also receive the strength to offer our sufferings for the good of others and
for the whole Church, and thus to participate powerfully in His saving work. We may not receive physical healing, but we
do receive abundant spiritual graces.
Although the Anointing of the Sick is primarily intended for
those who are close to death as part of their preparation for their departure
from this life, it may be received by anyone who has a chronic or serious
illness, by those about to undergo major surgery, or by the elderly. It can be repeated any time one becomes
seriously ill or when their condition worsens.
To speak with a priest about receiving the Sacrament of the
Anointing of the Sick, contact your local parish.
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