Dear friends,

One of the most misunderstood sacraments in the Catholic Church is the anointing of the sick. In the past the sacrament was known as extreme unction, or “the last anointing.” The Church changed the name from extreme unction to anointing of the sick in the 1970s to better represent the purpose of the sacrament. This is because the anointing of the sick, as a sacrament, makes visible the healing mercy of God. In this the healing ministry of our Lord experienced throughout the gospels continues through Christ’s Bride, the Church.

The anointing of the sick extends the healing mercy of God to those who experience suffering and illness, and strengthens them to face and overcome despair or desolation in the midst of these sufferings. Through the anointing, one is united to the sufferings of our Lord’s passion, their sins are forgiven, and they are granted spiritual healing and strength. In addition, physical and mental healing are prayed for by the priest and in some cases miraculous healing is experienced through the sacrament.

We see some of these miraculous healings by God’s grace in the gospels as he gives sight to the blind (John:9), heals those who cannot walk (John:5), and liberates those who are oppressed by evil spirits (Matthew:8). In all this we see revealed through Jesus the healing mercy of God. Even to the point of Jesus raising Jairus’ daughter (Mark:5 21-43) and his friend Lazarus (John:11 1-34) from the dead.

Although we experience the reality of illness and suffering, the Lord calls us to persevere in hope in the resurrection. This isn’t accomplished through a detached effort, but through our Lord’s direct involvement by taking on our human nature and redeeming us through his suffering and death. In this we know Jesus to be the Wounded Healer; Jesus experienced for himself the pains of human suffering and even in his resurrected body bears the wounds of his passion. This serves to remind us that even as we encounter illness, and one day death, we persevere with the help of God’s grace knowing that we are united to the suffering of the Wounded Healer who strengthens us and heals us as we continue to follow him through calvary to the empty tomb of the resurrection.

Returning to the anointed of the sick, we have a continuation of our Lord’s healing grace at work whenever the sacrament is administered by a priest. To be clear, the anointing of the sick is not a magical ritual that heals us on the spot. It is an outpouring of God’s grace to heal and strengthen us spiritually in times of suffering and assists us in climbing the hill of Calvary. Along with this particular grace, the anointing of the sick also affects a conformity of the sufferings of the recipient to the salvific suffering of Christ (so that any suffering endured is offered also for the salvation of others as it is united to the passion of our Lord), the person is prepared for death if they receive the sacrament in anticipation of their death, and in certain cases the sacrament grants miraculous healing. The sins of the recipient are also forgiven as part of the sacrament.

The anointing of the sick itself is composed of two primary elements. Firstly, the laying on of hands wherein the priest places his hands on the recipient of the anointing and prays for them in silence. This is reminiscent of Jesus’ laying on of hands whenever he heals someone who is ill. Secondly, the anointing with holy oil that was blessed during the Chrism mass. The anointing involves the priest tracing a cross with the sacred oil on the forehead and the palms of the hands while saying, “Through this holy anointing may the Lord in his love and mercy help You with the grace of the Holy Spirit.” and, “May the Lord who frees you from sin save you and raise you up.” The anointing of the sick can also include confession and the reception of communion, but the primary elements are the laying on of hands and the anointing with the oil of the sick.

On a practical level I ask that if you know of someone who needs the anointing of the sick, don’t wait to reach out. I know there are some who have requested the sacrament for a loved one when they were near death, but a priest was unable to come. I am sorry for this. There are many who are sick and there are limited priests. Therefore, if you know of someone who would like to receive the sacrament, don’t wait to reach out. We have a dedicated answering service that will take your call even when the oŬce is closed. If you call the parish oŬce after hours you will be redirected to the Emergency Line. Please note that this is meant for emergencies only. You can also receive the anointing of the sick during times of grave illness or before a serious surgery. In all this we continue to have faith in the grace of God and the victory of the cross.

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