“He approached the victim, poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them.”
What is Anointing of the Sick? It is a “Sacrament of the New Law, instituted by Christ to give the sick spiritual aid and strength and to perfect spiritual health, including, if need be, the remission of sins.”[i]
Is Anointing of the Sick a Sacrament? “Yes, because it was instituted by Christ, and by it grace is conveyed to the sick through an outward sign.”[ii]
When did Christ institute this Sacrament? We read in Mark’s Gospel, “Going forth they preached that men should do penance: and they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.”[iii].The Council of Trent solidified this Sacrament stating, “This sacred Unction of the sick was instituted by Christ our Lord, as indicated by St. Mark, but recommended to the faithful and promulgated by the Apostle St. James, a relative of our Lord.”[iv]
Jesus always had a love and compassion for those who were sick, both physically and spiritually. The Catechism teaches, “Jesus has the power not only to heal, but also to forgive sins; He has come to heal the whole man, soul and body; he is the physician the sick have need of.”[v] He has given this same mission of healing the sick to the Church. “‘Heal the sick!’ The Church has received this charge from the Lord and strives to carry it out by taking care of the sick as well as by accompanying them with her prayer of intercession.”[vi]
What does Saint James say about Anointing of the Sick? The letter of James says, “Is anyone sick among you? Let him bring in the priests of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: and the prayer of faith shall save the sick man: and the Lord shall raise him up: and if he be in sin, they shall be forgiven.”[vii] Saint James would not have instructed the Church to perform this Sacrament if Jesus Christ did not already institute it.
What did the early Church Fathers believe? They believed and practiced this Sacrament. “The early Church Fathers recognized this Sacrament’s role in the life of the Church. Around A.D. 250, Origen wrote that the penitent Christian ‘does not shrink from declaring his sin to a priest of the Lord and from seeking medicine’ . . . [of] which the Apostle James says: ‘If then there is anyone sick, let him call the presbyters of the Church, and let them impose hands upon him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him.’”[viii]
In the year 350, Bishop Serapion wrote, “We beseech you, Savior of all men, you that have all virtue and power, Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and we pray that you send down from heaven the healing power of the only-begotten [Son] upon this oil, so that for those who are anointed . . . it may be effected for the casting out of every disease and every bodily infirmity . . . for good grace and remission of sins.”[ix]
What is the outward sign of this Sacrament? The outward sign is, “The anointing with holy oil, which is blessed by the bishop on Holy Thursday, and the prayer of the priest.”[x] This is the same holy oil that is used at our Baptism.
What inner grace does one receive from Anointing of the Sick? The Sacrament does not guarantee a full recovery of physical health. It can certainly do this, but the more important promise is the return to health of one’s soul back to God. The special graces received from Anointing of the Sick are:
“-the uniting of the sick person to the passion of Christ, for his own good that of the whole Church;
-the strengthening, peace, and courage to endure in a Christian manner the sufferings of illness or old age;
-the forgiveness of sins, if the sick person was not able to obtain it through the sacrament of Penance;
-the restoration of health, if it is conducive to the salvation of his soul;
-the preparation for passing over to eternal life.”[xi]
“It quiets our fear, illumines the gloom in which the soul is enveloped, fills it with pious and holy joy, and enables us to await with cheerfulness the coming of the Lord; thirdly, it fortifies us against the violent assaults of Satan. The enemy of mankind never ceases to seek our ruin: and if it be possible to deprive us of all hope of mercy, he more than ever increases his efforts when he sees us approach our last end. This Sacrament, therefore, enables the recipient to fight resolutely and successfully against him; fourthly, it effects the recovery of health, if advantageous to the sick person.”[xii]
Why does God not always heal physical ailments? God cares for both the body and the soul, but the health of the soul has priority. In his letter to the Corinthians Saint Paul says, “a thorn was given me in the flesh”[xiii] We do not know whether Saint Paul had a physical ailment or if the thorn meant something else. Saint Paul has numerous physical sufferings in his life and it is thought that his eyes failed him toward the end of life. Whether the “torn in his flesh” was spiritual or physical, Saint Paul asked to be healed of it and God denied him the healing. Saint Paul says, “Three times I begged the Lord about this, that it should leave me; but he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’”[xiv] God always has a plan for our life and physical healing may or may not be in that plan. What is for sure is that God want to perfect our soul and if a physical ailment will help in the perfection of our soul, then God would not take away the physical ailment. Many times we desire healing. Healing is not the answer, God’s grace is the answer, and if God’s grace entails healing, that so be it.
Who can receive this Sacrament? The sacrament is for those faithful (who are baptized and have reached the age of reason)[xv] who are in serious illness or old age.[xvi] It is also fitting for those who may undergo a serious operation to receive the Sacrament.[xvii]
What is the difference between Anointing of the Sick and Last Rites? Last Rites is really known as “Viaticum”. Viaticum is receiving the Eucharist at the last moment of your life here on earth. While Anointing of the Sick does prepare us for the end of our life, it is not specifically done at the last stages of life. As mentioned earlier, a person who is going into major surgery and has an excellent chance of recovery can still receive the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick because there are risks and could be complications. The reason for Anointing of the Sick and Viaticum is to prepare us for the end of our earthly life, whether immediately or in the future. “Thus, just as the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist form a unity called ‘the Sacraments of Christian initiation,’ so too it can be said that Penance, the Anointing of the Sick, and the Eucharist as Viaticum constitute at the end of Christian life ‘the Sacraments that prepare for our heavenly homeland; or the Sacraments that complete the earthly pilgrimage.”[xviii]
Who can give this Sacrament? Only priests (bishops or presbyters) can administer this Sacrament. “It is the duty of pastors to instruct the faithful on the benefits of this Sacrament. The faithful should encourage the sick to call for a priest to receive this Sacrament. The sick should prepare themselves to receive it with good dispositions, assisted by their pastor and the whole ecclesial community, which is invited to surround the sick in a special way through their prayers and fraternal attention.”[xix]
Is this Sacrament necessary? Anointing of the Sick is not necessary for our salvation. However, we should not purposefully neglect any grace that God wishes to give us. God loves us so much that He willed the institution of this Sacrament to heal and prepare our bodies to be with Him for eternity. The Council of Trent stated, “To despise so great a Sacrament would indeed be a great sin, an insult to the Holy Ghost.”[xx] Yet, if someone dies before a priest is able to give them this Sacrament, they are not in danger of hell simply because they did not receive Anointing of the Sick.
Can we receive this Sacrament more than once? Yes, the Church teaches that we can receive this Sacrament as often as we are in danger of death or our health gets worse. “…but we must bear in mind that we can be anointed only once in the same sickness.”[xxi]
What are other names for this Sacrament? Besides Anointing of the Sick, this Sacrament also goes by Anointing of Unction and/or Extreme Unction.
Why is this Sacrament sometimes called Extreme Unction? “Because among all the Sacraments which our Lord and Savior ordained in His Church, this one is the last we are to receive. But from this it does not follow, as so many believe that one who receives this Sacrament must die soon, but it will rather become a means of salvation for their souls, and if it be for their eternal welfare, will also restore their bodily health.”[xxii]
What is the process of Anointing of the Sick? Following the Second Vatican Council, Pope Paul VI along with the Apostolic Constitution, Sacram Unctionem Infirmorum, solidified the Roman Rite of the Sacrament. “The Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is given to those who are seriously ill by anointing them on the forehead and hands with duly blessed oil – pressed from olives or from other plants – saying, only once: ‘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.’”[xxiii] The Eastern Church may anoint several other places on the body as a way to remedy what may have caused them to sin.
[i] Hardon, Modern Catholic Dictionary pg. 28
[ii] Church’s Year pg. 394
[iii] Mk. 6:12, 13
[iv] Sess. XIV, c.i.
[v] CCC 1503
[vi] CCC 1509
[vii] James 5:14-15
[viii] Homilies on Leviticus 2:4
[ix] The Sacramentary of Serapion 29:1
[x] The Church’s Year, pg. 394
[xi] CCC 1532
[xii] Goffines, The Church’s Year pgs. 394-395
[xiii] 2 Corinthians 12:7
[xiv] 2 Corinthians 12:8-9
[xv] cf. Canon 1004
[xvi] cf. CCC1514
[xvii] cf. CCC 1515
[xviii] CCC 1525
[xix] CCC 1516
[xx] Sess. XIV, c. 3
[xxi] Goffine, The Church’s Year pg. 395
[xxii] Gofines, The Church’s Year pg. 395-396
[xxiii] CCC 1513