Mary would not have been blessed, though she had borne Jesus in the body, had she not heard the word of God and kept it. --St. John Chrysostom
The Saving Mystery of God
The Sacrament of the Anointing of the SickDear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Sickness and old age have a way of isolating people from their family, friends and faith community. This isolation, in addition to pain and suffering, can lead to a feeling of abandonment and despair. During such times some people come to question their faith. But illness and aging can also become a pathway to conversion. A serious illness can often lead to openness to the healing presence of God.
The Holy Spirit confers a special grace upon us through the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. This sacrament has the power to bring peace and spiritual healing through reconciliation and union with Christ. It reveals to us the saving mystery of God.
Reconciliation and healing are inextricably intertwined. In the Sacrament of Reconciliation, whether it is celebrated individually or communally, participants experience peace of heart and joy of spirit knowing that through Christ’s death they have been reconciled with God and the Church. Similarly, the Anointing of the Sick helps suffering people find peace within themselves, with those around them, and with God.
Reality
The Reality of SufferingToday we must reclaim the uniquely Christian attitude toward illness, aging, suffering and death for we live in a time when advances in medicine, science and technology seem to lead people toward the belief that suffering – and even death itself – can be avoided. As Christians we know that this is not our only life and that death is not the end. This belief is expressed beautifully in the first Preface of the Mass for the Dead: "Lord, for your faithful people, life is changed, not ended." Life in this world is a journey to the fullness of life promised us at our Baptism. In John’s Gospel, our Savior offers us this assurance: "I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, though he should die, will come to life; and whoever is alive and believes in me will never die" (John 11: 25-26).
In the face of tragedy and human pain we look to Our Lord for answers and the heavens may sometimes seem ominously quiet. Even Jesus looked to the Father for consolation in the hours before His condemnation and death.
They went then to a place named Gethsemani. "Sit down here while I pray," he said to his disciples; at the same time he took along with him Peter, James and John. Then he began to be filled with fear and distress. He said to them, "My heart is filled with sorrow to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake." He advanced a little and fell to the ground, praying that if it were possible this hour might pass him by. He kept saying, "Abba (O Father), you have the power to do all things. Take this cup away from me. But let it be as you would have it, not as I" (Mark 14:32-36).
Jesus looked to the Father for mercy, but He did not ask, "Why me, Lord?" Instead He turned to the Father in perfect obedience and converted His anguish into sacrifice. Through His suffering He entered more fully into the Father’s love. When we follow Jesus’ example we find that our suffering can purify us and lead us to a deeper relationship with God.
One of the questions priests hear most often is, "Why should this good person be punished with such terrible suffering?" Suffering, pain and tragedy are not punishments from God. During the Sermon on the Mount, while speaking of God’s all-embracing love, Jesus said that "his sun rises on the bad and the good, he rains on the just and the unjust" (Matthew 5:45).
So if it is not a punishment, what purpose does suffering have in our lives? I like the explanation offered by writer Rita Thiron:
In his earthly life, Jesus always had compassion for those who were sick or suffering. He cured their infirmities as well as their troubled souls. By his own passion and death, Jesus gave new meaning to suffering – a sacrificial, redemptive act. Our illness, then, is not punishment for sin, but a participation in the suffering of Christ" (Faith Magazine).
The Reality of Healing
Through the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist, the Church initiates people into a whole new way of life. These sacraments, channels of divine grace, heal and strengthen us as we journey toward eternal life. The Sacraments of Healing, Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick give added grace and strength to those who suffer from broken spirits as well as from serious illness or old age.
It is important for us to understand that the healing that is conferred through the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is a spiritual healing. Because the sacrament is now more properly offered as an aid to those who are suffering with illness, facing surgery, struggling with addiction or chronic diseases, physical recovery after receiving the sacrament is not uncommon. But healing comes through faith and the grace received through the sacrament:
The special grace of the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick has as its effects: the uniting of the sick person to the passion of Christ, for his own good and 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 (CCC 1532).
Rite
For centuries the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick was referred to as "Extreme Unction" and was reserved almost exclusively for those in danger of imminent death. The Second Vatican Council revised the rite of this sacrament to make it more widely available to the faithful when it declared: "Extreme Unction, more properly called Anointing of the Sick, is not a sacrament only for those at the point of death. Hence, as soon as one of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, the fitting time for that person to receive this sacrament has already arrived" (CL 73).
As every other sacrament, the Anointing of the Sick is a celebration of the Church even though at times the priest and the sick person are the only ones present. In such cases, the priest, in the person of the whole Christ, head and body, brings to the suffering member of that body, the prayer of the Church and the healing presence of the Divine Physician. Family members, care givers, and others should always be invited to take part in the celebration of this comforting yet powerful sacrament.
The revised rite for the Anointing of the Sick makes a distinction between the sacramental care of the sick and the sacramental care of the dying. Thus, we now have a clear understanding of the difference between sacramental anointing of the sick, which in the past was often called the "Last Rites," and the sacrament for the dying, which actually is Holy Communion received as "Viaticum" or companion for the final journey. Any baptized person who experiences a serious illness or the rigors of old age may receive the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, while only the dying are given Holy Viaticum, which, according to the circumstances, may be preceded by the celebration of Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick.
The rite for Anointing of the Sick is divided into two parts: The Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of Anointing. After the greeting and opening prayer, the Sacred Scriptures are read and a litany is recited. Then comes the laying on of hands in silence, followed by the blessing of the oil which reads in part:
"Send the power of your Holy Spirit, the Consoler, into this precious oil, this soothing ointment, this rich gift, this fruit of the earth. Bless this oil and sanctify it for our use…Make this oil a remedy for all who are anointed with it; heal them in body, in soul, and in spirit, and deliver them from every affliction" (PCS, Rite of Anointing).
The anointing of the sick person now takes place. As the priest anoints the forehead, he prays:
"Through this holy anointing may the Lord in his love and mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit." And the sick person answers: "Amen."
He then anoints the hands saying:
"May the Lord who frees you from sin save you and raise you up."
And again the sick persons answers: "Amen."
This prayer expresses the essence of the sacrament. Grace, through the power of the Holy Spirit, is what sustains each of us throughout the course of our lives. Through the celebration of the sacraments, we are gradually transformed, becoming more Christ-like in thought, word and deed. The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick has the power to transform the sick, filling them with newly found courage to join their sufferings with those of Christ in His Passion, strengthening their will to be one with the loving will of God. A spiritual transformation always takes place as an effect of this sacrament.
I want to offer now a word about the care of the dying. When a person experiences an illness that significantly changes their manner of living, they should receive the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. Families should never wait until a loved one is on the verge of death before calling for a priest. When, however, the end of life approaches, the dying person should be given the opportunity to celebrate the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Anointing and, additionally, Holy Communion as Viaticum in which the Eucharist is presented with these or similar words: "Jesus Christ is the food for our journey; he calls us to the heavenly table." The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains the significance of this final rite in this way
"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 the Christian life ‘the sacraments that prepare for our
heavenly homeland’ or the sacraments that complete the earthly
pilgrimage" (CCC#1525).Reflection
During a time of isolation that is so often imposed by illness and aging we need to reclaim the communal dimension of the celebration of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. This can be done in several ways.
When the Anointing of the Sick is celebrated in a private home or institution, I suggest that family members invite friends, neighbors, health care workers and Eucharistic ministers to take part in the celebration of this sacrament.
I ask parishes to celebrate the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick communally at least once or twice a year, perhaps during Advent and Lent. Such a celebration offers the support and prayers of the parish family to those who are suffering. These valued members of our communities who demonstrate their faith and courage in the face of illness and old age stand as powerful examples to the rest of us who will one day share their lot.
I encourage those of you who are struggling with illness to see your condition as a grace-filled opportunity for deeper intimacy with our crucified Savior. Accepted in that way, your suffering takes on new meaning for yourselves and for the world, "it becomes a participation in the saving work of Jesus" (CCC1521).
Finally, I urge all the faithful of the Diocese to be aware of the special nature of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick; that it is not meant for those who suffer slight indispositions or passing illnesses, but only for those whose health is significantly threatened by old age or serious sickness. When properly reverenced and celebrated, this marvelous sign of the healing presence of Christ will truly be seen as a gift of the Holy Spirit to the sick person surely, but also to the whole Church.
Lord Jesus Christ, you shared in our human nature to heal the sick and save all mankind. Mercifully listen to our prayers for the physical and spiritual health of our sick brothers and sisters whom we have anointed in your name.
May your protection console them and your strength make them all well again.
Help them find hope in suffering for you have given them a share in your passion.
You are Lord for ever and ever.
Amen.
The Most Rev. Bernard W. Schmitt, D. D.
Bishop of Wheeling-Charleston
In Mary, the destinies of the world were to be reversed, and the serpent's head bruised. In her was bestowed the greatest honor ever put upon any individual of our fallen race. God was taking upon him her flesh, and humbling himself to be called her offspring--such is the deep mystery! --John Henry Cardinal Newman
St. Joseph Catholic Church
1304 Sixth Avenue
Huntington, West Virginia 25701
304-525-5202
Rev. Msgr. Lawrence Luciana, Pastor
Rev. Fr. Julian Marneni, Associate Pastor
