Anointing of the Sick Sacrament

The Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick

• Illness and suffering have always been significant problems in human life.
• Illness makes individuals experience powerlessness, limitations, and the realization of mortality.
• Illness can make us glimpse death.
• The Church believes the Anointing of the Sick strengthens those tried by illness.
• Through anointing with blessed oil by the priest and prayer, the sacrament provides health and strength physically and spiritually when in danger of death from sickness, accident, or old age.
• The sacrament comforts the body and soul of those in danger of death from serious conditions or old age.
• It alleviates suffering and can restore health if it aligns with God's will.
• When people are sick, they are vulnerable and look for answers.
• Explanations make suffering bearable and help people come to terms with sickness or death.
• Sickness can be treated with herbal medicines, but prayer and repentance are reliable treatments since all healing is in God's hands.

Recipient of the Sacrament

• The proper time for receiving Anointing of the Sick is when a believer is in danger of death because of illness or old age.
• It is administered to Catholics who have reached the age of reason and are seriously ill or in danger of death from accidents or old age.
• A priest should be called as soon as a person begins to be in danger of death from sickness, accident, or old age.

Matter of the Sacrament

• The proper matter for the Anointing of the Sick is olive oil or other plant oil if olive oil is unavailable.
• The oil must be blessed by the bishop on Holy Thursday or by a priest with special permission from the Holy See; in emergencies, any priest can bless the oil.
• Catholic tradition alludes to the Anointing of the Sick in the Gospels, where the Apostles cast out devils and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.
• St. James indicates the anointing with oil, the prayer of faith, the minister (a priest), the recipient (sick person), and the effects of comforting the sick and remission of sins.

Minister of the Sacrament

• Only priests (bishops and presbyters) are ministers of the Anointing of the Sick.
• Priests (presbyters and bishops) administer the sacrament using oil blessed by the Bishop or, if necessary, by the celebrating presbyter.
• Celebrating the sacrament within the Holy Eucharist is fitting as the memorial of the Lord's Passover.
• The sacrament can be preceded by Penance and followed by the Eucharist.
• As the sacrament of Christ's Passover, the Eucharist should be the last sacrament of the earthly journey, the "viaticum” for passing over to eternal life.

Celebration of the Sacrament

• The celebration involves anointing the forehead and hands (Roman rite) or other body parts (Eastern rite).
• The anointing is accompanied by the celebrant's liturgical prayer for the sacrament's special grace.

Matter and Form

• The outward sign and matter of the sacrament is anointing with blessed oil along with the words: "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."
• The oil used is called “Oil of the Sick", the first of the three oils blessed by the bishop in the cathedral church on Holy Thursday morning.
• Water symbolizes washing in baptism, while oil symbolizes healing in Anointing of the Sick.

Effects of Anointing of the Sick

• A particular gift of the Holy Spirit, the first grace, provides strengthening, peace, and courage to overcome difficulties related to serious illness or old age.
• Assistance from the Lord through the Spirit is meant to lead the sick person to healing of the soul and body if God wills and forgiveness of sins.
• Union with the Passion of Christ allows the sick to receive strength and unite more closely to Christ's Passion, becoming consecrated to bear fruit by configuration to the Savior's redemptive Passion.
• Suffering, a consequence of original sin, acquires new meaning and becomes a participation in the saving work of Jesus.
• An Ecclesial Grace means the sick who receive this sacrament, by freely uniting themselves to the passion and death of Christ, contribute to the good of the people of God.
• The Church intercedes for the benefit of the sick, and the sick person contributes to the Church's sanctification and the good of all through Christ.
• Preparation for the final journey.

The Special Grace

• The special grace unites the sick to the passion of Christ for their own good and the Church's. Other effects
• Strengthening, peace, and courage to endure sufferings in a Christian manner; comfort and strength in sickness.
• Forgiveness of sins, if the sick person was unable to obtain it through Penance.
• Restoration of health, if conducive to salvation; health for the body if good for the soul.
• Preparation for passing over to eternal life through remission of sins and cleansing of souls. The effects of Anointing of the Sick:
• It gives an increase of sanctifying grace
• It cancels venial sins and even mortal sins if confession is impossible and the dying person is truly sorry, and purifies the soul.
• It imparts comfort and strength to accept death, bear suffering, fight temptation, and die a holy death.
• It may restore the sick man to life if God sees this will be good for his soul

Details

• Anointing may be given to sick people who lost consciousness or reason, presuming they would have asked for it if able; also, to those undergoing surgery.
• Sick children may be anointed if it will give them some help and comfort.
• The Anointing of the Sick is normally preceded by Confession.