Catechism Corner: The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick

The name Jesus means "God saves." The name emphasises that Jesus is the one who has come to save all. Christ means "anointed." The name shows that God the Father has given Jesus a mission and endowed him with power to save and the power to heal. Jesus' whole life was aimed at saving people. His words and actions are the foundation of the saving grace we now received in the sacraments.

To support and strengthen those who are sick, the Church gathers to pray and anoint those who are ailing with the healing oil of the sick. This oil symbolises the presence of God at a time of great physical and emotional need and assures the recipient of God's love and healing presence to give strength and hope. According to the Letter of James 5:14-16, the people are to bring the sick to the priest so that they can be anointed and prayer can be offered on their behalf. Jesus showed great care for those who were sick and was concerned with their bodily and spiritual well-being. Because of this, the Church has developed a ritual to pray with and for those who are ill. It is our belief that through the Sacrament of the Sick, Christ strengthens those who are ill so that they might be at peace and have the courage to fight their illness.

The sacrament of Anointing of the Sick helps unite those who are suffering with Jesus' saving and healing power. Through this sacrament people receive forgiveness for their sins and comfort in their suffering; they are restored in spirit; and sometimes they even experience the return of physical health. Suffering is a part of life, but Jesus unites our suffering with his passion and death so that through our suffering we can participate in his saving and healing work. The sacrament also reminds us that God wants to give comfort to the suffering and wants us to relieve suffering where we can.

In the Church's Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, through the ministry of the priest, it is Jesus who touches the sick to heal them from sin – and sometimes even from physical ailment. His cures were signs of the arrival of the Kingdom of God. The core message of his healing tells us of his plan to conquer sin and death by his dying and rising.

Who may Receive the Anointing?

Does a person have to be dying to receive this sacrament? No. The Catechism says, "The Anointing of the Sick is not a sacrament for those only who are at the point of death. Hence, as soon as anyone of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, the fitting time for him to receive this sacrament has certainly already arrived" (CCC 1514). Any baptised Catholic who is seriously ill and has sufficient reason to be comforted by the Sacrament may receive it. The Sacrament may be repeated if the sick person recovers after the anointing but becomes ill once again, or if, during the same illness, the person's condition becomes more serious. A person should be anointed before surgery when a dangerous illness is the reason for the intervention. For those who are about to depart from this life, the Church offers the person Penance, Anointing of the Sick, and the Eucharist as Viaticum (food for the journey) given at the end of life. These are "the sacraments that prepare for our heavenly homeland" (cf. CCC, no. 1525).

At the heart of the sacrament of the anointing of the sick is the person of Jesus Christ. It is important to remember that suffering will always remain a mystery; but what we do know is that God always wants to come to us with His grace, to alleviate and aid us when we suffer. Our part is to always seek to be growing in our relationship with Jesus above everything else. As we pray for healing, and as we leave the "how" and "when" to Him, healing will come either now or, ultimately, in eternal life. It is important to remember that we don't want to wait too long to have a loved one anointed.(*)