The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick

by Rev. Brian J. Ingram

Vivian called the rectory with a certain amount of trepidation, unsure whether her request was an appropriate one or not. “I’m going to be having surgery in another week,” the 67 year old parishioner explained,” and one of my friends said I should be anointed first. Is that OK?” The parish receptionist gently explained that Vivian’s request was most definitely OK, and passed the message on to me. Two days later, Vivian came to the rectory and the two of us celebrated one of our Church’s sacramental treasures—the Anointing of the Sick. Sitting together in my office, we shared together in an ancient ritual that is at once quiet and simple, and at the same time filled with power. I had the sense that when our twenty minutes together were over, Vivian left the rectory with a lighter heart and a newly confirmed sense of God’s healing presence in her life.

The sacrament we now refer to as the Anointing of the Sick (older Catholics will remember it being called “Extreme Unction”) is perhaps the least understood of our Church’s sacramental gifts. Sadly, too, it is probably the least frequently celebrated; most Catholics have never actually witnessed it. Prior to the explosive development in sacramental theology that flowed from the Second Vatican Council, Catholics were normally taught that one was only to be anointed “in extremis,” that is, in a situation of grave physical illness. Most Catholics came to presume that if a priest were called to anoint them, they must be at death’s door. Some older Catholics who are hospitalized or in nursing homes still harbor that fear, and can become panic-stricken if a priest appears in the doorway.

There is no question that the sacrament is intended for the benefit of those who are seriously ill. But in her wisdom, the Church has greatly expanded its own understanding of who qualifies as being “seriously ill.” In The Catechism of the Catholic Church, we read, “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 [experience serious] sickness or old age, the fitting time for him to receive this sacrament has certainly already arrived.” The Catechism goes on to say, “If a sick person who received this anointing recovers his health, he can in the case of another grave illness receive this sacrament again. If during the same illness the person’s condition becomes more serious, the sacrament may be repeated. It is fitting to receive the Anointing of the Sick just prior to a serious operation. The same holds for the elderly whose frailty becomes more pronounced.” (nos. 1514, 1515).

So Vivian’s friend was obviously on target in recommending that she approach the parish to arrange to be anointed. As the Gospels so often relate, the sick came to Jesus continually for healing, and the Lord welcomed them with mar-velous compassion and tenderness. Like all of the Church’s sacraments, the Anointing of the Sick is understood to be an encounter with that same Jesus, whose desire continues to be to bring strength and reassurance to any person who is burdened—whether physically, mentally or spiritually. Sacramental anointing is therefore an encounter with the living Christ, a powerful moment of grace in which the Lord uses his minister to extend a healing, fortifying touch to one who is struggling with any kind of serious sickness.

While it is always hoped that the sacrament will restore the one receiving it to physical or mental health, an even more important grace is the sense of peace, courage and inner strength that the Holy Spirit lavishes on his suffering child. Even if an individual’s physical situation is not destined to improve, it is always hoped that he or she will discover a fresh sense of God’s boundless love and care in the midst of a painful and anxious experience. It is our confidence that the Lord is always near to the suffering and the brokenhearted that prompts the Church to celebrate this sacrament with such faith.

As with each of the sacraments, the Anointing of the Sick is set within a beautifully crafted ritual. It normally includes a greeting and introduction, an expression of sorrow for sins, a reading or readings from Scripture, prayers of petition for the sick person, a prayer of thanksgiving over the oil, and words of blessing to conclude. At the center of the ritual however, are two vital com-ponents: first, the priest lays his hands in silence on the head of the sick person, praying that the power of God’s Spirit might come to rest upon him or her. Second, the priest anoints the individual on the forehead and on the palms of the hands, praying “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 your sins, save you and raise you up.”

The Anointing of the Sick may be celebrated privately, as in Vivian’s case, or in the presence of family and friends, as one often finds at a hospital bed or when visiting a sick person’s home. It may also be celebrated communally, as we do here at St. Lawrence four times a year on the first Saturday, where a group of perhaps fifteen to twenty-five individuals are anointed in the same ceremony. This can be a particularly meaningful way to receive the sacrament (provided one is well enough to come to church), since it reminds those being anointed that they are not alone in their experience of illness. The Church wants to convey its care—in the name of Christ—for those who are burdened and debilitated, and at the same time, to extend the loving, consoling touch of the Lord to those who are most in need of his tenderness.

If you, or someone you know, is experiencing serious illness of mind or body, is awaiting surgery, or dealing with a chronic, deteriorating health condition, please don’t hesitate to contact the rectory to arrange for a celebration of this beautiful sacrament. Though much less familiar to the average Catholic than the other sacraments, the Anointing of the Sick is a powerful gift that the risen Christ has left in our midst, to remind us that we are never alone, and that our God is full of gentleness and compassion.