Anointing of the Sick

by Joe Cady

The readings for this weekend revolve around the subject of illness and healing. In the first reading we are faced with the reality of sickness and the prescribed response in Mosaic law. In the Gospel, we hear about Jesus not only confronting sickness but overcoming it with his saving power. These readings provide us with a good opportunity to reflect upon the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick.

The sacrament of Anointing, along with the sacrament of Reconciliation, are referred to as “Sacraments of Healing” – this is because both sacraments deal with God’s response to the wounds of sin that Christians endure throughout their lives of faith. While Jesus comes to give us new life – filling us with his grace and restoring us to divine friendship – there are many things in the world that remain broken and bear the marks of sin and the fall, such us suffering, illness, and death. Therefore, Jesus has willed to set up his Church to continue the healing work that we see on display in today’s Gospel.

As we begin our reflection on the sacrament of anointing, the first thing we to remember is that all of creation bears the wounds of humanity’s fallenness. Which means that sickness, in a general sense, is the result of sin. Now, this DOESN’T mean that there is a one-to-one correlation between personal sin and a person’s illness – we do NOT believe that every illness a person experiences is a result of their personal sins. Rather, sickness as a whole is the result of our fallen nature, which has been wounded by sin and bears the scars to prove it. Sin has brought disorder to God’s creation, which includes disrupting bodily health.

We know from Jesus’ life and ministry, that God desires to heal and restore us, which includes both bodily and spiritual health. But, we have to keep in mind that “Jesus did not heal all the sick. His healings were signs of the coming of the Kingdom of God. They announced a more radical healing: the victory over sin and death through his Passover. On the cross Christ took upon himself the whole weight of evil and took away the ‘sin of the world,’ of which illness is only a consequence” (CCC 1505). Jesus’ physical healings were a sign of a more profound healing: the forgiveness of sins and restoration to communion with God.

This is part of what makes Anointing a sacrament, it is a sign that points us to a supernatural reality, God’s desire to heal us and restore us to life. The reality is that we don’t know why some people are physically healed and others not, but we do know that the greater goal of our lives is to obtain spiritual healing, the restoration of our broken relationship with God. However, the Church has always recognized Anointing as a truly efficacious sacrament and affirmed its power to heal (both physically and spiritually).

The purpose of this sacrament isn’t primarily about bringing about physical healing (although this certainly may occur), rather it’s about providing one who is sick with the grace and strength to share with endurance in the suffering of Christ. As the Catechism says, “By the sacred anointing of the sick and the prayer of the priests the whole Church commends those who are ill to the suffering and glorified Lord, that he may raise them up and save them” (CCC 1499).

Suffering is part of life in our fallen world. But in Jesus Christ we see that suffering and death is not the end of the story; we see that God has conquered suffering and death. Therefore, the Church calls us to place our suffering at the foot of the cross, so that by uniting it to Christ, we might pass with him from sickness to health, from death to life. Jesus has taken upon himself the weakness of our humanity in order to transform it and make it new. Through the sacrament of anointing, we surrender ourselves to the one who has the power to overcome suffering and bring us to life.

The Catechism speaks of a number of effects of the sacrament of anointing:

1. Uniting the sick person with the passion of Christ.

Through Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection, the nature of suffering has been transformed. By uniting our suffering with the suffering of Christ, we anticipate sharing in his resurrection. As Paul tells St. Timothy, “If we have died with him we shall also live with him; if we persevere we shall also reign with him” (2 Tim 2:11-12).

2. Strength, peace, and courage to endure.

In this sacrament, we are given “a particular gift of the Holy Spirit” to overcome the difficulties and challenges often associated with illness. Anointing, the Catechism says, “strengthens against…the temptation to discouragement and anguish in the face of death” (CCC 1520).

3. The forgiveness of sins.

This is not meant to be a replacement for the Sacrament of Reconciliation, in fact, whenever possible, it’s good to have confession accompany the anointing of the sick. But, even when this is not possible, anointing has effects that go beyond the mere physical. By coming to the priest to be anointed, we demonstrate our faith in God and the Church that he established to be his agent of reconciliation and healing – and we know that faith makes our hearts more responsive and receptive to the grace of God.

4. The restoration of health, if it is conducive to the salvation of their soul.

One may be healed physically as a result of the Sacrament. However, only God knows who will be healed and why others are not. In describing the possibility of physical healing, the Catechism qualifies this by saying… “If it is conducive to the salvation of their soul.” God’s primary concern is always salvation, and while we may not always see and understand God’s plan, we trust that his will for us is always life, even when we have to travel along the path of illness and suffering.

5. Preparation for death.

Anointing provides a final defense and strength as we prepare for that journey from death to eternal life. “It completes the holy anointings that mark the whole Christian life: That of Baptism which sealed the new life in us, and that of Confirmation which strengthened us for the combat of this life. This last anointing fortifies the end of our earthly life like a solid rampart for the final struggles before entering the Father’s house” (CCC 1523). But… anointing of the sick is not just for those who are dying. This is a common misunderstanding of the sacrament. As the Catechism says, “The anointing of the Sick ‘is not a sacrament for those only who are at the point of death” (CCC 1514).

So, if that’s the case, when should someone be anointed? The Church gives us the following guidance: in addition to being anointed prior to death, a person should be anointed in cases of illness (not like a runny nose or a headache) but any lasting or serious illness (one can even get anointed again for the same illness if it continues for a long time or makes a turn for the worse). A person can also be anointed prior to a surgery or operation. The point is to remember that this is not a one-time-only Sacrament.

However, when it comes to someone who is dying, there is something special (and quite beautiful) that happens as one approaches their final days. The Catechism puts it like this: “In addition to the Anointing of the Sick, the Church offers those who are about to leave this life the Eucharist as Viaticum…The sacrament of Christ once died and now risen, the Eucharist is here the sacrament of passing over from death to life, from this world to the Father” (CCC 1524). The word “viaticum” means “for the way” – it’s a sort of nourishment to sustain us as we pass from this life to the next. In fact, the Church sees a parallel between Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist as the sacraments of initiation that begin our life of faith, and the final sacraments of Confession, Anointing, and Eucharist as viaticum as our sacraments of departure from this life to the next. “Thus, just as the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist form a unity called ‘the sacraments of 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” (CCC 1525).

If you or someone you know is in need of anointing, contact the parish. If you’re not sure… contact the parish anyway. We are happy to talk with you about the particulars of how and when the sacrament takes place. As we listen to the Gospel today, let us give thanks to the Lord for his power and will to heal us in body and soul, and to accompany us as we journey through our fallen world into the life of the world to come.