Although the Sacrament of the Anointing of Sick is given at any time a
person or persons are in need of healing physically, spiritually or
emotionally, we see it most often administered near the time of death - to
bring spiritual and even physical strength during an illness. It is most likely
one of the last sacraments one will receive. And, as we have learned from the
days of the Baltimore Catechism: A sacrament is an outward sign established
by Jesus Christ to confer inward grace. Basically speaking, it is a rite
that is carried out to convey God’s grace to the one to whom it is
administered, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
The name of this sacrament has changed over time. It was once called extreme
unction, meaning: "the last anointing," and has been referred to
as part of the "last rites." The Catechism of the Catholic Church
calls it "the anointing of the sick," (CCC 1511).
Like all the sacraments, holy anointing was instituted by Jesus Christ during
his earthly ministry. The Catechism explains, "This sacred
anointing of the sick was instituted by Christ our Lord as a true and proper
sacrament of the New Testament. It is alluded to indeed by Mark, but is
recommended to the faithful and promulgated by James the apostle and brother of
the Lord" (CCC 1511; Mark 6:13; Jas. 5:14-15).
Mark refers to the sacrament when he recounts how Jesus sent out the twelve
disciples to preach, and "they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil
many that were sick and healed them" (Mark 6:13). In his epistle, James
says, "Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church,
and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and
the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and
if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven" (Jas. 5:14–15).
"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).
The question may arise: 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).
We need to be careful because today some Christians go to
extremes in their expectation of divine healing. Some say that if a Christian
is not healed of all his diseases, this reflects his lack of faith. Others
claim that divine healings were only for the time when the Apostles were
ministering in Jesus’ name - when all diseases were healed instantly and
automatically. Both extremes are wrong.
God does not always heal the physical infirmities that afflict us. Paul
preached to the Galatians while he was afflicted by a "bodily
ailment" (Gal. 4:13– 14). He also mentions that he had to leave his
companion Trophimus in the town of
The last passage tells us much about divine healing - not only does it reveal
that illnesses were not always healed during the time of the apostles, but it
also shows an apostle’s practical advice to a fellow Christian on how to deal
with an illness. Paul does not tell Timothy to pray harder and have more faith
that God will heal him from his stomach ailment, how to manage the illness
through medicinal means.
We often forget the value in suffering – yes: VALUE IN SUFFERING. Sometimes God allows us to undergo sickness as
a form of discipline and training in righteousness. God often permits these
trials for our sanctification, as Paul himself learned when he prayed that God
would remove from him an angel of Satan who was afflicting him: "And to
keep me from being too elated by the abundance of revelations, a thorn was
given me in the flesh, a messenger [Greek: angelos] of Satan, to harass
me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I besought the Lord about
this, that it should leave me; but he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for
you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ I will all the more gladly
boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (2 Cor.
12:7–9).
Even though we may face some suffering in this life, we know God’s grace is
sufficient to sustain us. All of God’s graces, including physical health, are
bestowed to lead to the salvation of our souls. The Catholic Church teaches
that the sacrament brings "the restoration of health, if it is conducive
to the salvation of his soul" (CCC 1532).
Through the grace of God also uses our suffering to help others. If Paul had
not become ill while on his first missionary journey and been forced to stop
traveling, he would not have preached to the Galatians, for he tells them,
"You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to
you at first" (Gal. 4:13). If he had not preached to the Galatians, he would
not have later written them the epistle that appears in our New Testament. God
used Paul’s illness to bring salvation to the Galatians and to bring us a work
of Scripture, through which we are still receiving benefits from God.
This is just one example of how God used suffering to bring about good.
Therefore, if we suffer, we should look upon it as an
opportunity for good, such as by offering up our sufferings for our own
sanctification and for our departed brothers and sisters in Christ.
This applies also to the physical suffering of death, which will come for each
of us one day. The Bible reminds us, "As for man, his days are like grass;
he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it
is gone, and its place knows it no more" (Ps. 103:15–16).
As for the Sacrament of Healing and death - in his steadfast love for us, the
Lord gives us the sacraments involved in the last rites to comfort us in our
final days and prepare us for the journey ahead. "These include penance
(or confession), confirmation (when lacking), anointing of the sick . . . and
Viaticum (which is meant to be the last reception of Communion for the journey
from this life to eternity). . . .
From the earliest times, the sacrament of the anointing of the sick was cherished
among Christians, not only in immediate danger of death, but even at the
beginning sign of danger from illness or old age. A sermon of Caesar of Arles
(ca. A.D. 470-542) contains the following: "As often as some infirmity
overtakes a man, let him who is ill receive the body and blood of Christ; let
him humbly and in faith ask the presbyters for blessed oil, to anoint his body,
so that what was written may be fulfilled in him: ‘Is anyone among you sick?
Let him bring in the presbyters, and let them pray over him, anointing him with
oil; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise
him up; and if he be in sins, they will be forgiven him. . . . See to it,
brethren, that whoever is ill hasten to the church, both that he may receive
health of body and will merit to obtain the forgiveness of his sins" (Sermons
13[325]:3).