St. Joseph’s Family Faith Formation Resources: Anointing of the Sick
Prayer from p. 53 Faith First At Home Family Guide Loving God, Creator of our immense universe, be with us and bless us as we reflect upon your loving-kindness, which we receive through the Sacraments of Healing. AMEN
Gospel Reading John 20:19-31 http://www.usccb.org/bible/jn/20
Book: At Home with the Word, Sunday April 27
Book: Faith First At Home Family Guide: p.52: Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Anointing of the Sick http://www.usccb.org/about/justice-peace-and-human-development/upload/Anointing-of- the-Sick-handout.pdf
Catechism of the Catholic Church: Article 5, The Anointing of the Sick http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p2s2c2a5.htm
Diocese of Rochester, Households of Faith http://homelinks.dor.org/
St. Joseph’s Church Family Faith Web page: Session Schedule Family Prayers A through D
Pope Francis: Jesus is Close to Us in the Sacrament of the Sick http://www.news.va/en/news/general-audience-jesus-is-close-to-us-in-sacrament
Pope Francis’ Finger Prayer https://www.catholic.org/prayers/prayer.php?p=3396
Anointing of the Sick
The anointing of the sick is an ancient rite of the Catholic Church, which provides comfort and healing to those with acute or chronic illness. Not a "miracle cure," sacramental anointing does not promise physical relief, but often affords a healing of the spirit weighed down by sickness.
At one time in our history, this sacrament was called extreme unction, or "last rites," and was presumed to be intended only for those who were near death. Today it is available to any Catholic who is seriously ill. If you are hospitalized, speak with the hospital's Pastoral Care department, and ask for the Catholic Chaplain. The Newman Center's priests are available for the anointing of our community members, and anyone under our pastoral care.
Video: from BustedHalo.com: Sacraments 101 - The Anointing of the Sick: Who's it for?
Who Should Receive the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick?
Everyone needs to make their own decision as to when to ask for the sacrament of the anointing of the sick. Anyone who is in danger of death, as well as those who are seriously ill, someone who is going to have major surgery, or elderly persons ("if they have become notably weakened though no serious illness is present") should ask to be anointed when the need arises.
By no means is this an exhaustive list. Someone may be young in age or look "perfectly healthy" but suffer from some type of chronic illness that seriously impairs their well-being or health (alcoholism or other addictions, bulimia or anorexia, depression, cancer, heart disease or other ailments).
There is no time limit or expiration to this anointing. As the Apostolic Constitution on the sacrament of the anointing of the sick states, "This sacrament may be repeated if the sick person recovers after anointing and then falls ill or if, in the course of the same illness, the danger becomes more serious."
One definitely should not wait for impending death to receive this sacrament. In fact, the Church encourages the celebration while the person is conscious and aware. This allows the sick person to realize that God's healing love is present to them not only in the person of the priest, but also in the love and presence of their family and friends as well as in the ministrations of the medical personnel who aid the sick person in their illness.
When the ritual for this sacrament was revised in 1972, various options that had developed over time were consolidated so the celebration of the sacrament of the anointing of the sick would be uniform throughout the Catholic Church.
The anointing of the sick can be celebrated three different ways: the ordinary rite of anointing a sick person which takes place either when a priest visits a sick person or during a regularly scheduled Mass or prayer service; the rite of viaticum (word comes from Latin for "necessities for the journey") which involves the reception of Holy Communion by one who is dying or in danger of death; and a rite of the sacraments for those near death, which is a continuous rite of the sacraments of penance, anointing and viaticum.
- adapted from www.buckeyecatholic.com/anointing-sick