Anointing of the Sick

“Is any sick among you? 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 shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up...”

James 5:14-17
 

We were made for eternity with God, but because of Original Sin, our bodies begin to deteriorate. Christ, in His wisdom, gave the Church the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick to remind us of two things: 1) we all suffer at some time and 2) all suffering finds its comfort in God and in God alone. 

“Illness and suffering have always been among the gravest problems confronted in human life. In illness, man experiences his powerlessness, his limitations, and his finitude. Every illness can make us glimpse death” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1500). However, Christ is the Divine Physician, seeking to love people in the midst of their suffering, seeing their weakness, and desiring the person to be made whole; “moved by so much suffering Christ not only allows himself to be touched by the sick, but makes their miseries his own” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1505).

Anointing of the Sick can be done by a priest at the church, in a hospital, a nursing home, or in one's home. Catholics are encouraged to receive this sacrament before a major surgery, in times of grave illness, or anytime there is a danger of death. If you or a loved one need to receive this Sacrament please contact the parish office.