SACRAMENT OF ANNOINTING

 

Is anyone among you sick?  He should summon the presbyters of the church, and they should pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up.  If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven. – James 5:14-15

            The first sacrament we receive is Holy Baptism.  It is the doorway to all the other sacraments, each of which confers a special grace of the Holy Spirit.  The last, and most important, sacrament we will receive, if we are able to consume it, is Holy Communion, which when given to one who will shortly pass away is referred to as Viaticum.  The word means “food for the journey” in Latin and originally referred to provisions provided to a Roman official for his travel.  In the Holy Eucharist the dying person is given the sustenance needed for the final steps of their earthly pilgrimage.  Christ is via tecum - with you on the way.

          A priest should be called to administer the sacraments when a person becomes seriously ill or appears to be dying.  An elderly person is also a candidate to receive the sacrament due the weakness and vulnerability that comes with old age.  If possible, the individual should make a confession.  For someone who is close to dying, after the absolution the priest confers an Apostolic Pardon, authorized by the Pope, which includes a plenary indulgence.  This is the removal of the residual effects of sins that would otherwise have to be purified in Purgatory.  In other words, if the recipient of the Apostolic Pardon has the required spiritual disposition – repentance and freedom from attachment to sin – the soul is guaranteed a direct entry into heaven by this pardon.

          There are two choices of prayers for the Apostolic Pardon which the priest may use: “Through the holy mysteries of our redemption, may almighty God release you from all punishments in this life and in the life to come.  May he open to you the gates of paradise and welcome you to everlasting joy”; or, “By the authority which the Apostolic See has given me, I grant you a full pardon and the remission of all your sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”  The pardon can be given even if a person is unable to make a sacramental confession, but the pardon does not remove guilt, which for mortal sin can only be forgiven in Baptism, Penance and the Anointing of the Sick.  The pardon forgives the effects of sins which linger in the soul even after their guilt has been rescinded. 

          The Sacrament of Anointing will forgive mortal sins when a person is unable to confess them.  It is a priest who celebrates the sacrament since he has the spiritual power to forgive sins.  As St. James writes, the “presbyters” should be called to pray over and anoint the sick person.  Only one is needed for a valid sacrament.  The priest lays his hand on the head of the sick or dying person, dips his thumb in holy oil, and makes the sign of the Cross with it on the forehead and the palm of the hands.  Touching the forehead he says, “Through this holy anointing may the Lord in his love and mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit.” Then, touching the hands, he says, “May the Lord who frees you from sin save you and raise you up.”  Sometimes the head or hands are not accessible, due to the condition of the patient, but as long as the priest can anoint the holy oil on some part of the body, such as the feet or chest, the sacrament is validly celebrated.

The grace of the Anointing of the Sick strengthens against temptations that often afflict persons who are suffering, such as self-absorption, despair, or revolt against God.  It confers peace and courage.  It unites the ill person with the passion of Christ, and he or she is given the grace to offer their affliction for the good of the People of God.  The sacrament will heal a person when this forms part of God’s plan for their salvation.  It forgives sins so long as the person has a disposition of repentance.  For a dying person, the Anointing of the Sick is preparation for the final journey.  “This last anointing fortifies the end of our earthly life like a solid rampart for the final struggles before entering the Father’s house” (Catechism #1523).  Whatever you do, do not wait until the last minute to call the priest when someone is dying!  Let your dying loved one benefit from the grace and consolation of the sacrament and prepare for a happy death.                            

 FATHER SCOTT