Anointing of the Sick
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The Anointing of the Sick
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 and indeed she exhorts them to contribute to the good of the People of God by freely uniting themselves to the Passion and death of Christ.
Catechism of the Catholic Church 1499
This sacrament is not only for those who are at the point of death, but for anyone who is seriously ill. A person does not have to wait until the illness is so grave that he or she is in the hospital or institutionalized to celebrate the sacrament.
If you, or one of your loved ones, would like to receive this healing sacrament, please contact the parish office , at (609) 587-4372, or by email, at [email protected].
About the Sacrament
The Catechism explains that the sacred anointing of the sick was instituted by Christ our Lord as a true and proper sacrament. It is alluded to by St. Mark, but is recommended to the faithful and promulgated by St. James. (CCC 1511; Mark 6:13; Jas. 5:14-15).
The anointing of the sick conveys graces and imparts gifts of strength against anxiety, discouragement, and temptation, and conveys peace and fortitude (CCC 1520). These graces flow from the atoning death of Christ, in fulfillment of what was spoken by Isaiah, “He took our infirmities and bore our diseases.” St. Mark recounts how Jesus sent out the apostles 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 sacrament grants the forgiveness of sins if the sick person is unable to obtain it through the sacrament of penance. It may restore heath and is also a preparation for passing over to eternal life" (CCC 1532).
Does a person have to be dying to receive this sacrament? NO!
The anointing of the sick is not a sacrament for those only who are at the point of death. Hence, as soon as any one 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). Family members and caregivers should not wait until the last possible moment to call the priest for anointing. It has occurred that because of this delay, the priest arrives after a person has died. If one is seriously ill, it is highly recommended to have the priest come while the sick person is still alert in order that he or she may have the opportunity to confess, be anointed, and receive Holy Communion. Often family members do not wish to alarm the sick person by the arrival of a priest. Priests understand this concern and address it appropriately so that the sick person is placed at ease.
The Sacrament is now referred to as “Anointing of the Sick” rather than “Extreme Unction” to indicate that it is intended not just for those in immediate danger of death, but for any one of the faithful who begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age. Those to be anointed include persons facing serious surgery, the elderly who are weak, and sick children who are mature enough to be comforted by the sacrament.
A sick person may be anointed more than once if he/she recovers and becomes ill again, or if the danger becomes greater in the course of the illness.