SACRAMENTS OF HEALING –ANOINTING OF THE SICK:
Scripture: “Is anyone sick among you? Let them bring in the priests of the Church, and let them pray over the sick, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick person, and the Lord shall raise them up, and if they be in sin, they shall be forgiven them.” – James 5:14-15
Catechism of the Catholic Church: “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 them to receive this sacrament has certainly already arrived.” – CCC #1514
Brothers and sisters, the Anointing of the Sick is one of the sacraments that can be repeated as often as necessary. The Catechism goes on to say:
“If a sick person who received this anointing recovers their health, they can in the case of another grave illness receive this sacrament again. If during the same illness the person’s condition becomes more serious, the sacrament may be repeated. It is fitting to receive the Anointing of the Sick just prior to a serious operation. The same holds for the elderly whose frailty becomes more pronounced.” – CCC #1515
Just a few years ago when I was at Church of the Resurrection & St. Paul’s in Ellicott City, I anointed the same person three different times in one year; they were in and out of the hospital for different ailments.
Throughout the many centuries of our faith, this anointing was only bestowed on those who were on the brink of death; usually the elderly. A little over seven years ago when I was doing Hospital Ministry, I would stop and say hi to elderly patients and they would stop me at the door, saying, “I don’t need a priest – I am not dying.” However, in November 1972 St. Pope Paul VI, in an Apostolic Constitution, wrote that the anointing was not just for those actively dying, but was to be made available for all the sick and ill.
And this reminds me of another instance when I was in Ellicott City: I received a call from a family asking if I could anoint their mother who was just brought home for hospice care. I asked what the best time to visit would be, and they said to wait until the next morning, as the doctor had given the mother a week before dying. I asked if they were sure and they said yes. The next morning, I called before heading to their home and they said don’t bother as the mother had passed away thirty minutes prior. I still went and visited and prayed with the family. Brothers and sisters, do not wait! Everything – our very lives – is on the Lord’s time – not ours.
One other thing to remember, especially in an emergency, is that it doesn’t have to be a priest that you are familiar with that can (and will) anoint you if you wish. We are blessed to have Fr. Eric as Hospital Chaplain at Cumberland. Fr. Bill Keown is just a few blocks away from Oakland Hospital. Fr. Thomas is the priest for Potomac Valley Hospital in Keyser. And there is a priest on-call for Morgantown University Hospital as well. Please know that we are here to serve you…From Baptism to Last Rites you will not be alone.
“The poor and the sick are the heart of God.
In serving them, we serve Jesus Christ.”
-St. Camillus de Lellis
