Anointing of the Sick
"The Catholic Church professes and teaches that the Sacred Anointing of the Sick is one of the seven Sacraments of the New Testament, that it was instituted by Christ and that it is alluded to in Mark (mk. 6:13) and recommended and promulgated to the faithful by James the apostle and brother of the Lord. If any one of you is ill, he says, he should send for the elders of the church, and they must anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord and pray over him. The prayer of faith will save the sick man and the Lord will raise him up again; and if he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven (James 5:14-5). ' ]Council of Trent, Session XIV, De extr.. unct., chapter 1 (cf. ibid. canon 1): CT, VII, 1, 355-356; Denz. Schon, 1695, 1716]" ('SACRUM UNCTION INFIRMORUM', para 1)
Please let us know whenever you or your loved ones are in need of the Sacrament of the Sick.
Who Needs The Anointing of the Sick and When?
Sickness, accidents, age—all things we have faced or will face as human beings. It’s just part of life. Life isn’t perfect and things happen. And sometimes they happen very unexpectedly.
When the Son of God became human of the Virgin Mary, he entered this imperfect world as Jesus of Nazareth. His life was not noticeably different from anyone else’s; at least not at first. And he, too, experienced human weakness. There were days when he suffered like us, especially at the end of his life. And so did his mother. After all, Simeon had predicted that a sword would pierce her heart. So, Jesus and Mary were not strangers to suffering.
The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick addresses this very human reality and is considered a sacrament of healing. As a sacrament, it is one of the ways Jesus assists us in life and offers his divine help. In this case, he offers his courage, strength, and healing—including spiritual healing in the forgiveness of sins. He is with his Church as members of his family face the difficulties inherent in being human. And he can do this with empathy because of his own human experiences.