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Sunday January 19THROUGH THIS HOLY ANOINTING
When a priest or bishop administers the Anointing of the Sick, first he lays his hand on the head of the one who is sick, and then he anoints him or her on the forehead and the palms of the hand. As he is anointing he says the words which make it a sacrament: “Through this holy anointing may the Lord in his love and mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit.” Those who are present respond by saying “Amen.” Then he says, “May the Lord who frees you from sin save you and raise you up.” Again, the response is “Amen.”
As with all seven Sacraments, the anointing of a sick person is an efficacious sign of grace, meaning that what is symbolized by the words and gestures is actually and truly brought about by the Holy Spirit. There is no room for doubt when a Sacrament is validly celebrated. What is signified is actually given. The Catechism of the Catholic Church, in paragraph 1532, cites the five effects of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick:
− the uniting of the sick person to the Passion of Christ, for his own good and that of the whole Church;
− the strengthening, peace, and courage to endure in a Christian manner the sufferings of illness or old age;
− the forgiveness of sins, if the sick person was not able to attain it through the Sacrament of Penance;
− the restoration of health, if it is conducive to the salvation of his soul;
− the preparation for passing over to eternal life.
The faithful who are gravely ill or dying and receive the Anointing of the Sick are conferred a special grace which supports them in their trial. Since it provides such support the Sacrament should not be put off until the last minute if someone has a fatal illness, since it is a powerful consolation and fortifies the soul against temptation. The sick most benefit from the rites both spiritually and emotionally if they are conscious when they receive them.
The Last Rites include a confession of sins, the bestowal of an apostolic pardon, the anointing with the oil of the sick, and the reception of Holy Viaticum. One must be awake and conscious to confess one’s sins and receive Holy Communion. However, if a person is in an unconscious state it is assumed that he or she would want to receive the Sacraments. The Anointing of the Sick will then forgive all sins.
The last Communion which one receives has come to be called “viaticum” because it is a compounded Latin word which means “on the way with.” What someone was given for a journey was called viaticum but eventually it came to refer to the passage from earth to heaven, and then specifically to the giving of the Holy Eucharist to a dying person. It is the bread of heaven that will sustain a soul on his or her journey to paradise.
Everyone has a right to know if he or she is dying. This knowledge can help them to better prepare for death. It must be shared with compassion and promise of support, and sometimes it is necessary to chose the right time to share or talk about it. But it must never be withheld and a person should not be deceived about their mortal condition. All of us know that there is a day and an hour reserved for us to pass from this world to the next one. Jesus and the apostles always exhorted their listeners to be ready for that day, for it is, indeed, the most important day of our life. - Fr. Scott