The Anointing of the Sick

The sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is the conferral of a special grace on someone who is gravely ill or of old age. God has given Catholics this sacrament in a remarkable example of His love. This is but another of His merciful efforts to bring his people to Heaven with him. The Anointing of the Sick saves one in his or her final moments from sin and brings the soul to God. It can also be a final request to Jesus to heal the ailing individual.

The origins of this sacrament have their roots in the healing ministry of Jesus. From the beginning of the Church it was commonplace to anoint those who ailed, be it from pain or illness. Jesus took this one step further by healing the sick. His work was to cure people of their illness, and of the fear of death. His blessings calmed the hearts of many in distress because they were ill. Likewise, receiving the sacrament can relieve some of the fear in the heart of the sick person. By the Middle Ages the sacrament was no longer seen as a healing blessing. This might have been due to the increased fear of illness and death during the time. This is how the sacrament came to be associated with the “last rites” of the church. People began to receive it only before death. The sacrament came to be called “extreme unction” or the “final anointing” because of this. Not until the Second Vatican Counsel was the original meaning of the sacrament reemphasized. The Vatican Counsel stated that the Anointing of the Sick uses Jesus' healing power to bless the very sick, not just the dying.

Saint James urged people to receive an anointment in James 5:14-16, saying that if one was sick, they should be anointed with oil in the name of God. Saint James does on to say that if they sinned, the sinner will be forgiven. This sacrament has given individuals final grace and peace in very hard times. Anointing of the Sick has been a very important sacrament throughout the ages.