The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick

The anointing of the sick is among the challenges of the Covid 19 pandemic. Many people died alone without receiving this sacrament.  We have been blessed in our Archdiocese of Boston by many priests who volunteered to administer this sacrament to those who were suffering from Covid. I remember anointing a lady through a window as I was not allowed to get into the nursing home where she was living. She died peacefully after she received the sacrament. Her daughter said to me “I am glad she received the sacrament. It means a lot for her and for our family”. What does this sacrament mean for some people to be glad of receiving it?
 
The anointing of the sick was instituted by Jesus himself. When He sent out the twelve, He ordered them to proclaim repentance, and “they cast out many devils, and anointed many sick people with oil and cured them” (Mc 6:13). In his letter, James recommends: “Any one of you who is ill should send for the priests of the church, and they must anoint the sick person with oil in the name of the Lord and pray over him. The prayer of faith will save the sick person and the Lord will raise him up again; and if he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven” (Jm 5:14-15). The Anointing of the Sick involves the forgiveness of sins if the sick person is unable to receive it through the sacrament of reconciliation. It is also a liturgical and communal celebration like the other sacraments.

When I was a teenager and an altar server in the Congo, I was involved in the celebration of the sacrament of the sick. This happened when a man in a hurry showed up just after Mass. He said, “A priest is needed in the hospital to anoint my son.” My pastor asked me to accompany him. After his son had been anointed, the father went back home. He called together his friends and neighbors and said to them, “my son will die very soon as the priest has anointed him. Let's prepare his funeral.” After many hours of waiting, his son got better and better. Therefore, the father spread the news that my pastor is a “powerless priest” because his son never died after being anointed by him. It reveals how important it is for people to be catechized about the anointing of the sick.

As a priest, I realize how urgent it is. I have experienced that some people, the sick person or relatives, are so allergic to the presence of a man in black at the bedside of a loved one. Many are those who are afraid of the anointing of the sick. They are convinced that the sacrament of the sick involves the death of their loved one. Such a correlation is understandable because, in general, people wait until a person is at the point of death to receive the sacrament of the sick, previously called the last rite. They often ignore that the anointing of the sick is not only for the dying, but it is also a sacrament for healing and strength that brings divine grace to the sick. Death or healing can happen, according to the will of God, after receiving the sacrament of the sick.

Therefore, it can be administered to a Christian who is about to leave this earthly life to prepare him for our heavenly home. It also provides special grace to those Christians who are experiencing the difficulties related to the condition of grave illness or old age. Our mother Church recommends this sacrament to a Christian who falls seriously sick, or who is having a surgery, or who, after he/she has received it, the sickness worsens (Cf. Catechism of the Catholic Church, #1511-1532).



We are so grateful to the priests who anoint the sick in this time of the pandemic. I pray for all the nurses, doctors and those who help in any way to save the lives of many. They are very dedicated people. They have devoted their lives as good Samaritans to the wellbeing of the sick. It is impossible to do so without sharing love, kindness, goodness, heartfelt caring, compassion, and even holiness. Through their devotion, they are witnesses to Jesus’ eternal love. One can see in their devotion, Jesus acting for those who are in need. I pray in a special way for all the nurses and other medical staff who were fired because they could not receive the vaccination for some reason. I am wondering if this is the way we should treat our heroes during the pandemic. They risk their own lives to save people, but the society refuses to take risks for them. May God grant them the reward they merit in Jesus’ name.