Anointing of the Sick
The Anointing of the Sick has as its purpose the conferral of a special grace on the Christian experiencing difficulties and are associated with serious illness or advanced age. Any baptized Catholic who has sufficient use of reason to be strengthened by this Sacrament and who is suffering from a serious illness, is facing serious surgery, or whose health is impaired by advanced age may receive the Anointing of the Sick.
The Anointing of the Sick is available by calling the parish office to schedule individual anointing at home or at church. Communal celebrations of the Anointing of the Sick during Mass are celebrated once a month at the 8 a.m. daily Mass on the first Saturday of the month.
All hospitals on Oahu have chaplains or local parish priests who are available for Anointing of the Sick for new admissions and emergencies. Click here to reach the Catholic hospital chaplains.
This sacrament was called Extreme Unction (last anointing), not because it was the last sacrament you received before departing this life but because it was the last anointing a person received. (Baptism and Confirmation were the first two times a person would have been anointed.) It was called the Last Rites because over the centuries many died rather than recovered from the injury and disease for which they were anointed. Modern medicine has given people a great hope for recovery and remission from diseases, and many surgeries are now quite successful. Not so long ago, when sickness and injury was expected to result in death, Catholics called for the priest to anoint based on St. James' Epistle: Are there any sick among you? Then let them send for the priest and let the priest pray over them, anointing them with oil. (James 4:14). The Extreme Unction was the sign that no more could be done, so the sick and injured were spiritually preparing for death. That is why even today many Catholics shudder when in a hospital the Catholic priest brings his purple stole and oils. They presume the worst and only see the sacrament as the beginning of the end.
In reality, it is a Sacrament, not of the dying but the living. The Anointing of the Sick serves to offer prayers for possible recovery. The intention of it is to give strength to the soul of the sick person. The Church believes that the sacrament offers a special grace to calm the spirit. If physical recovery is God's will, so be it. If not, then the person needs grace, strength and encouragement to bear the illness with dignity. The Sacrament of the Sick also remits (absolves) all sins the person is sorry for but did not previously confess in the Sacrament of Penance. On occasion, there is not time for the person to make a confession, so the anointing compensates by forgiving sins, which the person would have confessed were he able to do so. Because of this aspect of absolving sins, deacons cannot anoint, but bishops and priests can.
The Sacrament can be done within the context of the Mass or outside the Mass. If you or your loved one is unwell, do not hesitate, now is the time.
The Anointing of the Sick involves using Oil of the Sick (oleum infirmorum - OI) - olive oil blessed by the bishop during Holy Week. Anointing with oil is not a magical or good-luck gesture, but a sincere sign of supernatural assistance to coincide with the physical medicine and treatment already given. Catholic Christians believe in redemptive suffering, whereby a person willingly offers up their personal aches and pains, trials and tribulations with Christ on the Cross. (Those suffering are reminded of the words of St. Paul, "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church," (Col. 1:24) and "For as Christ's sufferings overflow to us, so through Christ does our encouragement also overflow." (2 Cor. 1:5.)
Who can be anointed?
Because many sick and injured people recover nowadays, or may go into remission, baptized Catholics are able to receive the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick more than once - as many times as needed. The elderly, people with many ailments, and those with deadly or serious disease, chronic pain and suffering, or recurring illness, can and should be anointed often. Some Catholics see Anointing of the Sick as a "spiritual oil change” and feel that every three months (or 3000 miles) is a good time to anoint the bedridden, people in nursing homes, and others with chronic and pathological conditions. The Sacrament of the Sick is for those in danger of death or in serious and critical condition, medically speaking, (before surgery, for example). In minor cases, a prayer for healing is appropriate. The sacrament should not be overused or trivialized for every upset stomach or aching toe.
The right time and setting for anointing:
Anointing can take place at any time. The setting for the rite of anointing can be performed within the context of the liturgy of the Eucharist/Mass or outside of it. It can be in a hospital, nursing care facility, hospice, at home or by appointment.
This is a beautiful Sacrament that bestows important graces to all the living until the moment of death. It strengthens us along the journey of life. Let us not be afraid of it. Let us not wait until it is too late to call the priest. “Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2)
The Anointing of the Sick has as its purpose the conferral of a special grace on the Christian experiencing difficulties and are associated with serious illness or advanced age. Any baptized Catholic who has sufficient use of reason to be strengthened by this Sacrament and who is suffering from a serious illness, is facing serious surgery, or whose health is impaired by advanced age may receive the Anointing of the Sick.
The Anointing of the Sick is available by calling the parish office to schedule individual anointing at home or at church. Communal celebrations of the Anointing of the Sick during Mass are celebrated once a month at the 8 a.m. daily Mass on the first Saturday of the month.
All hospitals on Oahu have chaplains or local parish priests who are available for Anointing of the Sick for new admissions and emergencies. Click here to reach the Catholic hospital chaplains.
This sacrament was called Extreme Unction (last anointing), not because it was the last sacrament you received before departing this life but because it was the last anointing a person received. (Baptism and Confirmation were the first two times a person would have been anointed.) It was called the Last Rites because over the centuries many died rather than recovered from the injury and disease for which they were anointed. Modern medicine has given people a great hope for recovery and remission from diseases, and many surgeries are now quite successful. Not so long ago, when sickness and injury was expected to result in death, Catholics called for the priest to anoint based on St. James' Epistle: Are there any sick among you? Then let them send for the priest and let the priest pray over them, anointing them with oil. (James 4:14). The Extreme Unction was the sign that no more could be done, so the sick and injured were spiritually preparing for death. That is why even today many Catholics shudder when in a hospital the Catholic priest brings his purple stole and oils. They presume the worst and only see the sacrament as the beginning of the end.
In reality, it is a Sacrament, not of the dying but the living. The Anointing of the Sick serves to offer prayers for possible recovery. The intention of it is to give strength to the soul of the sick person. The Church believes that the sacrament offers a special grace to calm the spirit. If physical recovery is God's will, so be it. If not, then the person needs grace, strength and encouragement to bear the illness with dignity. The Sacrament of the Sick also remits (absolves) all sins the person is sorry for but did not previously confess in the Sacrament of Penance. On occasion, there is not time for the person to make a confession, so the anointing compensates by forgiving sins, which the person would have confessed were he able to do so. Because of this aspect of absolving sins, deacons cannot anoint, but bishops and priests can.
The Sacrament can be done within the context of the Mass or outside the Mass. If you or your loved one is unwell, do not hesitate, now is the time.
The Anointing of the Sick involves using Oil of the Sick (oleum infirmorum - OI) - olive oil blessed by the bishop during Holy Week. Anointing with oil is not a magical or good-luck gesture, but a sincere sign of supernatural assistance to coincide with the physical medicine and treatment already given. Catholic Christians believe in redemptive suffering, whereby a person willingly offers up their personal aches and pains, trials and tribulations with Christ on the Cross. (Those suffering are reminded of the words of St. Paul, "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church," (Col. 1:24) and "For as Christ's sufferings overflow to us, so through Christ does our encouragement also overflow." (2 Cor. 1:5.)
Who can be anointed?
Because many sick and injured people recover nowadays, or may go into remission, baptized Catholics are able to receive the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick more than once - as many times as needed. The elderly, people with many ailments, and those with deadly or serious disease, chronic pain and suffering, or recurring illness, can and should be anointed often. Some Catholics see Anointing of the Sick as a "spiritual oil change” and feel that every three months (or 3000 miles) is a good time to anoint the bedridden, people in nursing homes, and others with chronic and pathological conditions. The Sacrament of the Sick is for those in danger of death or in serious and critical condition, medically speaking, (before surgery, for example). In minor cases, a prayer for healing is appropriate. The sacrament should not be overused or trivialized for every upset stomach or aching toe.
The right time and setting for anointing:
Anointing can take place at any time. The setting for the rite of anointing can be performed within the context of the liturgy of the Eucharist/Mass or outside of it. It can be in a hospital, nursing care facility, hospice, at home or by appointment.
This is a beautiful Sacrament that bestows important graces to all the living until the moment of death. It strengthens us along the journey of life. Let us not be afraid of it. Let us not wait until it is too late to call the priest. “Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2)