“Is anyone among you suffering? Resort to prayer. Is anyone happy? Sing hymns. Is anyone among you sick? Send for the presbyters of the Church to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save” (James 5:13-15). The sacrament of anointing of the sick is a grace that the Lord grants us through the Church. For us Catholics, healing prayer and anointing have great value. As we read in the Letter of Saint James, when someone is sick they must turn to prayer, to Heaven and, of course, to doctors and treatments, as recommended by the Church, as these are also gifts from the Lord for healing.
The sacrament of reconciliation is the first sacrament of healing; after it, there is the anointing of the sick, which, in the past, was called “extreme unction”. The name has changed. Fortunately! It became smoother. The old name is still surprising, because it seems like a sacrament that “seals” the person for death.
The sacrament of anointing of the sick is a grace that the Lord grants us through the Church
In fact, this is a sacrament of life, because, like all other sacraments, it has the purpose of healing, encouraging and forgiving those. Yes, the anointing of the sick forgives sins; it was mentioned in Scripture and confirmed by the Church. According to the norms of each diocese, this grace can be propagated in individual or collective celebrations.
The anointing can be administered to all patients in danger of death and also to those who will undergo delicate surgery. The oil must be from olive trees or extracted from plants where it is difficult to find this material. Normally, the priest carries a container with the oil with him, so that, if necessary, he can use it. The anointing is done on the forehead, on the hands or, if it is not possible in those places, it is done elsewhere.
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Diseases of the body and soul
The formula of this sacrament says: “By this holy anointing and His infinite grace, the Lord may come to your aid with the grace of the Holy Spirit, so that, freed from your sins, He may save you and, in His goodness, alleviate your sufferings. ”. What a wonderful sacrament, because it alleviates suffering! And what great suffering sin is! What great suffering so many of our brothers go through in body and soul! Let us turn to the Lord so that He may heal and save our brothers who are sick in body and soul.
In this time of priesthood, I have seen God heal and restore the health of many, and I have also seen Him strengthen people at the time of death, giving them a peaceful and peaceful death, because they were forgiven and anointed.
Do you know someone who is sick in body or body? Recommend a priest, check whether there is a celebration in the community for the sick, and inform that patient or a relative close to him. Don’t let this grace pass you by!