“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.”

“Pain and suffering have come into your life, but remember pain, sorrow, and suffering are but the kiss of Jesus — a sign that you have come so close to Him that He can kiss you.” — Mother Teresa

Perhaps the most remarkable events depicted in the Gospel are those of miraculous healing. Scripture is replete with occasions of Jesus healing the sick and the dying, and even raising the dead. It is far too easy to focus on the physical aspect of healing, but in the exposition that follows, I would like to discuss a sacrament that deals not only with the physical ailments that befall us but also those that wound the soul, a sacrament called the Anointing of the Sick.

The sacrament was originally known as “Extreme Unction”, a Latin rendering that means “final anointing”, a practice to take place as one “prepares for the transition to our heavenly homeland”. Anointing of the Sick prepares us for the transition to our heavenly homeland.

However, as the sacrament is one of healing as well as a preparation for death, the sacrament is more accurately known as the Anointing of the Sick. The sacrament which, through the anointing and prayer of the priest, gives health and strength to the soul, and sometimes to the body, is administered not only when we are in danger of death, but also if one is very ill, or about to have a medical procedure.

While the sacrament is normally conducted by a priest, the Catholic Church allows a deacon or even a layperson to perform the sacrament, so long as the celebrant follows the rites and prayers designated for a lay minister. While maintaining the structure and chief elements of the rite, the minister should adapt the celebration to the circumstances of the place and the people involved. (See Order for the Blessing of the Sick, Order for the Blessing of the Sick).

Is anyone among you sick?

The purpose of sacraments, among other things, is the ordering and building up the Body of Christ and for the sanctification of all people. (See Sacrosanctum Concilium 59). This is true of the sacrament of Anointing the Sick as well. This point is made in Exodus 30:29 (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/exodus/30) “You shall consecrate them, so that they may be most holy; whatever touches them will become holy.”

While the sacrament concerns itself with the healing of the body, its principal purpose is to heal the soul by conferring or increasing the sanctifying Grace of God. Sanctification takes on even greater importance if one is ill or in danger of death. It is because of this, that the sacrament of Anointing the Sick exists.

Is Extreme Unction the same as the Anointing of the Sick?

It is significant to distinguish between Extreme Unction and Anointing of the Sick. Extreme unction comes from two Latin words, extremis, which is translated as “at the point of death” and unction, which means “to anoint”.

Extreme Unction or last rites is that part of the sacrament that concerns itself with the sanctification of those near death. This would include viaticum or the final reception of Holy Communion. If the individual has indicated an interest in becoming a Catholic but has not yet been baptized, the last rites will also include Baptism and Confirmation. Once this has been completed, the individual may participate in Confession before finally receiving the Eucharist.

Therefore, Extreme Unction gives health and strength to the soul, and sometimes to the body, when we are in danger of death.

While the Anointing of the Sick is inclusive of Extreme Unction, it can also be performed for any individual who is suffering from a chronic illness. Often, the Anointing of the Sick does not include Holy Communion.

The process of the sacrament

The sacrament is divided into three separate parts: the prayer of faith, the laying on of hands, and the anointing with oil.

The sacraments are physical and outward manifestations of God’s Grace (See Saint Augustine’s Homily on Common Prayer and Sacraments, pp. 298–300; http://anglicanhistory.org/tracts/tract90/section7.html). Since man is a composite being, composed of body and soul, the physical acts of praying, laying on of hands, and anointing the body with oil are meant to be signs of God’s Grace.

The prayer of faith is usually predicated on James 5:14–15, “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.” (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/james/5).

The second part of the sacrament involves the laying on of hands. This practice has a diverse history in scripture. In the Old Testament, the laying on of hands infers blessings, sacrifices, and the transmission of authority on the recipient. This includes the ordination of Rabbis, which is called “semikhah”, a Hebrew word meaning “laying on the hands.”

In the New Testament, the practice is often associated with the reception of the Holy Spirit (e.g. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/19). However, in Luke 4:40, the laying on of hands is used by Christ to heal. This motif is seen again in Matthew 9:18, where it is requested that Jesus lay His hands on a woman who had just died (https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/9).

While the phrase “laying on of hands” occasionally takes a negative connotation in the New Testament (see Luke 20:19; 21:12; 22:53), with Jesus, we see the practice take on a positive use as well as Jesus lays his hands on people to bless and to heal. This act of using touch to heal is seen at various points in Jesus’ ministry (see Matthew 9:18; Mark 5:23; 6:5; 7:32; 8:22–25; Luke 13:13). For this reason, laying on of hands takes on a significant role in the sacrament of healing.

The last part of the sacrament involves anointing the individual with oil, a practice with a rich biblical history, as well. In the Old Testament, we read of kings, prophets, and priests, being anointed with oil to symbolize their divine appointment in the service of God (see Exodus 29:21; https://bible.usccb.org/bible/exodus/29; and 1 Kings 19:16; ttps://bible.usccb.org/bible/1kings/19). This practice of anointing is also extended to the dead (see Exodus 30:29; https://bible.usccb.org/bible/exodus/30).

Historically, this aspect of the sacrament involved the anointing of the organs responsible for the senses, to wit, the eyes, ears, nose, lips, and hands. However, this process often takes a significant amount of time, a fact that does not lend itself to the often critical time restraints that illness or death provide. For this reason, it is sufficient to anoint just the forehead. (See Holy Office decree on Extreme Unction, dated April 25, 1906; https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05716a.htm).

In the sacrament of Anointing the Sick, the priest, acting in the person of Christ, becomes Christ the Divine Physician. The One who had brought sight to the blind and the One who raised Lazarus from the dead now acts through His priest to heal that which ails us.