Anointing of the Sick
ANNOINTING OF THE SICK
The anointing of the sick is a sacramental rite. A person is anointed to bring spiritual and even physical strength during an emotional, physical, or psychological illness. In the sacrament, we pray that the sick be healed in body, in soul and in spirit. God alone knows what kind of healing the sick need most: that a wound be healed; that a fear turn to confidence; that loneliness be embraced by the support of a praying community; that confusion in the face of all the whys—why me, why suffering, why now—turn to insight. The Sacrament of Anointing does not remove the mystery of human suffering. Yet its celebration gives us a window into the mystery of our loving God.
