Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick

Did you know that in our parish, 52% of our worshiping community is over 70 years old, and a cumulative 76% are over 50? I have recently been thinking about the opportunity for healing – spiritual and physical – that is offered when we celebrate the Anointing of the Sick, one of the two healing Sacraments (the other being Reconciliation). Time and again, I’ve experienced first-hand with parishioners the power this sacrament offers to those who receive the healing balm of oil, prayer and physical contact with another human being. Celebrating this Sacrament is a privilege that is not lost on me.

Would you be surprised to know, however, that the Anointing of the Sick is not just for those in danger of death? Rather, the onset of any medical condition or serious illness, or injury, or simply old age are the conditions required to validate the administration of this sacrament. Our very own Catechism of the Catholic Church states:

It is not a sacrament for those only who are at the point of death. Hence, as soon as anyone of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, the fitting time for him/her to receive this sacrament has certainly already arrived (CCC §1514).

Unfortunately, sometimes the Anointing of the Sick is still postponed until someone is at the point of dying. While the Sacrament certainly remains valid at the end of a person’s life, the liturgy prays for recovery and healing – both spiritual and physical. In essence, Anointing of the Sick is an outpouring of God’s grace for a person’s healing and includes, but is not limited to:

• The uniting of the sick person to Jesus’ own passion, for their own good and that of the whole Church
• The strengthening, peace, and courage to endure the sufferings of illness or old age in a Christian manner
• The forgiveness of sins, if the sick person was not able to obtain it through the sacrament of Reconciliation
• The restoration of health, if it is conducive to the salvation of their soul
• Preparation for passing over to eternal life

While the administration of this sacrament is restricted to a priest due to its penitential nature, pastoral care of the sick is something in which every person is able to engage. In fact, it’s one of the seven corporal works of mercy and comes straight from Jesus’ influential Parable of the Sheep and Goats: “Whatever you did to the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did to me” (cf. Mt 25:31–46). In 1980, Pope Saint John Paul II declared: “Jesus Christ taught that [we] not only receive and experience the mercy of God, but that [we] are also called to practice mercy towards others” (Dives in misericordia, §14).

With this vision of healing and mercy in mind, our parish is once again embracing the practice of celebrating dedicated Anointing Masses throughout the year. These will be opportunities for those experiencing the conditions described above – serious illness, the effects of old age, or ongoing physical suffering – to receive the sacrament in the context of a communal Eucharistic celebration.

Our first Anointing Mass will take place at Maleny on Sunday, 13th July (9am Mass). All those who are eligible and feel drawn to receive this healing sacrament are warmly invited. Following this, there will be additional Anointing Masses held at Caloundra on Thursday 31st July (9am Mass), Landsborough on Sunday 7th September (9am Mass), Beerwah on Friday 3rd October (9am Mass).

This is a beautiful step forward in our parish’s commitment to honouring the wisdom and needs of our older community members, and to making God’s healing grace more visible in the lives of those who need it most. May these celebrations become a rich expression of our parish’s faith, care and compassion.

Wishing you peace, blessings and healing – Fr Josh.