Anointing of the Sick Victor Alfaro Jorge Bojorkez Diego Alulema Erick Bravo Efrain Mercado

Mrs. Beck’s Story Mrs. Beck has spent the last 40 years caring for her family. She attended daily mass whenever she could and was very involved in the church community. Unfortunately five months ago sickness changed things radically. Now she must spend her time at home being taken care of by her children. Little things taken for granted are now major concerns for her. Her prayers were “Thank you, Lord, for my family and friends, and all the things were blessed with.” Now there “Jesus, into your hands I commend my spirit.” She needs more than pills and shots, she needs the touch of loving concern. It changes her view on her illness. Although she is physically impaired, she feels healed, somehow more whole. Therefore, the sacrament reaffirms her belief in Jesus, who once suffered for us, and in his healing touch.

What Does Anointing Celebrate? To many people, times of illness and suffering seem senseless and devoid of meaning, permeated by an overwhelming emptiness. The sacrament of Anointing offers a spiritual antidote to the damaging effects of illness. Anointing by a priest or a bishop is a statement by the whole Christian community that God’s gracious concern does not leave us in times of suffering, illness, and even death.

God’s Loving Concern God’s loving concern for sick, suffering, or dying people is the first and foremost truth celebrated in the sacrament of Anointing. Knowing that God cares about us when we are hurting can have a powerful healing effect on us.

Healing the Whole Person If you or someone close to you has ever been seriously injured or been sick, you know that being sick affects all of you – your body, mind, and soul. Physical illnesses do not just affect our body. Likewise, emotional difficulties usually have some sort of negative impact on your physical health. Such as depression.

Modern medicine acknowledges the relationship between emotional and physical health, and many health-care professionals are giving increasing regard to the emotional and spiritual needs of their patients. Often people do experience physical healing after receiving this sacrament, but that is not its primary purpose.

How Do We Know God Really Cares? Jesus cast out demons to actually restore people to life. Jesus himself experienced suffering, death, and Resurrection. &

My Son A woman’s only son died. In her grief, she went to a holy man for help. He told her to fetch a mustard seed from a house that has not ever known sorrow. She went off. She came first to a splendid mansion, and asked “I am looking for a home that has never known sorrow. Is this such a place?” They told her that she had certainly came to the wrong place and began to describe all the tragic things that recently had befallen them. The woman said to herself, “Who is better able to help these poor, unfortunate people than I, who have had misfortune of my own?” She stayed to comfort them and then went on to other homes to find the magical seed. She went house to house hearing their tragic stories. Eventually she became so involved in ministering to other people’s grief that ultimately she forgot about her quest. She never realized that her compassion had, in fact, driven the sorrow out of her life.

Life, Not Death, Has the Final Word The Gospels tell us that Jesus himself suffered such mental and physical pain and was finally put to death by the terrible method of crucifixion. The powerful hopeful message of the paschal mystery: The God of Jesus Is the God of life. And life, not death, will always have the last word.

Different Rites for Different Circumstances Offered with the wider faith community present. Anointing can be celebrated with a whole faith community, either as part of a mass or in a separate healing service. Offered to nonterminally ill persons. It can also be celebrated by Individuals who are seriously, but not terminally ill. Offered to dying persons. It is also available to bring A special comfort and peace to those persons who suffer from a terminal illness or are close to death. In which the person receives his or her last communion.

Anointing of the Sick