"If one of you is ill, he should send for the elders of the church, and they must anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord and pray over him. The prayer of faith will save the sick man and the Lord will raises him up again; and if he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven." James 5:14-15

This sacrament of the anointing of the sick is the second of what could be called the two sacraments of healing, penance being the first. Since, as human beings, we experience physical as well as spiritual weakness, the Lord has given to his Church this sacrament which, as St. James says not only strengthens and heals our bodies but brings forgiveness as well. The sacrament, therefore, promotes health both of body and soul.

The Gospels abound with examples of Jesus as the one who heals the many different kinds of sickness and disease. These healings proclaim that the Kingdom of God is close at hand. Whilst these stories do not show him anointing with oil, the story of the blind man of Bethsaida whose eyes were anointed with spittle would clearly show that Jesus was not unfamiliar with the action( Mark 8:22-26). Obviously Jesus intended that his healing ministry should continue as he charged his disciples to heal the sick. "So they set of to preach repentance; and they cast out many devils, and anointed many sick people with oil and cured them" (Mark 6:12-13).

Through this sacrament the Holy Spirit is given to the one who is ailing in order that they renew their trust and faith in God and be strengthened against the assaults of the evil one who can tempt and discourage them in their weakness. The assistance that God gives them through the anointing, leads the sick person to a strengthening of soul and of body if this is God's will. Like anointings in some of the other sacraments, this one for the sick could be viewed as a consecration of their suffering, which when united to the suffering of Christ becomes a participation in the saving work of Jesus and therefore it contributes to the good of all God's people. This sacrament, then, displays to an unbelieving world that the suffering of the sick is not something entirely negative but can become a powerful force for good.

For further reading see: The Catechism of the Catholic Church. Articles 1499 - 1532.

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