4 Feb 2012
5th February 2012 - 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Reflection on Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick
On this weeks programme we continue our monthly series on the seven sacraments with this month focusing on the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick which ties into the fact that February 11th, the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, is World Day of the Sick. We have our weekly reflection on the Sunday gospel as well as saints of the week and some local notices.
This weeks podcast is available HERE.
Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick
(this reflection was put together from the various sources listed at the bottom of the piece)
The ministration known as the Last Rites in the Catholic Church does not constitute a distinct sacrament in itself. It is rather a set of sacraments given to people who are extremely ill and believed to be near death. These are the sacraments of Anointing of the Sick (which, in spite of not being reserved for the dying, is sometimes mistakenly supposed to be what is meant by "the Last Rites"), Penance and the Eucharist. If all three are administered immediately one after another, the normal order of administration is: first Penance then Anointing, then Viaticum.
The Last Rites are meant to prepare the dying person's soul for death, by providing absolution for sins by penance, sacramental grace and prayers for the relief of suffering through anointing, and the final administration of the Eucharist, known as "Viaticum," which is Latin for "provision for the journey." Reception of the Eucharist in this form is the only sacrament essentially associated with dying. Accordingly, "the celebration of the Eucharist as Viaticum is the sacrament proper to the dying Christian". The comfort of Viaticum has been valued by Christians since the beginning of Church history. The first ecumenical council, held at Nicaea in 325, decreed: "Concerning the departing, the ancient canonical law is still to be maintained, to wit, that, if any man be at the point of death, he must not be deprived of the last and most indispensable Viaticum" (canon 13). Having repented of our sins and received reconciliation, we travel with the Lord Jesus out of this earthly life and to eternal happiness with him in heaven.
What is the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick?
In modern times, however, the use of the sacrament has been re-examined and expanded to all who are gravely ill or are about to undergo a serious operation, and the Church stresses a secondary effect of the sacrament: to help a person recover his health. Like Confession and Holy Communion, to which it is closely linked, the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick can be repeated as often as is necessary. Pope Benedict XVI in his message for the 2012 World Day of the Sick on February 11th reminds us that anointing of the sick is one of the Church’s two “sacraments of healing”, together with the “medicine of confession”, penance.
The modern celebration of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick recalls the early Christian use, going back to biblical times. When Christ sent His disciples out to preach, "they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them" (Mark 6:13). James 5:14-15 ties physical healing to the forgiveness of sins:
“Is any man sick among you? Let him bring in the priests of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick man: and the Lord shall raise him up: and if he be in sins, they shall be forgiven him.
Pope Paul VI revised the format of the rite in 1972 (it was one of the last rites to be revised after the Second Vatican Council). In the Apostolic Constitution he reminds us that “The Catholic Church professes and teaches that the Sacred Anointing of the Sick is one of the seven Sacraments of the New Testament, that it was instituted by Christ and that it is "alluded to in Mark (Mk. 6:13) and recommended and promulgated to the faithful by James the apostle and brother of the Lord.
From ancient times testimonies of the Anointing of the Sick are found in the Church's Tradition, particularly her liturgical Tradition, both in the East and in the West. In the course of the centuries, in the liturgical Tradition the parts of the body of the sick person to be anointed with Holy Oil were more explicitly defined, in different ways, and there were added various formulas to accompany the anointings with prayer, which are contained in the liturgical books of various Churches. During the Middle Ages, in the Roman Church there prevailed the custom of anointing the sick on the five senses.
When in doubt, priests should err on the side of caution and provide the sacrament to the faithful who request it. Pope Benedict XVI noted that the sacrament, formerly known as extreme unction, may be administered in “various human situations connected with illness, and not only when a person is at the end of his or her life”.
The essential rite of the sacrament consists in the priest (or priests, in the case of the Eastern Churches) laying hands on the sick, anointing him with blessed oil (usually olive oil blessed by a bishop, but in an emergency, any vegetable oil will suffice), and praying "Through this holy anointing may the Lord in his love and mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit. May the Lord who frees you from sin save you and raise you up." Anointing with olive oil recalls the “double mystery of the Mount of Olives,” the Pope said, as both the location of the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus confronted his passion, and the place where he ascended into heaven. Oil thus acts “as God’s medicine … offering strength and consolation, yet at the same time [pointing] beyond the moment of the illness toward the definitive healing, the Resurrection.”. When circumstances permit, the Church recommends that the sacrament take place during Mass, or at least that it be preceded by Confession and followed by Holy Communion.
Received in faith and in a state of grace, the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick provides the recipient with a number of graces, including the fortitude to resist temptation in the face of death, when he is weakest; a union with the Passion of Christ, which makes his suffering holy; and the grace to prepare for death, so that he may meet God in hope rather than in fear. If the recipient was not able to receive the Sacrament of Confession, Anointing also provides forgiveness of sins. And, if it will aid in the salvation of his soul, Anointing may restore the recipient's health.
Gospel - Mark 1:29-39
Resources for this weeks gospel:
Saints of the Week
Psalter - Week 1
February 6th - St Paul Miki and Companions (Martyrs)
February 7th - St Mel (Bishop) - Patron of diocese of Ardagh & Clonmacnoise
February 8th - St Josephine Bakhita (virgin) - Patron of Sudan
February 9th - St Migeul Febres Cordero
February 10th - St Scholastica (Virgin) - sister of St Benedict
February 11th - Our Lady of Lourdes and World Day of the Sick
This weeks podcast is available HERE.
Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick
(this reflection was put together from the various sources listed at the bottom of the piece)
Traditionally referred incorrectly to as Extreme
Unction or Last Rites, the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick was
previously most commonly only administered to the dying, for the remission of
sins and the provision of spiritual strength and health.
What are the Last Rites?The ministration known as the Last Rites in the Catholic Church does not constitute a distinct sacrament in itself. It is rather a set of sacraments given to people who are extremely ill and believed to be near death. These are the sacraments of Anointing of the Sick (which, in spite of not being reserved for the dying, is sometimes mistakenly supposed to be what is meant by "the Last Rites"), Penance and the Eucharist. If all three are administered immediately one after another, the normal order of administration is: first Penance then Anointing, then Viaticum.
The Last Rites are meant to prepare the dying person's soul for death, by providing absolution for sins by penance, sacramental grace and prayers for the relief of suffering through anointing, and the final administration of the Eucharist, known as "Viaticum," which is Latin for "provision for the journey." Reception of the Eucharist in this form is the only sacrament essentially associated with dying. Accordingly, "the celebration of the Eucharist as Viaticum is the sacrament proper to the dying Christian". The comfort of Viaticum has been valued by Christians since the beginning of Church history. The first ecumenical council, held at Nicaea in 325, decreed: "Concerning the departing, the ancient canonical law is still to be maintained, to wit, that, if any man be at the point of death, he must not be deprived of the last and most indispensable Viaticum" (canon 13). Having repented of our sins and received reconciliation, we travel with the Lord Jesus out of this earthly life and to eternal happiness with him in heaven.
In modern times, however, the use of the sacrament has been re-examined and expanded to all who are gravely ill or are about to undergo a serious operation, and the Church stresses a secondary effect of the sacrament: to help a person recover his health. Like Confession and Holy Communion, to which it is closely linked, the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick can be repeated as often as is necessary. Pope Benedict XVI in his message for the 2012 World Day of the Sick on February 11th reminds us that anointing of the sick is one of the Church’s two “sacraments of healing”, together with the “medicine of confession”, penance.
The modern celebration of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick recalls the early Christian use, going back to biblical times. When Christ sent His disciples out to preach, "they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them" (Mark 6:13). James 5:14-15 ties physical healing to the forgiveness of sins:
Pope Paul VI revised the format of the rite in 1972 (it was one of the last rites to be revised after the Second Vatican Council). In the Apostolic Constitution he reminds us that “The Catholic Church professes and teaches that the Sacred Anointing of the Sick is one of the seven Sacraments of the New Testament, that it was instituted by Christ and that it is "alluded to in Mark (Mk. 6:13) and recommended and promulgated to the faithful by James the apostle and brother of the Lord.
From ancient times testimonies of the Anointing of the Sick are found in the Church's Tradition, particularly her liturgical Tradition, both in the East and in the West. In the course of the centuries, in the liturgical Tradition the parts of the body of the sick person to be anointed with Holy Oil were more explicitly defined, in different ways, and there were added various formulas to accompany the anointings with prayer, which are contained in the liturgical books of various Churches. During the Middle Ages, in the Roman Church there prevailed the custom of anointing the sick on the five senses.
The Second Vatican Council stated that " 'Extreme Unction,' which may also and more fittingly be called 'Anointing of the Sick,' is not a sacrament for those only who are at the point of death. Hence, as soon as any one of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, the appropriate time for him to receive this sacrament has certainly already arrived.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church notes that: "The Anointing of the Sick "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 to receive this sacrament has certainly already arrived." (CCC 1514)
When in doubt, priests should err on the side of caution and provide the sacrament to the faithful who request it. Pope Benedict XVI noted that the sacrament, formerly known as extreme unction, may be administered in “various human situations connected with illness, and not only when a person is at the end of his or her life”.
From the earliest times, the sacrament of the anointing of the sick was cherished among Christians, not only in immediate danger of death, but even at the beginning sign of danger from illness or old age. A sermon of Caesar of Arles (ca. A.D. 470-542) contains the following: "As often as some infirmity overtakes a man, let him who is ill receive the body and blood of Christ; let him humbly and in faith ask the presbyters for blessed oil, to anoint his body, so that what was written may be fulfilled in him: ‘Is anyone among you sick? Let him bring in the presbyters, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil; and the prayer of faith will save the sick man, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he be in sins, they will be forgiven him. . . . See to it, brethren, that whoever is ill hasten to the church, both that he may receive health of body and will merit to obtain the forgiveness of his sins" (Sermons 13[325]:3).
Only priests (including bishops) can administer the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick, since, when the sacrament was instituted during Christ's sending out of His disciples, it was confined to the men who would become the original bishops of the Church.
Received in faith and in a state of grace, the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick provides the recipient with a number of graces, including the fortitude to resist temptation in the face of death, when he is weakest; a union with the Passion of Christ, which makes his suffering holy; and the grace to prepare for death, so that he may meet God in hope rather than in fear. If the recipient was not able to receive the Sacrament of Confession, Anointing also provides forgiveness of sins. And, if it will aid in the salvation of his soul, Anointing may restore the recipient's health.
"The special grace of the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick has as its effects: the uniting of the sick person to the passion of Christ, for his own good and that of the whole Church; the strengthening, peace, and courage to endure in a Christian manner the sufferings of illness or old age; the forgiveness of sins, if the sick person was not able to obtain it through the sacrament of penance; the restoration of health, if it is conducive to the salvation of his soul; the preparation for passing over to eternal life" (CCC 1532).
Some resources about the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick:
- Vatican Radio - Message of Pope Benedict XVI for 20th World Day of the Sick
- Catholic Herald - Pope urges priests to administer the Sacrament of the Sick more often
- American Catholic.org - The Sacraments
- Catholic Answers - Anointing of the Sick
- Catechism of the Catholic Church
- Apostolic Constitution - Anointing of the Sick - Pope Paul VI
Gospel - Mark 1:29-39
- Word on Fire
- English Dominicans
- Sunday Reflections
- Renewal Ministries
- Centre for Liturgy at St Louis University
- Blue Eyed Ennis
Saints of the Week
Psalter - Week 1
February 6th - St Paul Miki and Companions (Martyrs)
February 7th - St Mel (Bishop) - Patron of diocese of Ardagh & Clonmacnoise
February 8th - St Josephine Bakhita (virgin) - Patron of Sudan
February 9th - St Migeul Febres Cordero
February 10th - St Scholastica (Virgin) - sister of St Benedict
February 11th - Our Lady of Lourdes and World Day of the Sick
3 Feb 2012
Archbishop Martin homily for World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life
DAY FOR CONSECRATED LIFE 2012
Homily Notes of Archbishop Martin at the Church of Our Lady of the Wayside,
Bluebell,
2nd February 2012
 |
| Source |
One of the themes that run through this evening's readings on the Feast of the Purification is that of expectation. Ezekielspeaks of “the Lord who is coming” and of the appearance of “the covenant that you are longing for” As Jesus enters into the Temple he is greeted first of all by Simeon, one “who looked forward” to Israel’s comforting one on whom the Spirit rested and who watched and waited for the restoration of Israel. The second encounter is with the elderly woman Anna who appears almost just in passing and yet understands that this child was the one who realised the hopes of all who “looked forward to the deliverance of Jerusalem”. Both are presented to us in terms of prophecy. Prophecy is the gift not so much of foreseeing the future as if by some magical powers. No, the gift of prophecy is a gift for the present; it is the gift which enables us to recognise and understand and interpret the true the meaning of the present.
Like Simeon and Anna, the religious must be so focused on what expectation means in life, that they are in the forefront in recognising what, through Jesus, fulfillment and happiness mean in the present.
We celebrate the Day of Consecrated Life. We come to thank God for the gift to the Church of the prophetic witness of religious men and women. We come to pray that each of us will be so steeped in the hope we are called to, that we will be able to interpret what that call requires today and where it should be guiding our lives. We pray that individual religious and their communities will witness to what expectation and consolation and renewal mean today for God’s holy people and for the world in which we live.
We celebrate the Day of Consecrated life in 2012, the fiftieth anniversary of the convocation of the Second Vatican Council. I entered the seminary just one week before the opening of the Council. As a seventeen year old I was not sure what the Council would mean. Even the good Pope John XXII was obviously not sure: at the opening of the Council he spoke of possibly not completing its work in the few months of the opening session and even having to come back for a second session. In fact, the Council’s debate was to endure for four sessions.
I often say to people that I entered into Clonliffe in 1962 and that in 1969 I went back out into a different Ireland and a different Church. Certainly the Council changed the Church and perhaps very few other aspects of Church life changed in its externalities as religious life. I am sure that the more elderly among us would have some great stories of what it was like to live as a religious in those days before the Council and the great change and breath of fresh, renewing air that the Council brought with it.
But it would be important not to link the Council just with external change, just as it would be insufficient to identify renewal in the Church today just with external change in structures, no matter how necessary such change might be.
I read an article in these days which spoke about the various theological tensions that emerged during the Council. It said quite strikingly that the media categories of progressive and traditionalist actually got it wrong. The progressives, it said, were really the true traditionalists; they were the ones who want back deeply into the traditions of the Church and purified the Church from many empty practices which self-proclaimed traditionalists had canonised as tradition but which were not.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)