Anointing of the healthy?

[Phemie]

I think that is absolutely wonderful.

Over the years, I have anointed at many Masses for the Sick and the Aged…particularly in connection with World Day of the Sick every February 11th.

In my parishes, in addition to an observance of World Day of the Sick, I always made a point of having a service focused on those who qualified for the sacrament due to age, typically in the autumn, so that those in their sunset years could be fortified by this sacrament.

But when you have a Mass of Healing which is attended by the same 20 people every month and they all go up to be anointed every time it’s celebrated I think that starts to be abusing the sacrament. I’ve avoided this one in my parish for that reason.

The first time I happened to attend a healing Mass I was the only one who didn’t go up to be anointed. I heard one 20 year old say to her mother, “But I’m not sick!” to which the mother replied, “Do you think you’re perfect?” She went to be anointed.

It’s a beautiful sacrament but when it’s going to be celebrated as part of a Mass of Healing I think it really requires much catechesis so people understand who it’s really for.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

But when you have a Mass of Healing which is attended by the same 20 people every month and they all go up to be anointed every time it’s celebrated I think that starts to be abusing the sacrament. I’ve avoided this one in my parish for that reason.

The first time I happened to attend a healing Mass I was the only one who didn’t go up to be anointed. I heard one 20 year old say to her mother, “But I’m not sick!” to which the mother replied, “Do you think you’re perfect?” She went to be anointed.

It’s a beautiful sacrament but when it’s going to be celebrated as part of a Mass of Healing I think it really requires much catechesis so people understand who it’s really for.

Perhaps you should advise your diocesan bishop or his peritus.

To have a Mass of Healing monthly would not be extraordinary but to always incorporate the Sacrament of the Sick would be ill considered…unless, I suppose, it were a parish substantially or wholly composed of extraordinarily aged parishioners.

Personally, I found the World Day of the Sick (February 11), with its theme of the sick, and a date in the Fall (mid to late September or early October), with a theme on the aged/the autumn of life, to provide every six months the sacrament to be an ideal arrangement. Of course, it goes without saying that the group targeted by one anointing was welcome at the other one…the Masses just had different themes.

As for the person whom you overheard, the comment indicates a failure in proper understanding of a most elementary aspect of sacramental theology. That is very sad.

 

[Don_Ruggero]

We’re next door, so to speak. Possibly our diocese has had that & we just weren’t paying attention.

World Day of the Sick was created by Pope Saint John Paul II and observed on the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. It is, therefore, still quite new (relatively speaking) and will come into its own only years in the future…as is the norm for these things.

Blessed Paul VI proclaimed Mary as Mother of the Church on November 21, 1964. A very special day. It has taken years for the title to grow in prominence. I am glad I lived long enough to see it.

 

[FrDavid96]

Perhaps you should advise your diocesan bishop or his peritus.

To have a Mass of Healing monthly would not be extraordinary but to always incorporate the Sacrament of the Sick would be ill considered…unless, I suppose, it were a parish substantially or wholly composed of extraordinarily aged parishioners.

Personally, I found the World Day of the Sick (February 11), with its theme of the sick, and a date in the Fall (mid to late September or early October), with a theme on the aged/the autumn of life, to provide every six months the sacrament to be an ideal arrangement. Of course, it goes without saying that the group targeted by one anointing was welcome at the other one…the Masses just had different themes.

As for the person whom you overheard, the comment indicates a failure in proper understanding of a most elementary aspect of sacramental theology. That is very sad.

My own objection is not to the frequency of the Masses, as such. I have no objection to using the Mass formula ‘for the sick’ even as frequently as every week (calendar permitting, of course), and no objection to offering the Sacrament of Anointing every time, to those truly in need.

The objection is that the pattern we see here among an alarming number of priests (certainly not all). There is simply no discernment taking place. The only criteria is to be present, or to come forward, or sometimes at-most the invitation will be “everyone who admits you need healing.”

My point is that I want to express that there’s nothing wrong, and indeed everything right, about praying for the sick, and making use of the Church’s ritual for prayers for healing, especially the Mass formulas found in the Missal. However, when members here at CAF express misgivings or even objections about so-called “healing Masses” they aren’t objecting to the use of rituals or Mass formulas approved by the Church, but instead to the widespread abuses that often occur at these events—namely the abuse of anointing anyone and everyone who comes forward.