anointing

[danielle90]

Today we had a mass for the sick and shut-ins of the parish.
The priest also administered the sacrament of anointing to them; and he asked if anyone else wanted anointing.
My question is anointing of the sick only for “sick persons” or anyone in general.

 

[Trishie]

Danielle, it’s not always clear who in a congregation has ill health of some kind. It will not necessarily be evident if someone has mental or physical illness. If someone is bi-polar or has OCD or some other issue that makes life intolerable sometimes, they have a right to hope for anointing even if others around don’t know they have these disorders or illnesses.

No one looking at me for instance would know I have physical illness, of three kinds actually, laboratory clear and affecting several aspect of my life, but it doesn’t show on the outside. Nor does my age. People are astonished regularly to find I’m ten years older than I look, without even trying, so they can secretly think, quite reasonably, “What’s she going up for, she’s not ill or old?”. It can be embarrassing. One can feel like a fraud outside for going up for anointing, but in fact, only you yourself know you’re not, in many cases. There are times when only the person themselves know what illness, chronic pain etc they endure. The priest needs to make allowance for those illnesses and conditions that are not obvious to others around.

I believe this is something that some priests understand and therefore feel able to invite others who don’t seem *obviously *ill or frail to come for anointing.

God bless you.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

Today we had a mass for the sick and shut-ins of the parish.
The priest also administered the sacrament of anointing to them; and he asked if anyone else wanted anointing.
My question is anointing of the sick only for “sick persons” or anyone in general.

The sacrament of Anointing the Sick is only for sick people; not for everyone. It is reserved, too, for those whose illness poses a risk of death. If you are an adult with a cold who is otherwise fit and healthy you wouldn’t qualify. If you’ve got terminal cancer you would. Those are examples of different ends of the spectrum. There are things in between which would require a priest to use his discretion. Even though this sacrament is for those with an illness that may cause the subject’s death doesn’t mean the sacrament should be withheld until the person is close to death. It should be given earlier in the illness. If a person has to undergo medical treatment that itself poses a significant risk is also a suitable occasion for receiving this sacrament, e.g. major heart surgery.

 

[danielle90]

So what if I’m not sick and I receive the sacrament, what then?

 

[Trishie]

Danielle the bible tells us this:
“Is anyone among you sick? He should call for the elders of the church, and they should pray for him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.” James 5:14
Your priest is no doubt heeding this scripture when he invites the sick to be anointed.
For further explanation of his reason is is probably best to ask him.
God bless you.

 

[FrDavid96]

Today we had a mass for the sick and shut-ins of the parish.
The priest also administered the sacrament of anointing to them; and he asked if anyone else wanted anointing.
My question is anointing of the sick only for “sick persons” or anyone in general.

It is only for the “seriously ill.”

In the General Instruction for the Rites of Anointing and Viaticum, the translator provides a footnote:

The word periculose has been carefully studied and rendered as “seriously,” rather than as “gravely,” “dangerously,” or “perilously.” Such a rendering will serve to avoid restrictions upon the celebration of the sacrament. On the one hand, the sacrament may and should be given to anyone whose health is seriously impaired; on the other hand, it may not be given indiscriminately or to any person whose health is not seriously impaired.

The words “it may not be given indiscriminately” are important. A priest must exercise prudent judgment when administering this Sacrament–that necessarily excludes anointing anyone who simply comes forward in line.

The actual text of the General Instruction says this in #8:

A prudent or reasonably sure judgment, without scruple, is sufficient for deciding on the seriousness of an illness; if necessary a doctor may be consulted.

Again, anointing anyone who comes forward in line does not meet the Church’s standard of a “prudent or reasonably sure judgment.”

Asking if anyone else needs to be anointed is certainly a good thing, but this also has to be accompanied by that “reasonably sure judgment” that each person is indeed a candidate for the Sacrament.

 

[Matthew_Holford]

So what if I’m not sick and I receive the sacrament, what then?

It is only for the “seriously ill.”

In the General Instruction for the Rites of Anointing and Viaticum, the translator provides a footnote:

The word periculose has been carefully studied and rendered as “seriously,” rather than as “gravely,” “dangerously,” or “perilously.” Such a rendering will serve to avoid restrictions upon the celebration of the sacrament. On the one hand, the sacrament may and should be given to anyone whose health is seriously impaired; on the other hand, it may not be given indiscriminately or to any person whose health is not seriously impaired.

The words “it may not be given indiscriminately” are important. A priest must exercise prudent judgment when administering this Sacrament–that necessarily excludes anointing anyone who simply comes forward in line.

The actual text of the General Instruction says this in #8:

A prudent or reasonably sure judgment, without scruple, is sufficient for deciding on the seriousness of an illness; if necessary a doctor may be consulted.

Again, anointing anyone who comes forward in line does not meet the Church’s standard of a “prudent or reasonably sure judgment.”

Asking if anyone else needs to be anointed is certainly a good thing, but this also has to be accompanied by that “reasonably sure judgment” that each person is indeed a candidate for the Sacrament.

As Danielle asked: what happens to a subject of this sacrament if, say, they are not ill at all? Do they still receive the graces of this sacrament or not?

 

[FrDavid96]

As Danielle asked: what happens to a subject of this sacrament if, say, they are not ill at all? Do they still receive the graces of this sacrament or not?

Good question.

For a Sacrament to be valid, the recipient must be eligible to receive that Sacrament. An already-baptized person cannot be validly baptized. A priest can pour water, and say the correct words, but no baptism happens.

The Sacrament of Anointing the Sick is exactly that: anointing of the sick not anointing of the healthy.

There’s no question that anointing* of the healthy is illicit. Is it invalid as well?

I keep typing then deleting, re-wording, and deleting, the rest of my post. It’s probably best if I just leave it at that.

• Here, I don’t just mean “any anointing” I mean specifically the ritual of Anointing/Unction of the Sick.

 

[dochawk]

I’ll point out here that Eastern and Western practice is quite different. Same Mystery (err, Sacrament in the west), but a different understanding.

In the East, the threshold is far leer, and the entire congregation is sacramentally anointed during Holy Week.

hawk

 

[Matthew_Holford]

I’ll point out here that Eastern and Western practice is quite different. Same Mystery (err, Sacrament in the west), but a different understanding.

In the East, the threshold is far leer, and the entire congregation is sacramentally anointed during Holy Week.

hawk

Are they anointed during Holy Week in case they’re ill, or to possibly prevent illness, or are they anointed for another purpose?

 

[dochawk]

Are they anointed during Holy Week in case they’re ill, or to possibly prevent illness, or are they anointed for another purpose?

We are all always in need of healing, whether spiritual or physical.

You can see similar themes in western liturgy: “may this mingling . . . . but health in mind and body.”

There are others here, though, who will do a far better job than I at explaining this practice.

hawk