How do I handle this?

[MaryRita85]

I’m at a family get together. I have been having health problems so my old Nazarene preacher, decides he wants to pray for me. Then he gets out his “Holy Oil” to annoint me. I’m just standing there like, please no. Should I have declined, I really did not know what to say as I was caught of guard? I feel very uncomfortable. I know it meant nothing but was so caught of guard I didn’t know what to say.

 

[chococat]

MaryRita, I think you did the right thing. After all he was praying for you, what harm is that? It would have been very disrespectful to deny his offer to pray for you.IMHO anyway. I see no harm intended on your part.

 

[TheRealJuliane]

I’m at a family get together. I have been having health problems so my old Nazarene preacher, decides he wants to pray for me. Then he gets out his “Holy Oil” to annoint me. I’m just standing there like, please no. Should I have declined, I really did not know what to say as I was caught of guard? I feel very uncomfortable. I know it meant nothing but was so caught of guard I didn’t know what to say.

Whip out your rosary beads and get him to say a few decades with you!!



Hey why not?

Seriously, the prayer was probably OK but I would have moved away after that, said, “no thanks” quietly to the oil. But if it is going to cause a ruckus, maybe just let him do it and then be careful next time and watch out for that.

 

[WaitingForJesus]

I would not worry about it. If I had been in your shoes, I might have said just pray for me. You are right, it doesn’t qualify as anointing of the sick. But, I am sure he did it in a spirit of love. If it continues to bother you, mention it at your next confession.

I had a similar thing happen when my friend prayed for my “chakras”. She is a very liberal Protestant. It did not occur to me until afterwords that I should have said something. I told my confessor and he said I should just discourage it if she wants to do that again. We pray together often and I told her Father says no more mention of chakras. She thinks we are fuddy duds, but has a good sense of humor and seems fine with it.

 

[KrazyKat]

You did the right thing. The Lord listens to all who pray.

 

[mountee]

Since you did not ask for this anointing, you were caught off guard, you have not done anything wrong but let someone pray for you in their faith. God loves for us to pray. But, now that you have become concerned with this ritual if you are faced with the situation again it would be better to ask the preacher if he wouldn’t mind just praying. God knows your heart:thumbsup:

 

[MaryRita85]

Ok, thanks for making me feel better. I didn’t know why I didn’t think of that in the first place! Yes, the praying didn’t bother me, it was the “anointing”. So I’m ok now, I know.how to handle it in the future.

 

[HolyRosaryChild]

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jesus understands; I was faced with Jehovah’s Witness yesterday giving out pamphlets (not seen them in the street for a few years) and I showed them my Holy Rosary Card of Our Lady Mary and Jesus’ messages to Sister Faustina. They had their job of reaching out to everyone on foot as Jesus did; with this in mind I took their magazines, thanked them and got on with my day praying The Holy Rosaries. A half an hour later I drove out of the driveway, with Jesus’ Cross dangling on my daughter’s rear vision mirror. I waved and slowed down thanking them. A woman from the group was most interested in wanting me to stop and talk about Jesus doorknocking to people (this I know was Jesus message to me for spreading His Image and words despite the Catholic Church’s regulations on not doing so)! At the same time, some members of the group were about to focus on and start a debate about Jesus Crucifix and Our Lady Mary’s Images and The Holy Rosary.

This woman took charge before any chat or discussion took place, intervening (I could see Jesus in this woman), and telling me “for it was Jesus that travelled and spread God’s Word to everyone doorknocking”.

 

[MaryRita85]

Isn’t that funny how it worked out?!

 

[gh4]

(this I know was Jesus message to me for spreading His Image and words despite the Catholic Church’s regulations on not doing so)!

Really? I had no idea that the Catholic Church didn’t want any of it’s members “doorknocking.” Back in Ohio, the nuns used to do that, they looked so wonderful with their habits and they handed out prayer cards… this was back in the 90’s. So they were going against the Catholic Church by doing this?