Offered Anointing of the Sick

[TOP]

I was offered an anointing of the sick by my parish priest. After much thought , I still have a question. If I accept, am I causing more suffering on Jesus Christ as He was crucified by denying the cup that I have to drink? Or maybe I don’t understand the sacrament correctly. Thank You, Tim

 

[JimG]

No. The sacrament does not assure you of any alleviation of your physical suffering, unless it is God’s will for you. Neither does it increase Christ’s suffering on the Cross.

It does provide you spiritual strength to endure whatever you must and gives you the sacramental graces to cope with your illness, along with forgiveness of sins, and an increase of sanctifying grace.

There is absolutely no reason to refuse the sacrament.

 

[Didi]

The sacrament consecrates your suffering in a special way. From the Catechism:

1521 Union with the Passion of Christ. By the grace of this sacrament the sick person receives the strength and the gift of uniting himself more closely to Christ’s Passion; in a certain way he is *consecrated * to bear fruit by configuration to the Savior’s redemptive Passion. Suffering, a consequence of original sin, acquires a new meaning; it becomes a participation in the saving work of Jesus.

 

[TOP]

Didi:

The sacrament consecrates your suffering in a special way. From the Catechism:

1521 Union with the Passion of Christ. By the grace of this sacrament the sick person receives the strength and the gift of uniting himself more closely to Christ’s Passion; in a certain way he is *consecrated * to bear fruit by configuration to the Savior’s redemptive Passion. Suffering, a consequence of original sin, acquires a new meaning; it becomes a participation in the saving work of Jesus.

" consecrated to bear fruit". Seems key to me. Thank You, Tim