Jesus was so thoughtful of us in instituting his sacraments. Remember, a sacrament, besides being a visible sign of invisible grace, is also an encounter with Jesus himself. We Catholics have seven sacraments. (Seven is the biblical number for fullness.) When you think about them, they touch our full lives, from birth (Baptism) to death (Anointing) and many times in between (Penance, Eucharist, etc.).

If you look at Jesus’ ministry, frequently we hear of him healing the sick: the paralytic (Matthew 9:1-8), lepers (Matthew 8:2-4) and the blind (Matthew 9:27-31). Further, Jesus promised that he would not abandon us—including the sick—when he ascended to the Father. True to his word, he gave us the sacraments, the Sacrament of Anointing being a continuation of Jesus’ healing. For many centuries, this sacrament was referred to and limited to the “Last Rites” or Extreme Unction as strictly a preparation for death. But with the liturgical changes in Vatican II, the Church wanted to provide healing not just as a preparation for death but also for the many times in our lives when we experience sickness. True, Jesus did raise the dead to life; but there are many more accounts of his restoring the sick to health and forgiving their sins.

The basis for this ancient rite is found in the Letter of James: “If there are sick among you, they should call in the presbyters (priests) of the Church. They in turn are to pray over him, anointing him in the name of the Lord. This prayer uttered in faith will reclaim the one who is ill, and the Lord will restore him to health. If he has committed any sins, forgiveness will be his” (5:14-15).

Anointing can be given any time a person is sick or when an illness takes a turn for the worse. Remember, as James tells us, this sacrament is “uttered in faith” that the Lord will heal as he wills. The beautiful prayer the priest prays as he anoints the forehead and the palms of the hands is: “Through this holy anointing, may the Lord in his love and mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit and may the Lord raise you up and save you from sin. Amen.”

What if there is no physical healing?

Healings take place in body and spirit. However, if you recall, the physical healings at Lourdes, for example, are fairly limited. But spiritual and emotional healings occur in untold numbers. A paralyzed person may leave Lourdes still paralyzed but will testify with all his heart that he was healed within. An apparent lack of physical healing in no way indicates any lack of faith on the part of the person being anointed.

One of the most significant things to remember is that even though the priest anoints the person, it is indeed Jesus through the sacrament who heals. This is not just some religious motion we go through Rather it is, as said above, “an encounter with Jesus himself.”

In the case of someone who is dying, the priest also prays some of the most beautiful prayers of the Church: “Go forth, faithful Christian, in the name of God, the almighty Father, in the name of Jesus Christ his only son who suffered and died for you, in the name of the Holy Spirit who is poured out upon you, go forth, faithful Christian.” What is so significant is that the priest is not praying just as himself. He represents the entire Church on earth and in heaven. In other words, the entire Christian community is praying for this dying person, their brother or sister.

While a chaplain at a nursing home for eleven years, I anointed thousands of people, helping prepare individuals for their meeting with Jesus when they breathed their last. The sacraments remind us again that Jesus’ acts of healing did not end 2,000 years ago. He is with us always, touching us at all stages of our lives.