The Anointing of the Sick is a biblically-based ceremony performed in certain Christian denominations for the good thing about a one who is in poor health, frail from age, or about to have major surgery. The ceremony petitions God for the person’s spiritual and physical healing through the Holy Spirit, and is supposed to unite the person with the suffering of Christ.
The Anointing of the Sick is mostly related to the Roman Catholic Church and, as such, this text explores the rite from the Catholic faith’s perspective. In Catholicism, the Anointing of the Sick is taken into account a sacrament and centers on the Lord’s healing presence and the forgiveness of sins.
What Does it Mean to be Anointed?
Most anointings within the Bible consisted of the smearing of olive oil or ointments on an individual or object for secular or sacred purposes. Anointings with olive oil were commonplace in Biblical times, and having enough olive oil to make use of for anointings was a sign of prosperity and blessings (2 Kings 20:13 ESV; Joel 2:19). Scripture also notes that some anointings occurred spiritually through the infusion of the Holy Spirit.
1. Commonplace anointings with oil: In Biblical times, it was traditional to anoint people or objects for secular reasons. For example, Jews showed hospitality to their visitors by anointing the visitor’s head with oil (Luke 7:46; Psalm 23:5). Further, Jews anointed their very own head and bodies with oil to smooth and refresh their hair and skin (Ruth 3:3; Psalms 104:15). In addition, the Bible tells us that in times of war, soldiers prepared their shields by smearing oil on the shield’s leather to make the leather less at risk of cracking and, thus, make the shield better-suited for battle (Isaiah 21:5).
2. Medicinal anointings with oil: Oil was also used for medicinal purposes to heal the sick and soothe the injuries of the injured. For example, the prophet Isaiah mentions olive oil’s therapeutic qualities in his writings (Isaiah 1:6), and the Good Samaritan knew to combine oil with wine to decorate the injuries of the person who fell amongst robbers (Luke 10:34). Further, St. James also recommends anointing the sick with oil to assist them get well from their infirmity and to confer upon them the forgiveness of sins (James 5:14-15). The Bible also records that the Twelve Apostles healed most of the sick of their day by anointing them with oil (Mark 6:13).
3. Religious anointings with oil: The practice of anointing with oil for religious reasons was also customary in Biblical times. To “anoint” in a theological context means to smear or pour oil over an individual or object to set it apart for divine use. Prophets, priests, and kings were anointed with oil to symbolize their divine appointment to God’s service (1 Kings 19:16; Exodus 29:21; 1 Samuel 16:13). Fragrant ointments were also utilized in religious rituals to anoint the dead to arrange them for burial (Mark 14:8; John 19:39-40).
In an identical way, objects were also consecrated with oil to be set apart for religious use. Scripture tells us that objects anointed with oil included: the Ark of the Covenant, the Tabernacle, altars, lampstands, and pillars (Exodus 30:25-29; Genesis 28:18).
4. Religious anointings with the Holy Spirit: Scripture also declares that folks may be anointed with the Holy Ghost. The most distinguished example of that is, in fact, Jesus, who was anointed with the Holy Spirit and power (John 1:32-42; Acts 10:38).
Aside from Jesus’s anointing with the Holy Spirit, Christians are anointed by God with the Holy Spirit who dwells in us (1 John 2:20; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22). A Christian’s anointing with the Holy Ghost differs from Jesus’s anointing in that God imbued Jesus with the Holy Ghost without limit so that each one the fullness of deity dwells in Jesus Christ (John 3:34; Colossians 2:9).
The Roman Catholic Church considers the Anointing of the Sick—formerly often known as Extreme Unction—to be a sacrament. A sacrament is a ritual performed to convey God’s grace to the recipient through the facility of the Holy Spirit.
Anointing of the Sick within the Bible
The practice of the Anointing of the Sick is predicated totally on James 5:14-15, which states:
Is anyone amongst you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and allow them to pray over him, anointing him with oil within the name of the Lord. And the prayer of religion will save the one who’s sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he shall be forgiven.
The sacrament of Anointing can be grounded within the Twelve Apostles’ practice of healing the sick with anointing oil (Mark 6:13).
Reasons for Anointing the Sick
God guarantees to heal His faithful and the sick are anointed because they’re petitioning God for this healing, if it’s in His will (Exodus 15:26).
Scripture gives examples of God working through peculiar people to heal the sick through the peculiar person’s anointing them with oil, laying hands on them, and praying for them (James 5:14-15; Mark 6:13). Today, Catholics request the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick to ask God for an identical healing. The person requesting the anointing should be either gravely in poor health, frail from advanced age, or facing major surgery (Catechism of the Catholic Church “CCC” 1514-1515).
Catholics consider that in the course of the Anointing of the Sick, Jesus Himself—through the rituals of the priest—touches the sick or frail person to spiritually heal them from sin and, if it’s in God’s will, also from their physical (or psychological) ailment (CCC 1504, 1512). Catholics consider that even where there isn’t any physical healing, the primary purpose of the anointing is to heal the recipient spiritually through the Holy Spirit’s gifts of strength, peace, and courage to endure the pain that accompanies the sick person’s ailment (CCC 1520).
The Process and Prayer for Anointing the Sick
The Anointing of the Sick may be celebrated within the family home with relatives present, in a hospital with relatives or hospital staff present, or in a church, whether only the in poor health person is in attendance or a gaggle of in poor health people and their families. The presence of others, although not essential, helps to guarantee the infirm person who the religion community that’s Jesus’s body is present in prayer.
The Anointing of the Sick ceremony generally consists of the next stages:
1. The sprinkling of holy water on the sacrament’s recipient and others present
2. Introductory prayers during which a priest may include a transient penitential rite if the person to be anointed hasn’t already received the Sacrament of Reconciliation (commonly known as confession) prior to the anointing (John 20:19-23)
3. Readings from Holy Scripture
4. The laying on of hands by the priest in anointing the sick person’s brow and hands with holy oil to petition the Holy Spirit’s presence upon the sick person (Mark 6:13; CCC 1513). During the anointing, the priest says the next prayer:
Through this holy anointing may the Lord in His love and mercy show you how to with the grace of the Holy Spirit. May the Lord who frees you from sin prevent and lift you up (James 5:14-15; CCC 1513).
5. The communal recitation of the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13)
6. Holy Communion if the infirm person is capable of receive the Eucharist (John 6:54)
7. The dismissal, which incorporates a blessing
Notably, if the sick one who received the anointing recovers and, at a later time, falls gravely in poor health again, he can receive this sacrament again (CCC 1515).
Is the Same Process Used for Last Rites?
The Anointing of the Sick differs from Last Rites in that an individual doesn’t must be dying to be given the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. However, when the Anointing of the Sick is run to someone who’s at the purpose of death, Last Rites could also be given at the side of the anointing.
Last Rites encompass the administration to a dying person of the Anointing of the Sick, Penance, and Holy Communion. Last Rites focus specifically on the dying person’s final reception of the Holy Eucharist. This is because, just as Holy Communion nourishes the recipient during his journey through his earthly life, Holy Communion also prepares the recipient for his journey passing over into his everlasting life.
For this reason, Holy Communion that’s given to someone on the brink of death is named Viaticum, which suggests “provision for a journey” in Latin.
Anointing of the Sick in Other Christian Denominations
The Eastern Orthodox and Anglican churches also consider the Anointing of the Sick to be a sacrament. Other Christian denominations—similar to the Lutheran and Methodist churches—don’t consider anointing the sick to be a sacrament but do offer anointing ceremonies, the character of which varies from church to church.
In recent years, healing services that anoint with oil have change into more common in Protestant denominations generally.
What Christians Should Remember in regards to the Anointing of the Sick
The Anointing of the Sick is grounded within the words of St. James to anoint the sick with oil to bring about healing and forgiveness (James 5:14-15). The rite is supposed to unite the recipient with the suffering of Christ by calling upon the Holy Spirit to imbue the sick and frail with the strength, peace, and courage to endure the sufferings of illness or old age in Jesus’ name.
Importantly, the sacrament acknowledges that God’s plan for us may or may not include healing us from our physical infirmities. As such, the Anointing of the Sick is just not meant to take the place of searching for treatment through medical professionals. Rather, the ceremony adds to the healing resources available by offering the sick person spiritual healing as she or he is prayed over, anointed with holy oil, united with the Lord’s healing presence, and forgiven for prior sins.
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Dolores Smyth is a nationally published faith and parenting author. She draws inspiration for her writing from on a regular basis life. Connect together with her over Twitter @byDoloresSmyth.
