This document provides an overview of the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick in the Catholic Church. It begins with biblical foundations from the Gospel of Mark and Letter of James. It then discusses the ritual elements including prayer, laying on of hands, anointing with blessed oil, and the formula used. It notes that a priest is the ordinary minister and covers the qualifications of the recipient and effects of receiving the sacrament, including forgiveness of sins and restoration of health if conducive to salvation. It concludes with a brief history of healing rituals from Old Testament times to the 12th century when Anointing of the Sick took on its focus as a last rites sacrament.

2. Opening Prayer
Dear Father,
We thank you for everyone gathered here now.
Thank you that you know each of us by name and have
caused us to walk with You.
We say that we are dependent on You and our trust is in
You completely.
As we surrender ourselves in adoration we ask that You
would come by Your Holy Spirit and inspire our hearts
today.
Come fill our lives with Your love,
Fill our conversations with Your grace and truth,
Fill this meeting with Your presence.
We ask this for Your glory and praise.
Amen.

3. is a sacrament of the Catholic Church that is administered to a
Catholic "who, having reached the age of reason, begins to be in
danger due to sickness or old age", except in the case of those who
"persevere obstinately in manifest grave sin". Proximate danger of
death, the occasion for the administration of Viaticum, is not
required, but only the onset of a medical condition considered to
be a possible prelude to death.
The sacrament is also referred to as Unction, and in the past
as Extreme Unction , and it is one of the three sacraments that
constitute the Last Rites (together with the Sacrament of
Penance and Viaticum).
The sacrament is administered by a priest, who uses olive oil or
another pure plant oil to anoint the patient's forehead and
perhaps other parts of the body while reciting certain prayers. It is
believed to give comfort, peace, courage and, if the sick person is
unable to make a confession, even forgiveness of sins. Several
other Churches and Ecclesial Communities have similar rituals

4. Can.998
The anointing of the sick, by which the Church
commends the faithful who are dangerously ill
to the suffering and glorified Lord in order that
he relieve and save them, is conferred by
anointing them with oil and pronouncing the
words prescribed in the liturgical books.

5. Anointing of the Sick
Biblical
Foundations:
The Church‟s ministry
to the sick has its
foundations first in
Jesus‟ ministry and in
that of the early
Church. One can see
this expressed in two
key biblical passages:
Mark 6:13 and James
5:14-15

6. “They drove out many demons, and they anointed with oil
many who were sick and cured them.” Mark 6:13
In his Gospel St. Mark (6:12-13) gives us an indication of
this sacrament of the sick when he tells us that the
apostles, going forth, "preached that men should
repent, and they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil
many sick people, and healed them."
This passage speaks of the sending of the apostles by Jesus.
Their healing ministry is closely connected to the call to
repentance, as is mentioned right before it in verse 12.

7. “Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the
presbyters of the church, and they should pray over
him and anoint (him) with oil in the name of the Lord,
and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and
the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed any
sins, he will be forgiven.” James 5:14-15. Matthew
10:8 and Luke 10:8–9 are also quoted in this regard.
There are three actions represented in this passage:
calling for the priests, prayer over the sick, and
anointing them with oil. It also notes two primary
effects: saving the sick and raising them up and the
forgiveness of any sins. “Raising up” has a double
meaning of lifting up from sickness and the
resurrection of the body. The rite of anointing of the
sick follows this theologically and ritually.

8. Ritual, Materials and Symbols
Prayer of Faith
Laying on of Hands
Anointing of Oil (The Oil of the Sick )
The Oil of the Sick .(" Oleum Infirmorum") bears the
initials O. I.
The oil used in administering the sacrament of
Anointing of the Sick is called Oil of the Sick. It is one
of the three Holy oils blessed by the bishop of the
diocese at his cathedral on Holy Thursday
morning, the other two Holy Oils being Holy Chrism
and the Oil of Catechumens, which is used in
Baptism.

9. Anointing of the
Sick
the Oil of the Sick (" Oleum Infirmorum") bears the
initials O. I ; The Oil of Catechumens is usually
labeled O. C. or O. S. (" Oleum Catechumenorum" or
"Oleum Sanctum"); and the oil of Chrism is
distinguished by the letters S. C. (" Sanctum
Chrisma")

10. In giving the sacrament, the priest anoints the sick
person on the forehead and hands. During this
anointing, the priest says:
FORMULA:
“Through this holy anointing, may the Lord in
his love and mercy help you with the grace of
the Holy Spirit. Amen.
May the Lord who frees you from sin save you
and raise you up. Amen.”

11. WHO ADMINISTERS THIS SACRAMENT?
•Ordinary Minister
Priest
•Extraordinary Ministers
none

12. Qualifications of Recipient and Sponsors
Recipient:
The Anointing of the Sick "is not a
sacrament for those only who are at the point
of death. Hence, as soon as anyone of the
faithful begins to be in danger of death from
sickness or old age, the fitting time for him to
receive this sacrament has certainly already
arrived.“

13. Effects of the Sacrament:
The uniting of the sick person to the passion of
Christ, for his own good and that of the whole
church.
 The strengthening, peace and courage to endure in
a Christian manner the sufferings of illness or old
age.
The forgiveness of sins, if the sick person was not
able to obtain it through the sacrament of
Confession.
The restoration of health, if it is conducive to the
salvation of his soul.
The preparation of the passing over to eternal life.

14. The Rite of the Sacrament:
The celebration of the Anointing of the Sick
essentially in the anointing of the forehead and the
hands of the sick person(in the Roman Rite) or of
other parts of the body (in the Eastern rite), the
anointing being accompanied by the liturgical prayer
of the celebrant asking for the special grace of this
sacrament.

15. Grace of the Sacrament
This is the grace that quiets anxiety and dissipates
fear.
It is the grace which enables the sick person to
embrace God's will and to face the possibility of
death without apprehension.
It is the grace which gives the soul the strength to
face and conquer whatever temptations to
doubt, despondency, or even despair may mark
Satan's last effort to seize this soul for himself.

16. Parochial Requirements
 The Sacrament of Anointing is for 'Healing' and not for persons
who are 'Dying'.
 Send a person to call a priest. No sick call on telephone will be
entertained.
 Inform the priest if the sick is able to receive the communion or not.
 Do not force the sick person to make his/her confession.
 lf in hospital, call the priest from the church closest to the hospital
or nursing home.
Procedures or Preparations for the Sacrament
 First, there is a prayer of faith asking God's help for the person
who is sick
 Second, there is the laying on of hands by the priest, which is a
sign of blessing and the invocation of the Holy Spirit to come
upon the sick person
 Third, the anointing with the Oil of the Infirm on the forehead
and hands of the sick person.

17. Reflections of the Sacrament
In our temporary journey in this world, sickness, can lead to
suffering, self-importance, sometimes even hopelessness and
revolt against God. It can also make us more mature, helping
us determine what is not essential in life such as material
things. Very often illness provokes a search for God and a
return to him.
Jesus compassion toward the sick and his many healings of
every kind of sickness shows that he has come to heal our
whole being, soul and body; he is the physician the sick have
need of. (Mark 2:17).His compassion toward all who suffer
goes so far that he identifies himself with them: "I was sick
and you visited me.(Matthew 25:36) His preferential love for
the sick has not ceased through the centuries to draw the very
special attention of Christians toward all those who suffer in
body and soul. It is the source of determined efforts to
comfort them.

18. Timeline: the history of healing
Old Testament
There is evidence of the use of oils and balms for healing from early civilizations. Medicines were
used, but it was God who healed. Pain, sickness, and death are not envisioned as part of God‟s
original plan. Genesis 1, 2.
New Testament
Healing is a major theme:
Cure of the paralytic Mt 9:1-8
Man born blind John 9: 1-39
Ten lepers Lk 17:11-19
Centurion‟s servant Mt 8:5-13
Peter‟s mother-in-law Mt. 8:14-5; Mk 1:29-31
Jesus, a living sacrament of God‟s compassion and God‟s power over sickness and death, healed by
word and touch; healing presence brought inward renewal and outward cure. Zaccheus – Luke
19:1-10
The Apostles “expelled many demons, anointed the sick with oil, and worked many cures.” Mark
6:13
sick brought to the presbyters of the church for anointing James 5:14-15
Pre-Nicene
Rite of anointing mentioned in early Church Orders
Lay faithful led rituals of spiritual and physical healings with olive oil blessed by the bishop.
Usually not a priestly duty.
Also used oil for catechumens – exorcism, post-baptismal anointings, and reconciliation

19. 5th-12th centuries
Innocent I provides a prayer for the blessing of the oil for a sick person (c. 410)
The sacrament of anointing is joined to reconciliation and viaticum (normative
sacraments for the dying). Becomes the sacrament of the dying – “extreme
unction.” Priest becomes primary anointer since it was associated with
penance.
Venerable Bede wrote commentary on the rite in England noting its similarity
to the French rite. (7th c.)
Since public penance was typically made only once, one waited for their
deathbed. Rites take on a more penitential character; but still accompanied by
prayers for physical recovery as well as forgiveness of sins (11th c.)
prayers for recovery dropped from the rite; emphasis on remission of sins and
hope for salvation. (12th c.)
Roman Pontifical – anointing of the senses, no longer just the body part which
needed healing.
Anointing becomes more dominant as last, deathbed ritual.
Peter Lombard (Sentences, c 1158) includes anointing as one of his seven
official sacraments. It was “instituted for a dual purpose, ... for the remission of
sins, and for the relief of bodily infirmity.” He notes that it may be repeated.

20. 13th-20th centuries
Form varied, but „matter‟ (oil) was universally agreed upon.
only one priest, ritual simplified (13th c.)
anointing only when death was imminent
Great debate about difference of this sacrament from Penance
Thomas Aquinas taught that the sacrament removed remnants of sin;
physical healing if sin was result of sinful habit. – Council of Florence
(1438-1445) defines essential elements.
Council of Trent (1548-1563) 1 “a sacrament instituted by Christ our Lord”
2 grace of the sacrament removes sin 3 “raises up and strengthens soul of
sick person,” occasionally even bodily health to the sick 4 only given to
those dangerously ill 5 priest is proper minister
1614 Ritual – eliminates abuses and gives elaborate rituals; person must
have attained the age of reason to receive it. Ritual remains unchanged for
centuries.
1747 – Benedict XIV gives plenary indulgence to anyone who receives the
sacrament.

21. Vatican II
Liturgical and biblical scholarship enlightens theology
and history of sacrament and restores name to reflect this
– “anointing of the sick.”
1972 – new rite approved (revised again in 1983)
assumes previous visits and pastoral care of the sick
provided rites for various ages, conditions and
circumstances
added Scripture, song, responses, ritual
Participation of the community stressed, including
family, healthcare workers, and the parish community.
Allows for regular communal celebrations with bishop‟s
permission.
anointing of head and hands rather than senses
additional rite for emergencies (imminent death);
continuous rite of penance, anointing, (confirmation) and
viaticum.

22. Closing Prayer
Father, thank you that you have revealed Your
love to us today.
We invite You to send us out from here in the
power of the Holy Spirit.
Fan into flame the gifts that you have given us,
Come reveal Your grace and truth to us each
day.
For Yours is the Kingdom, the power and the
glory,
Forever and ever.
Amen.