Rev José Mario O Mandía
jmom.honlam.org
The Anointing of the Sick can be received more than once.
The CCC (1515) gives four possibilities:
“[1] If a sick person who received this anointing recovers his health, he can in the case of another grave illness receive this sacrament again.
“[2] If during the same illness the person’s condition becomes more serious, the sacrament may be repeated.
“[3] It is fitting to receive the Anointing of the Sick just prior to a serious operation.
“[4] The same holds for the elderly whose frailty becomes more pronounced.”
LAST THREE SACRAMENTS
To further strengthen the sick or elderly person, the Church also recommends giving two other sacraments: confession and Holy Communion.
“The celebration of this sacrament should, if possible, be preceded by individual confession on the part of the sick person.” (CCCC 316)
When Holy Communion is given in this particular situation, it is called the Viaticum – food for the journey. The CCC (1524) says: “In addition to the Anointing of the Sick, the Church offers those who are about to leave this life the Eucharist as viaticum. Communion in the body and blood of Christ, received at this moment of ‘passing over’ to the Father, has a particular significance and importance. It is the seed of eternal life and the power of resurrection, according to the words of the Lord: ‘He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day’ (John 6:54). The sacrament of Christ once dead and now risen, the Eucharist is here the sacrament of passing over from death to life, from this world to the Father (cf John 13:1).”
These three sacraments help us conclude our pilgrimage on earth. Point 1525 of the CCC explains: “Thus, just as the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist form a unity called ‘the sacraments of Christian initiation,’ so too it can be said that Penance, the Anointing of the Sick and the Eucharist as viaticum constitute at the end of Christian life ‘the sacraments that prepare for our heavenly homeland’ or the sacraments that complete the earthly pilgrimage.”
WHAT GOOD DOES ANOINTING DO?
The CCC (1532) summarises the effects of the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick:
“The special grace of the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick has as its effects:
– 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 Penance;
– the restoration of health, if it is conducive to the salvation of his soul;
– the preparation for passing over to eternal life.”
We should remember that during a man’s last moments, the devil tries his best to rob him of his hope, because despair – the loss of all hope – condemns a man to hell. To lose hope is to let go of God’s loving hand. The Catechism of the Council of Trent teaches: “at no time is the devil’s attack more intense than at the moment of our approaching death.”
Saint Augustine says the “devil will accuse us before our face with all that we have done, and will state the day and the hour in which we sinned.”
St Gregory the Great adds, “Consider well how terrible is the hour of death, and how appalling the remembrance of our sins will be at that time. For the devils will recall all the harm they have done to us, and remind us of the sins which we have committed at their instigation.”
Thus, we should never hesitate to offer to a very ill person or a dying one the possibility of receiving the Anointing of the Sick. And should we ourselves be in that situation, we should not hesitate to ask for it, together with the two other sacraments of Confession and the Viaticum.
(Image: Christ Healing the Mother of Simon Peter’s Wife (1839), John Bridges, Birmingham Museum of Art)
Follow
