Jesus came to heal the whole person, body and soul.
In the Church's Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, throughthe ministry of the priest, it is Jesus who touches the sick to heal them from sin – and sometimes even from physical ailment. His cures were signs of the arrival of the Kingdom of God. The core message of his healing tells us of his plan to conquer sin and death by his dying and rising.
The Rite of Anointing tells us there is no need to wait until a person is at the point of death to receive the Sacrament. A careful judgment about the serious nature of the illness is sufficient.
When the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is given, the hoped-for effect is that, if it be God's will, the person be physically healed of illness. But even if there is no physical healing, the primary effect of the Sacrament is a spiritual healing by which the sick person receives the Holy Spirit's gift of peace and courage to deal with the difficulties that accompany serious illness or the frailty of old age.
Resources:
- Prayers for the Health and Dignity of the Sick
- Explore the USCCA to learn about the liturgy for the Anointing of the Sick and its effects within the community and the life of the sick.
If you or someone you love are under Hospice care or are critically ill and would like to be anointed, please call the parish office at 813-752-8251 Monday thru Thursday 8am-4:30pm / Friday 8am-2pm to make arrangements while they are still conscious. Please call today to arrange for a home visitation from one of our priests.