Transcript
Edmund: Jesus is known for a lot of things. But during his three years of public ministry He was very well known as a miracle worker.
Emily: The two things Jesus did the most in his public ministry were preaching and healing the sick.
Edmund: In the gospel of Luke, attributed to a writer who was himself a physician, he recounts: “They brought the sick with various diseases to him; and he laid hands on every one of them and healed them” (Luke 4:40) The Bible emphasizes Jesus as a healer. But why was this such a big part of his public ministry?
Emily: Jesus’ healings announced and proved his message of a more radical healing – the victory over sin and death.
Edmund: Sickness and death are not part of God’s original plan for us, and Jesus’ healings make this clear. Jesus does want to heal us.
Emily: There are two sacraments of healing. The first, Penance, primarily deals with healing our soul. Jesus forgives our sins. The second sacrament of healing deals with a different kind of sickness, bodily sickness.
Edmund: Illness, suffering, and death are some of the greatest problems we face as humans. But physical illness can sometimes lead to a turning away from God. It can lead to self-absorption and despair.
Emily: Our death is a reality we must all wrestle with. To rise with Christ, we must first die with Christ. But Jesus wants to be with us in our suffering. So Jesus gave the Church the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. Through this sacrament, Jesus continues to offer healing and strength through the ministry of the Church.
Edmund: The sacrament of Anointing of the Sick has three main parts: the prayer of faith, the laying on of hands, and the anointing with oil. The words said during the rite include this: “Through this holy anointing may the Lord in his love and mercy help you with the grace of the Holy Spirit. May the Lord who frees you from sin save you and raise you up.”
Emily: The Anointing of the Sick is for those whose “health is seriously impaired by sickness or old age”. We are encouraged to ask for a priest when experiencing a grave or serious illness. Jesus wants to offer us the grace of the sacrament, and the priest can pray with us on behalf of the Church, in the midst of our suffering. It is one of the sacraments that can be received more than once.
Edmund: The effects of this sacrament include the Holy Spirit giving us grace and strength. It also increases our union with the passion of Jesus. The Anointing of the Sick also prepares us for our final journey from this life. When we begin to face our final moments here on earth, many of us would appreciate being surrounded by our loved ones. And our families and loved ones desire to be there for us, to strengthen and encourage us and pray for us. In the same way, Jesus and the Church want to be there for us when we are facing serious, life threatening illness, or when we’re in our last moments on earth. Through the ministry of the Priest, Jesus and the Church are there for us in the Sacraments during our final journey home to heaven.
Emily: St. Paul says that if one member of the body of Christ suffers, all suffer. This means that by uniting our suffering in illness to the sufferings of Jesus’ passion, He can use this suffering for the good of the Church. St. Paul explains “My sufferings complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of the Church.” Here, he means to say that God has enabled all who suffer to participate in the redemptive work of Jesus by offering that suffering for the salvation of the world.
Edmund: Often, the Church offers the Eucharist to those who receive the Anointing of the Sick and who are also close to death. This is called “Viaticum” — which means “provisions for the journey.” This is the last sacrament of the Christian, being given the Eucharist and the prayers of the Church as food for the final journey home, to our home in heaven.
Emily: Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, and the viaticum make up what is often referred to as the Last Rites before someone dies.
Edmund: Jesus does want to heal us. Sometimes, we are physically healed if that is the will of God and will bring us closer to Him. But most importantly, we are all on a journey to heaven. Just like our loved ones want to be with us in our times of need. Jesus wants to give us strength to avoid despair and the temptation to turn in on ourselves. Suffering allows us to be united with Christ in his suffering, and to turn it into redemptive suffering. And this is how God offers us grace to strengthen us in illness through the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.
