TERM PAPER TITLE

ANOINTING OF THE SICK

SUBMITTED BY:

FERDINAND S. ABING

SUBMITTED TO:

REV. FATHER NESTOR DALUMPINES

TH201

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

I. BIBLICAL/ EXEGETICAL BACKGROUND

A. Healing of the sick in the Old Testament
B. Healing of the sick in the New Testament

II. HERMENEUTICAL

III. HISTORY/DEVELOPMENT OF THE ANOINTING OF THE SICK

IV. PASTORAL ASPECT

EVALUATION, SUGGESTION, CONCLUSION, and RECOMMENDATION

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INTRODUCTION

Anointing of the sick is a sacrament in which a person who is seriously ill or dying is anointed

by a priest with consecrated oil. Former name: extreme unction. (Collins English Dictionary

,12th Edition 2014).

This sacred anointing of the sick was instituted by Christ our Lord as a true and proper sacrament

of the New Testament. It is alluded to indeed by Mark, but is recommended to the faithful and

promulgated by James the apostle and brother of the Lord"(CCC 1511; Mark 6:13; Jas. 5:14-15).

This shows that the ministry of healing or anointing of the sick with oil for healing is part of the

ministry of Jesus and is encourage to be observe by His first generation of followers and through

the ministry of the church is now passed on to us.

Since there are various groups of Christian believers, it is then possible that there may be some

varying understandings and practices when it comes to the healing ministry of Jesus in our

present time. There are even those Christian groups who for some reason do not believe on the

healing ministry of the church anymore because for them the power of God to heal is only

applicable until the first Christian community only and that is not possibly happening in our time

today.

Therefore, this paper is only limited to the practice of the Catholic Church as there are practices

here that does not apply to other Christian groups who also believe in the healing ministry of the

Church by the power of Jesus through the Holy Spirit that is ever present with us.

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I. BIBLICAL/EXEGETICAL BACKGROUND

Healing of the sick in the Old Testament:

For us to have a better grasp of this ministry of healing, it will be helpful to go back to the Old

Testament and how this healing power pointed to the miracle worker Jesus Christ which later on

passed this healing ministry to His followers then to the church.

In Numbers 21, the Israelite people again got discouraged, and in their unbelief they murmured

against Moses for bringing them into the wilderness. They had forgotten that it was their own sin

that caused them to wander in the wilderness. They could have reach and occupy the land for

forty days but failed to do so because of unbelief (Numbers 14:34) and they now tried to blame

Moses for it. As a judgment against the people for their sin, God sent poisonous serpents into the

camp, and people began to die. This showed the people that they were the ones in sin, and they

came to Moses to confess that sin and ask for God's mercy. When Moses prayed for the people,

God instructed him to make a bronze serpent and put it on a pole so the people could be healed.

6 The Lord sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of
Israel died. 7 So the people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned, because we have spoken
against the Lord and you; intercede with the Lord, that He may remove the serpents from us.” And
Moses interceded for the people. 8 Then the Lord said to Moses, “[j]Make a fiery serpent, and set
it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he will
live.” 9 And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a
serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived.
Num. 21:6-7 (NASB)

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God was teaching the people something about faith. It is totally illogical to think that looking at a

bronze image could heal anyone from snakebite, but that is exactly what God told them to do. It

took an act of faith in God's plan for anyone to be healed.

This can also be a reminder for them when in the turning of the bitter water of Marah into sweet

drinking water, God declares in their midst saying; “I am the Lord, you healer.”

23 When they came to Marah, they could not drink the waters [q]of Marah, for they were [r]bitter;
therefore it was named [s]Marah. 24 So the people grumbled at Moses, saying, “What shall we
drink?” 25 Then he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree; and he threw it into the
waters, and the waters became sweet.
There He made for them a statute and regulation, and there He tested them. 26 And He said, “If
you will give earnest heed to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and
give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you
which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the Lord, am your healer.”
Exodus 15: 23-26 (NASB)

Another significant example of a healing experience in the Old Testament is the healing of

the Syrian commander Naaman.

9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariots, and stood at the door of the house of
Elisha. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in the Jordan seven times,
and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and [h]thou shalt be clean. 11 But Naaman was wroth, and
went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the
name of Jehovah his God, and wave his hand over the place, and recover the leper. 12 Are not
[i]Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash
in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. 13 And his servants came near, and
spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest
thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? 14 Then
went he down, and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of
God; and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
2 Kings 5:9-14 (ASV)

In the story, we can see that when Naaman came to Prophet Elisha of Israel, the prophet did not

even come out to greet Naaman. Instead, he sent a message to tell him to wash in the Jordan

River seven times to be healed. At first Naaman felt humiliated by Elisha’s instruction in going
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down to the Jordan River and went away angry, but urged by his servant to reconsider, Naaman

wisely did. After dipping himself in the Jordan River seven times, he was completely healed as

Elisha had said. In fact, “his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy”.

Upon knowing that He was healed from leprosy, Naaman immediately returned to Elisha and

declared that “there is no God in all the earth but in Israel” and he offered a gift which Elisha

refuses to accept.

In both occasions, the God of Israel is declared as a healing God and that the healing process

requires obedient to a simple instruction from God through His human instrument which in both

cases were a prophet. As there was no logical reason to be healed from snakebite by staring at a

bronze image and dipping infectious skin disease into a dirty river, both cases however boils

down to a truth that obeying God’s instruction can bring wonders even healing an infectious

disease or serious deadly experience.

It is very interesting to note that both of these healing experiences were mentioned and even

quoted by Jesus in the New Testament. Jesus used the story of Naaman and Elisha as an

illustration of Israel’s problem of unbelief. In Luke 4:27, Jesus tells the crowd in the synagogue

of Nazareth, “There were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not

one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.” The lepers of Israel overlooked the

healing that could have been theirs through Elisha, so God healed a Syrian instead, yet this was

only because Naaman dared to obey God. And in the lifting up of a bronze serpent, Jesus said in

John 3:14-15, that “as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man

be lifted up; that whosoever believeth may in him have eternal life”, and this is referring to

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Himself being lifted up in the cross so that anyone who will put their faith on Him may be healed

and even have eternal life.

Above all other Scripture references of healing in the Old Testament, the most interesting one is

the words of Prophet Isaiah who prophesied on Jesus as the suffering Messiah who will bear all

our sicknesses and pains and that by His wounds we will be healed.

3He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one
from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4Surely our griefs
He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten
of God, and afflicted. 5But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our
iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are
healed.…
Is. 53:3-5 (NASB)

This words of the Prophet Isaiah is pointing to Jesus’ suffering on the cross not only for the

salvation from sin but also for the healing of any form of diseases by bringing all of those in His

body in the cross. Thus, St. Matthew in his Gospel openly spoke of Jesus as the fulfilment of the

prophecy of Prophet Isaiah;

14 When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15
He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.
16 When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out
the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.
17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
“He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.”[b]
Mat. 8:14-17 (NIV)

For St. Matthew, Jesus does not just heal sicknesses but for how He will do it, He will bear all

our diseases in His own body. Thus the healing ministry of Jesus is not just a willful act of

helping those who are in need of healing but it is God’s design of healing our sicknesses by

bringing all those with Jesus in the cross during His crucifixion.

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I am now therefore beginning to understand that the healing ministry of Jesus during His earthly

ministry is just but a natural consequence of His mission which is to bring all forms of infirmities

and diseases in Him on His death in the cross of Calvary.

Healing of the sick in the New Testament:

We have a lot of references on the healing occurrences in the New Testament especially in the

four Gospels and most of those if not all were all works of Jesus of Nazareth. Another thing that

I observe in the healing ministry of Jesus is that He purposely shows some of those healing

powers of Him to His disciples perhaps teaching them how to do it when they will be on their

own.

Jesus heals many after healing Peter’s mother in law.

29 As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and
Andrew. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus
about her. 31 So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began
to wait on them.
32 That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33 The
whole town gathered at the door, 34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also
drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.
Mark 1:29-34 (NIV)

After Peter himself personally saw the power of Jesus in healing his mother in law of a high

fever, sick people were gathered outside the house of Peter and many of them were healed. This

tells us that Peter or perhaps some of Jesus’ disciples immediately told the town people that their

new friend Jesus can heal diseases, and people just throng outside the door of Peter’s house and

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was healed by Jesus. The disciples’ faith on the power of Jesus to heal must have started to grow

at this time.

Jesus gave His disciples authority to drive out demons and perhaps heal diseases.

13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14
He appointed twelve[a] that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15
and to have authority to drive out demons.
Mark 3:14-15 (NIV)

Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to
heal every disease and sickness.
Mat. 10:1 (NIV)

Jesus disciples must have been very excited upon knowing that Jesus had given them authority to

drive out demons and to heal diseases. But how are they going to do this? They must have tried it

once without Jesus and found out that they need to learn the art of healing diseases and to do it is

to stay and personally learn it from Jesus.

The disciples learned the hard way.

14 When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15 “Lord, have
mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or
into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”
17 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you?
How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Jesus rebuked the demon, and it
came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.
19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a
mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing
will be impossible for you.”
Mat. 17:14-21(NIV)

At first glance, we may conclude that Jesus is addressing to the people when he said, “how long

will I stay with you?” But the guilty disciples went to Jesus in private and asked as to why they

couldn’t heal the boy, and Jesus simply told them, “because you have so little faith”. It was not

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about learning the art of healing diseases or casting out demons but it is all about having faith

that God heals. God can do wonders and miracles and He will do it as He wills.

The unbelieving disciples turned into a miracle working apostles.

Prior to Jesus ascension to heaven, He cautiously instructed His disciples to wait in Jerusalem the

coming of the Holy Spirit which they carefully obeyed. Their grown up faith in Jesus cause them

to faithfully wait on the coming of the Holy Spirit. After they all received the power of the Holy

Spirit, they became as fearless as Jesus in proclaiming the Gospel and as powerful as He is in

doing signs and wonders as God enables them to do so.

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread
and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and miraculous signs
performed by the apostles.
Acts 2: 42-43 (NIV)

The coward Peter fearlessly healed a lame person by birth.

4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them
his attention, expecting to get something from them.
6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of
Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly
the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went
with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.
Acts 3:4-8 (NIV)

The rest of the Apostles performed miracles.

12 The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used
to meet together in Solomon’s Colonnade. 13 No one else dared join them, even though they were
highly regarded by the people. 14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the
Lord and were added to their number. 15 As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and
laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed
by. 16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those
tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed.
Acts 5:12-16 (NIV)

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Indeed, Jesus is serious when He said in John 14:12; Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in

me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because

I am going to the Father.

Wonders and working of miracles are done as God enables anyone to do it. We just have to

believe that the God of Moses and Elisha in the Old Testament is the same God that Jesus’

Apostles are believing in the New Testament and who is also challenging us to believe in His

miraculous work even in our time today.

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II. HERMENEUTICAL

The anointing of oil

The oil used in the Old Testament and the New Testament was olive oil. It was used for many

things including cooking, lamp oil, as a component of perfumes, as a therapeutic agent for

wounds or sores (story of the Good Samaritan), and in sacred anointing rituals, e.g. of the king.

The word messiah (masiah) comes from the Hebrew word “anointed” (with oil). The Greek

transliteration of the Hebrew is Christos, whence our English word Christ. Thus the Church uses

oil in the sacraments to indicate our identification with Jesus the Christ. Therefore, using these

combined meanings, oil is used in the early Church as a sign or symbol of the healing presence

of Jesus.

In the essential rite of the sacrament, a priest or bishop lays his hands on the sick person's head.

Then he anoints the sick person on the forehead and palms of the hands with the oil of the sick, a

holy oil that has been blessed by a bishop. During the anointing, the priest or bishop says the

following words: 'Through this holy anointing, may the Lord in His love and mercy help you

with the grace of the Holy Spirit.

Any baptized Catholic who has reached the age of reason (usually around seven years old) can

receive this sacrament if he or she is gravely ill and in danger of death. Many Catholics also

request the Anointing of the Sick before major surgery. Elderly Catholics who are experiencing

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the frailty and health challenges of old age are also welcome to receive the Anointing. The

sacrament may be received more than once, even during the same illness if it progresses in

seriousness.

There are three aspects of celebrating the Anointing of the Sick. First, the prayer of faith by

which the community asks for God's help for the sick; second, the laying on of hands indicating

the person is the recipient of the prayer of faith; and third, the anointing with oil on the forehead

and hands signifying healing, strengthening and the presence of God. A generous amount of oil

is to be used so that it can be seen and felt. Any part of the body (the place of pain or injury) may

be anointed during the prayer. In case of necessity, one anointing is given on the forehead, or any

part of the body, while praying the entire formula.

The sick person is united to the passion of Christ for one's own good and that of the whole

church. Strengthening, peace, healing grace and courage are given to endure the sufferings of

anxiety, illness or old age. Sins are forgiven if the sick person was not able to obtain this through

the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Health may be restored or one is prepared for passing into

eternal life.

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III. HISTORY/DEVELOPMENT OF THE ANOINTING OF THE SICK
The practice of the Anointing of Oil in the Church

First to the Ninth Century - While the evidence from James indicates that the early Church used

oil and prayers for the sick, at least near the end of the 1st century, the first known formal

liturgical rite for the anointing the sick does not appear until the 9th century. However, before

that time there are a number of references that indicate oil was used as a “sacramental” substance

through which God could cure, but there was no agreement on who should anoint - clergy or

laity - and there was no established ritual. Perhaps we can say that in these early centuries

anointing of the sick and dying was a “sacrament” in the broad sense. It was said to symbolize

the healing power, both physical and spiritual, of Jesus and/or of the Holy Spirit.

While others remain critical on the anointing of oil for the sick saying that God heals the people

not the anointing oil and/or the gift of healing does not exist today thus anointing of oil for the

sick to be healed is of no use at all, the church however remains strong in her claim that the

anointing of oil is just but a symbol, that the real healer is God through the Holy Spirit who

anoints His human instruments exactly what He did during the Day of Pentecost when He, the

Holy Spirit empowered the Apostles and as a result, they all reforms miraculous signs like

healing all forms of diseases in the name of Jesus Christ.

Origen in the 3rd century and John Chrysostom in the 4th century had commented on the passage

from James, but took it as a reference to spiritual rather than physical sickness. However, in the

5th century Pope Innocent I answered an inquiry from Decentius, bishop of Gubbio, about the

passage from James. Innocent no doubt referred to a current custom in Rome in his answer:

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“there is no doubt that the passage (in James) speaks about the faithful who are sick and who can

be anointed with the oil of chrism that is prepared by the bishop. Not only priests but all

Christians may use this oil for anointing, when either they or members of their household have

need of it.” This letter became a basic source text for later theological discussion of the

sacrament.

Also in the 5th century there is evidence that the churches in Alexandria and Antioch had

definitely adopted the practice of anointing the sick. Around 428 Cyril of Alexandria

admonished Christians who went to pagan magicians and sorcerers to be healed. He advised

them to call the priests of the church instead.

By the 6th century anointing of the sick was also practiced in France. Here too the anointing with

consecrated oil could be administered by the people themselves. Caesarius of Arles exhorted his

people to avoid the use of magic and sorcerers when they were sick. He said “How much better

and more helpful it would be if they ran to the church and received the body and blood of Christ,

and reverently anointed themselves and their family with holy oil! According to the words of the

Apostle James they would receive not only health of body but also pardon of sins.

Throughout the 7th and 8th centuries there were many stories, some obviously exaggerated,

about healing through the anointing with oil by monks and saints. Sometimes these anointings

were performed by priests, but not always. Sometimes they used oil consecrated by the bishop,

but not always. As yet there was no set ritual.

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Up until the 9th century, the anointing of the sick was just that - an anointing focused on

restoring physical health. The ministers of the anointing of the sick were predominantly lay

people. There were no certain actions or words prescribed for the anointing and the oil may or

may not have been blessed by a bishop. And this anointing had not yet been labeled a sacrament

as we understand sacrament today.

Although not yet properly known as Church sacrament but the Church has been doing it for

centuries. No proper ritual as to how to do it and the proper person to administer the rite yet it

just flourish like any other Church’ practices. But the need for a Church authority to say

something about the practice of the Anointing of Oil for the sick is still at hand.

Development of the Sacrament

Ninth Century to the Council of Trent - The Church in 9th century began a period of

organizational reform in what was now called the Holy Roman Empire under Charlemagne. His

reign inaugurated the Carolingian Renaissance, a period of intellectual, cultural and political

renewal. During this time, Councils passed regulations for more uniform church practices.

Charlemagne ordered all his bishops to adopt the Gregorian sacramentary (attributed to but not

written by Pope Gregory I) which he imported from Rome. This sacramentary included prayers

and texts to be used for the celebration of the Mass. It was an important element in the later

development of the Roman Missal. However, Charlemagne’s court scholar, Alcuin of York, on

his own accord, added a supplement to the sacramentary which placed the anointing of the sick

in the section which also contained prayers for the dying and the rite for final reconciliation.

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When the sacramentary was put into general use, the clergy assumed that the supplement had

also come from Rome as part of the Gregorian sacramentary and many bishops began to restrict

lay anointing and to delegate anointing to the clergy. While the directions for anointing allowed

it to be repeated (for seven days if needed) and included prayers for healing and recovery, in

practice it came to be reserved for and included in the rituals for the dying. By the end of the 9th

century, the “last rites” of the Frankish church were penance, anointing and viaticum.

Up until this time the Church of Rome had no official ritual for anointing the sick, although there

was a ceremony for the blessing of oil by the bishop on Holy Thursday, which is retained today.

However, in the 10th century the Gregorian sacramentary, with all the supplements, was brought

back to Rome, revised and published anew for the entire Church. In this way, then, the last rites

of the Frankish church became the last rites of the Roman church as well.

In the 11th century, the ritual still asked for physical recovery as well as forgiveness of sins, but

in the 12th century this changed, because most anointings were for people at death’s door. The

actions also changed. Earlier when the emphasis was on healing, the oil had been applied to

those parts of the body which were in need of healing. Now the oil was applied just to the

senses, hands and feet along with prayers for the forgiveness of sins committed through these

various parts of the body.

By the 13th century, a great deal concerning anointing had to be resolved and simplified. The

rite had been shortened and was preformed by one priest. It was given only when death was

near. All prayers for healing were excluded and the formula for the rite went something like this:

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“Through this holy anointing and his tender mercy, may the Lord forgive whatever sins you have

committed by sight, hearing, etc.”. It was the theology behind this formula - forgiveness of sins

at the time of death - that was the basis for doctrine of extreme unction developed in the late

Middle Ages.

By the 14th and 15th centuries Extreme Unction was seen to work ex opere operato (from

the work done) and thus it was effective if celebrated under the proper conditions. God was the

chief agent and His agency was effective for humans if they had faith. Thus the unconscious

could now receive anointing if their souls were disposed to receive God’s grace. In 1439, the

Council of Florence’s Decree for the Armenians declared that the sacrament cound “not be given

except to a sick person whose life is feared for.”

It was during this time that this anointing of oil for the sick to recover was diverted into the last

rite for the departing person into death. Perhaps according to record, only those people

threatened of death came to asked for this rite in feared that their love ones or the person himself

especially those who are already in coma will die without assurance on the salvation of their

soul. Not only until after the Second Vatican Council in 1960’s that the anointing of oil to the

sick is being applied to the sick person for healing and not in preparation for his death.

Although Extreme Unction or the last rites was declared one of the seven sacraments instituted

by Christ in one of the sessions of the Council of Trent in 1551. The first draft of this declaration

stated that the sacrament be given “only to those who are in their final struggle and who have

come to grips with death and who are about to go forth to the Lord.” This statement reflected the

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common practice of the time. However, the final draft of the declaration contained modified

language that included hope for the health of the body “where expedient for the welfare of the

soul.” This left an opening for a later recovery of the ancient practice of anointing the sick and

not just the dying.

In the centuries following the Council of Trent not much changed in the theology or the

celebration of the sacrament. In 1614 a simplified rite was adopted, it was judged that children

who had reached the “age of reason” could receive the sacrament, even people who appeared

dead could receive the sacrament based on a controversial view that the soul could linger on after

the heartbeat stopped, thus a safer course could be followed.

As to the effects of the sacrament, both competing views (mentioned above) were accepted:

venial sins were forgiven and the remnants of sin were removed. The final resolution to this issue

was a slick move by Pope Benedict XIV. He decided to grant a plenary indulgence to all those

anointed with the proper disposition, thus assuring 1) the forgiveness of venial sins and 2) the

remission of the remnants of sin.

Modern times - 1950-present -- By the 1950 Catholic theology, especially biblical theology was

entering into a new phase. Older theological notions of such concepts as heaven, hell, purgatory,

limbo and death itself were coming being reexamined. Historical research was also unfolding

the ancient roots of the development of sacraments, which included the history and theology of

the sacrament of Extreme Unction.

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It was discovered that the ritual of Extreme Unction that had been with the Church since the

Council of Trent (1545) bore little resemblance to the ritual and understanding of anointing the

sick in the early and patristic Church. The current focus was on death, while the early focus was

on physical health. The current ministers of the sacrament were priests, while the early ministers

were laity. Therefore many theologians recommended a shift back to an understanding of and a

celebration of the sacrament in terms of the seriously sick, not just the dying. Even the name

“extreme unction” was felt to be inappropriate, because it masked the true meaning and purpose

of the sacrament.

Thus, at the Second Vatican Council (1960”s) a general revision of all the sacraments, including

extreme unction, was mandated. The result was a restoration of the sacrament now to be called

the Anointing of the Sick. No longer a sacrament exclusively for those near death, priests were

encouraged to extend their pastoral care of the sick to include anointing the chronically ill and

those about to undergo surgery. The sacrament could be celebrated in an individual or group

setting, either during or outside the Eucharistic celebration. And when death was immanent,

anointing was to precede the reception of the Eucharist (viaticum).

The new rite instructed the oil to be placed only on the forehead and the hands. The oil could be

that blessed by the bishop, or it could be blessed on the occasion by the administering priest. The

rite was to include scripture readings and a reminder of God’s love and concern for a person’s

physical as well as spiritual well-being. The message is also that sickness and even death are not

the ultimate realities, Jesus promises that the love of God will eventually make us free from sin

and death.

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IV. PASTORAL ASPECT

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Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint
them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person
well; the Lord will raise them up.
James 5:14-15 (NIV)

The early Christian communities probably copied the organizational structure of the Jewish

synagogues. The office of elder had a long history in Judaism and in the time of Jesus each

synagogue had its council of elders. The early Christian elders were closely associated with the

apostles in authority. However, in this passage they are not simply organizational, authority

figures, but also seem to act as ministers - ministers of prayer and anointing of the sick.

The elders had the specific role of praying over the sick and anointing them with oil, which they

believed to be endowed with special power from the Holy Spirit. Believers then should believe

that they would be saved, raised, forgiven and be healed.

Since James was probably written some 50-60 years after the death of Jesus, this passage may

reflect the practice of the Christian community at the end of the first century, rather than the

practice of the disciples during the lifetime of Jesus or of the infant Church. Furthermore, since

Mk 6:13 is the only other place in the entire New Testament which mentions anointing as a

religious rite for healing, the practice was probably not widespread in the early churches.

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The development of the sacrament has come to a full cycle. The ancient practice has been

restored and enhanced. However, its restriction to the clergy remains except that viaticum can be

administered by laypersons appointed to care for the sick. In truth, Jesus is the true minister of

the sacrament as He reveals Himself as healer of the whole person - body and soul. It is Jesus

who ministers to us in our sickness and in the shadow of death, calling us to believe in the Good

News that suffering and even death are not the last words about human life. We were created by

the hand of God and to Him we return saved from sin and death.

It may have been like a circus for this Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick but what is

important is that the biblical practice and teaching about this sacrament is now being seen as

important as the rite itself. For example, none Catholic critics who attacked this Sacrament of

Anointing of the Sick and all others Sacraments claimed that the holy oil and not God is being

put at the center of this rite, but the Catechism of the Catholic Church proves it to be wrong.

Christ's compassion toward the sick and his many healings of every kind of infirmity are a
resplendent sign that "God has visited his people" 104 and that the Kingdom of God is close at hand.
Jesus has the power not only to heal, but also to forgive sins; 105 he has come to heal the whole
man, soul and body; he is the physician the sick have need of. 106 His compassion toward all who
suffer goes so far that he identifies himself with them: "I was sick and you visited me." 107 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 tireless efforts to
comfort them. CCC 1503

Moved by so much suffering Christ not only allows himself to be touched by the sick, but
he makes their miseries his own: "He took our infirmities and bore our diseases.". 112 But
he did not heal all the sick. His healings were signs of the coming of the Kingdom of God.
They announced a more radical healing: the victory over sin and death through his
Passover. On the cross Christ took upon himself the whole weight of evil and took away
the "sin of the world,".113 of which illness is only a consequence. By his passion and
death on the cross Christ has given a new meaning to suffering: it can henceforth
configure us to him and unite us with his redemptive Passion.
CCC 1505

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Christ is at the center of the rite. It is He that heals and not the oil, nor the anointing itself, neither

the priest who perform the rite but Jesus who is believe to be present to heal the sick person

when the rite is administered. When we are united with Jesus through His redemptive work, He

can be present at any given moment of time when we need Him especially when we call for Him

for healing of our sicknesses. His passion is always to heal us from all our diseases. He was

prophesied by Prophet Isaiah as one who bore our infirmities and that by His strife we are

healed. He showed it in His earthly ministry that He always has compassion on those who are

sick and see to it that they are being ministered upon when they came across with Him.

25 And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26 She had
suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of
getting better she grew worse. 27 When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the
crowd and touched his cloak, 28 because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed.”
29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her
suffering.
Mark 5:25-29 (NIV)

This is exactly what the early community believe when St. James challenge those who are sick to

call for the elders to be prayed and be anointed with oil. They believed that as they are being

prayed for by the elders, Jesus will be present to heal them of their diseases.

14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint
them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person
well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.
James 5:14-15 (NIV)

The context of James 5:14-15 is all about prayer and a promised that a prayer offered in faith can

heal our diseases and even can forgive our sins. Only God can do this things hence He should be

present when we call on Him in prayer. To back up his claim, St. James even shade more light by

using the account of Prophet Elijah in the Old Testament on the power of prayer.

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As we can see in this paper, miraculous signs are being traced back in the Old Testament, then to

the works of Jesus in the New Testament particularly in the Gospels, then towards the life of the

Apostles and then to the early Christian communities. It is my personal belief that God is still

actively involved in our life today most especially when it comes to healing our diseases. He can

use any form or call it a medium in reaching out to us as He delivers the answers of our prayers

especially when it is asked in faith. At this particular paper, the Anointing of the Sick can be a

form where God is going to reach out the person in need of healing most especially when it is

accompanied with prayer in faith.

May we all continue to experience God’s goodness and faithfulness as He continues to heal our

diseases and forgive our sins.

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References:

BIBLE: American Standard Version (ASV)

BIBLE: New American Standard Bible (NASB)

BIBLE: New International Version (NIV)

Catholic Health Association of the United States, By: Sr. Marlene Weisenbeck, FSPA, Ph.D.,

JCL

Council for Christian Colleges & Universities, By: Calbreath, Donald

Rahner, K., (2004). Encyclopedia of Theology: A Concise Sacramentum Mundi. India: St. Pauls.

Catechism of the Catholic Church, Article 5: The Anointing of the Sick

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, DC

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