Once a young lady approached the parish priest and requested him to visit her home to give the last rites to her mother-in-law. When the priest reached home, he noticed that the person was not very sick and that she did not appear to be at the point of death.
So he said to the young lady that he would pray for her. But the young lady insisted, “Father, please do the last rites.”
The priest was surprised and asked her the reason.
Then she said, “We had tried all other methods but failed. After this she will have nothing more to expect.”
We may laugh at the story, but it reveals a very common misunderstanding. Anointing of the Sick has been misunderstood as the “last rites,” and many people are afraid to receive this sacrament because they think that if the priest comes with the oil, death must be standing outside the door! Some families even hesitate to call the priest because they are afraid that the sick person will think, “Why are you calling the priest? Am I dying?” Sometimes the priest has to convince the family that calling the priest is not calling the undertaker!
Anointing of the Sick has been thought to be exclusively for the dying and so, historically, it came to be called Extreme Unction, meaning “final anointing.” The Church, however, has always understood the sacrament more broadly. The Catechism teaches that it is especially intended to strengthen those who are seriously ill or weakened by old age. The proper time to receive it is not merely when someone is taking his final breath, but when a Christian begins to be in serious danger because of illness or old age.
The Church has therefore sought to make it clear that this sacrament is not just for those who are near death. It can be received more than once when a person becomes seriously ill again or when an existing illness becomes more serious. It is also appropriate before serious surgery when the reason for the surgery is a dangerous illness. In other words, the Anointing of the Sick is not a sacrament of panic; it is a sacrament of faith. We do not wait until the last possible moment. Just as we call a doctor when the illness becomes serious, we should call the priest when we need the spiritual medicine of Christ.
Anointing of the Sick is a sacrament that is administered to a Catholic who has reached the age of reason and begins to be in danger because of sickness or old age. It is not a sacrament only for those who are dying. The Catechism says very clearly that “each time a Christian falls seriously ill, he may receive the Anointing of the Sick, and also when, after he has received it, the illness worsens.” Only a priest can administer the sacrament. In the Roman Rite, the priest anoints the forehead and hands with blessed oil and asks the Lord to give the sick person the grace of the Holy Spirit.
The biblical basis for the sacrament rests especially in the following passage:
“Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. Calling the Twelve to him, he began to send them out two by two and gave them authority over impure spirits. And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.” (Mark 6:6-13; especially Mk 6:12-13)
Here we see something very beautiful. Jesus did not merely preach to people; he cared about the whole person. He sent his disciples to proclaim repentance, drive out evil, anoint the sick and bring healing. The mission of the Church therefore includes both the proclamation of the Gospel and compassionate care for those who suffer.
The strongest biblical foundation is found in the Letter of St James: “Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise him up; and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.” (James 5:14-15). St James continues: “Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.” (James 5:16).
Notice the beautiful sequence: the sick person calls the elders, the elders pray, they anoint with oil, the Lord raises the person up, and sins are forgiven. The sacrament is therefore not something invented centuries later by the Church. It has its roots in the ministry of Jesus and in the apostolic Church. The Church has continued this ministry faithfully through the centuries. The Catechism specifically identifies Mark 6 and James 5 as the biblical foundations of the sacrament.
According to Catholic doctrine, the Anointing of the Sick affects the sick person in several important ways.
First of all, it provides courage, strength and peace in the face of illness. The priest anoints the sick person’s forehead and hands with oil, normally making the sign of the cross, saying: “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.”
The sacrament is therefore not magic. The oil is not a magical medicine, and the priest is not a spiritual pharmacist handing out a miracle in a bottle! The sacrament is an encounter with Christ. Through the ministry of the priest and the prayer of the Church, the sick person is invited to place himself or herself into the hands of Jesus.
The Psalmist expresses this confidence beautifully: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea.” (Psalm 46:1-3). The same confidence appears throughout Scripture. Isaiah says, “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you.” (Isaiah 41:10).
St Paul writes to the Philippians: “Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7).
That peace is one of the great gifts of the sacrament. Sometimes the illness does not immediately disappear, but the fear surrounding the illness begins to disappear. A person may still have pain, but no longer feels alone in the pain. A person may still have to undergo surgery, chemotherapy or a long period of treatment, but now says, “Jesus, I am not going through this alone. You are with me.”
There are many examples in history and around us of people who face illness with great courage. Helen Keller was struck by a severe illness as a child and grew up unable to hear or see. Yet she became a celebrated author, speaker and advocate for people with disabilities. Her life reminds us that physical limitations do not have to destroy the dignity or purpose of a human being.
Franklin D. Roosevelt was stricken with polio when he was nearly forty and lost the use of his legs. Yet he went on to become Governor of New York and President of the United States. His physical weakness did not prevent him from carrying an enormous responsibility.
But we do not need to look only at famous people. There are heroes sitting quietly in our hospitals, homes and nursing facilities. There is the mother who gets up every morning despite chronic pain to care for her children. There is the father who continues to work after surgery because his family depends on him. There is the elderly grandmother who cannot walk without assistance but continues to pray the Rosary for every member of her family. There is the cancer patient who says to the nurse, “I don't know what tomorrow will bring, but I know who holds tomorrow.”
These are people who teach us what courage really means. Courage does not mean that we never cry. Courage does not mean that we never feel afraid. Courage means that even while afraid, we say, “Jesus, I trust in you.”
St John Paul II repeatedly reminded the sick that they were not forgotten by God. When speaking to sick people, he said that illness can bring anxiety, fear and even the temptation to despair, and that the Anointing of the Sick brings the strengthening and healing presence of Christ.
St John Paul II himself knew suffering. He experienced serious illness and physical weakness, and after the 1981 assassination attempt, he spent a long period in hospital. Later, as he grew older, his physical limitations became increasingly visible to the whole world. Yet he continued to speak about suffering not as proof that God had abandoned us, but as an opportunity to remain united with Christ. At a ceremony for the sick, he reminded them that neither death nor life, nor any power in creation, can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:38-39).
There are many heroes around us. They find peace and courage in the face of illness. In the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, the priest implores divine intervention to give strength and courage to face the challenges of life.
Secondly, the sacrament helps the sick person to trust in God no matter what happens.
A priest was preparing a man for his last journey and administering the Sacrament.
Whispering firmly, the priest said, “Denounce the devil! Let him know how little you think of his evil!”
The dying man said nothing.
The priest repeated his order. Still the man said nothing.
The priest asked, “Why do you refuse to denounce the devil and his evil?”
The dying man said, “Until I know where I’m heading, I don't think I ought to aggravate anybody!”
We laugh at the story, but behind the humour there is a serious question: Can we trust God when we do not know what tomorrow will bring?
Faith is not knowing all the answers. Faith is trusting the One who knows all the answers.
Joshua encouraged the people: “Be strong and bold; have no fear or dread of them, because it is the LORD your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you.” (Joshua 1:9). This corrects the reference often given as Joshua 2:9 for this particular quotation.
The Psalmist says, “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.” (Psalm 56:3). Proverbs teaches: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Isaiah assures us: “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” (Isaiah 43:1). Daniel trusted God even in the lions’ den, and Scripture says that “no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.” (Daniel 6:23).
Jesus Himself says, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.” (John 14:1). When the priest comes to anoint the sick, these words of Jesus become especially powerful. It is as though Christ is saying through the Church: “Do not be afraid. I am here. You may not know what is going to happen tomorrow, but you know who will be with you tomorrow.”
Think of the Apostles in the storm. Jesus was asleep in the boat while the waves were rising. They cried, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38). Jesus calmed the storm and then asked them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” (Mark 4:40).
Sometimes the greatest miracle is not that Jesus immediately removes the storm. Sometimes the miracle is that He gives us peace while the storm is still raging.
A woman once described her experience of serious illness to a priest in very simple words: “Father, before the Anointing I kept asking, ‘What will happen to me?’ After the Anointing, I began asking, ‘Jesus, what do you want me to do today?’” That is a beautiful transformation. The sacrament does not always change our circumstances; it can change our hearts within those circumstances.
Thirdly, it gives the sick person grace to unite his or her suffering to the Passion of Christ.
The Catechism teaches that the special grace of the sacrament unites the sick person more closely to the Passion of Christ, gives strength, peace and courage, may bring forgiveness of sins when confession is impossible, may restore physical health if that is conducive to salvation, and prepares the person for eternal life.
St Paul understood suffering in relation to Christ. He wrote: “Indeed, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things... that I may know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:8-11).
Paul also wrote: “I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, the church.” (Colossians 1:24). This does not mean that Christ's sacrifice was incomplete. Rather, Paul is saying that Christians can participate in Christ's suffering and offer their own sufferings in union with His saving work.
This is an important Christian understanding. We should never tell a sick person, “You are suffering because God is punishing you.” That is not the Christian message. Jesus Himself rejected the simplistic idea that every illness is a punishment for personal sin (see John 9:1-3). The Church encourages us to seek proper medical treatment, while at the same time placing our suffering into the hands of God.
In the Passion we see how Mary witnessed the terrible ordeal of her own Son—His humiliation, scourging, carrying of the cross and crucifixion. Simeon had already told Mary, “A sword will pierce your own soul too.” (Luke 2:35). At Calvary, “standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother” (John 19:25).
Mary could not remove Jesus’ suffering. She could not take the nails out of His hands. She could not stop the soldiers. But she could remain there. Sometimes this is the ministry of family members. They cannot cure the cancer. They cannot remove every pain. But they can remain. They can hold a hand. They can pray. They can sit quietly. They can say, “I am here.”
That is also what the Church does through the Anointing of the Sick: she stands beside the suffering person and says, “You are not alone. Christ is with you.”
St Thérèse of Lisieux gives us another powerful example. She experienced a serious illness as a young girl and later suffered the final illness that led to her death from tuberculosis. Her life shows that holiness does not mean escaping suffering. She learned to place even weakness, fear and suffering into the hands of God's merciful love. The Vatican records that during her illness in 1883 she experienced a remarkable recovery through the intercession of Our Lady of Victories, while in the final illness of her life she endured a profound trial of faith.
That is important for us. Sometimes we pray for healing and God gives healing. Sometimes we pray and the disease remains. Sometimes the body becomes weaker while the soul becomes stronger. Sometimes the greatest healing is reconciliation with God, peace within the family, forgiveness of an old wound, freedom from fear, or the grace to surrender ourselves completely to Christ.
Padre Pio also understood suffering deeply. He endured physical and spiritual suffering for many years and sought to remain united with Christ. At the same time, he had an extraordinary concern for sick people and helped establish the “House for the Relief of Suffering” at San Giovanni Rotondo. He understood that the sick need both competent medical care and human and spiritual compassion.
So when we unite our suffering to Christ, we are not saying, “I enjoy suffering.” Nobody needs to enjoy chemotherapy! Nobody needs to enjoy arthritis, surgery or sleepless nights. Christianity does not glorify pain for its own sake. Rather, it says: “Lord, if this suffering cannot be removed immediately, let me not suffer it uselessly. Take it, unite it with Your Cross, and make it an offering of love.”
Fourthly, it provides physical and/or spiritual healing according to God's will.
The sacrament is not a guarantee that every physical disease will disappear. The Church prays for healing, but always according to God's will and for the true good of the person. The Catechism teaches that bodily healing may sometimes occur if it is conducive to the salvation of the soul.
Jesus says: “And a woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, ‘If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.’ Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, ‘Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.’” (Matthew 9:20-22). Mark 5:25-34 gives the fuller account.
Luke records Jesus saying, “Someone touched me; for I noticed that power had gone out from me.” (Luke 8:46). Her physical healing was also accompanied by something deeper: Jesus restored her dignity and publicly called her “daughter.” She had not merely been healed of a disease; she had been restored to relationship and belonging.
People knew that touching Jesus had tremendous healing power. “All in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them.” (Luke 6:19). Again we read: “Wherever he entered, villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were healed.” (Mark 6:56).
The Bible gives the account of Jesus healing two blind men through His touch:
“When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed him, crying out, ‘Son of David, have mercy on us!’” (Matthew 9:27).
When Jesus had entered the house, the blind men came to him; and Jesus said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”
They said to him, “Yes, Lord.”
Then he touched their eyes and said, “According to your faith, let it be done to you.” And their eyes were opened. (Matthew 9:28-30).
When Jesus was betrayed, one of His disciples struck the slave of the high priest and cut off his right ear. “But Jesus said, ‘No more of this!’ And he touched his ear and healed him.” (Luke 22:51).
What a beautiful detail! Even at the moment of His arrest, Jesus was still healing. His hands were about to be nailed to the cross, yet those hands were still giving mercy.
In the sacrament of Anointing, Jesus continues to touch His people sacramentally through the ministry of the priest. The Church does not claim that every person will receive an immediate physical cure. Rather, she confidently asks Christ to heal the whole person—body, soul and spirit. St John Paul II emphasized precisely this: the sacrament brings strength and consolation and may bring physical healing, but it does not promise a miraculous cure of every illness.
This distinction is very important. If a person receives the sacrament and later dies, we should never say, “The sacrament failed.” It did not fail. Perhaps the healing was physical. Perhaps it was spiritual. Perhaps it brought peace, forgiveness, courage, reconciliation with family, freedom from fear or preparation for eternal life.
A mother whose son was seriously ill once told a priest, “Father, I have stopped praying only, ‘Jesus, cure him.’ Now I also pray, ‘Jesus, be with him.’” That is a mature prayer. We may ask for healing boldly, as Bartimaeus did: “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mark 10:47). But after asking, we must also be able to say with Jesus in Gethsemane, “Not what I want, but what you want.” (Mark 14:36).
Fifthly, it offers necessary graces so that the sick person may prepare for death.
Death is a reality in human life, and we need not try to deny that fact when it becomes obvious or inevitable. In such cases, the Sacrament of Anointing prepares a person for death, including spiritual healing and forgiveness of sins. If death is imminent, the Eucharist is offered as Viaticum—Holy Communion received as food for the final journey. The Catechism describes the Anointing as especially fitting for those approaching the end of earthly life, while also emphasizing that it is not restricted to them.
Death is the only certainty that we experience on earth. All living things eventually come to an end. Trees perish, animals die, birds die, fish die, and every human being must eventually leave this earthly life. Scripture reminds us, “You are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:19).
Human beings have always tried to overcome the limitations of life. We explore the oceans, climb mountains, fly across continents and travel into space. On July 20, 1969, human beings first walked on the moon. We dream of travelling farther into space. But however advanced science becomes, none of us can cancel the appointment with death.
It is interesting that people are willing to undertake enormous adventures into the unknown. A person may enter an aircraft for the first time without knowing exactly what will happen. An astronaut may travel millions of kilometers into space. Yet when it comes to death, we become frightened. Perhaps because death is the one journey from which nobody has returned to give us a travel report!
But the Christian has something that changes everything: Jesus has gone before us. Jesus died, rose again and opened the way to eternal life. He tells us: “In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places... I go to prepare a place for you.” (John 14:2). And He continues: “I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.” (John 14:3).
St Paul says, “Our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 3:20).
The Christian therefore does not pretend that death does not exist. We face death with hope because Christ has conquered death. As St Paul says, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55).
A funeral service was being held in a church for a woman who had just passed away. At the end of the service, the pallbearers carrying the casket accidentally bumped into a wall, jarring the casket. They heard a faint moan. They opened the casket and discovered that the woman was actually alive! She lived for another ten years and eventually died. A ceremony was again held in the same church. At the end of the service, as the pallbearers were carrying the casket out, the husband called out, “Watch out for the wall!”
We laugh because the story is absurd, but perhaps it reminds us that we sometimes need a little humour even when talking about death. Christians do not need to live in terror of death. We can speak about it honestly, pray about it peacefully and prepare for it spiritually.
Sixthly, it pours out consolation and hope.
The Psalmist says, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4).
Notice that Psalm 23 does not say, “I will never walk through the valley.” It says, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley.” The Christian life does not guarantee that we will avoid every valley. It guarantees that we will not walk through the valley alone.
The author of Lamentations expresses great hope: “For no one is cast off by the Lord forever. Although he causes grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love.” (Lamentations 3:31-32).
Jeremiah had every reason to be discouraged, yet he says: “But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning.” (Lamentations 3:21-23).
That is precisely what the sacrament communicates. God does not promise that every morning will bring a pain-free body. He promises that His mercy is new every morning.
There are ordinary people who have discovered this consolation. A man who had undergone several major operations told his priest, “Father, after the Anointing I did not become stronger physically, but I became less afraid spiritually. I began to sleep peacefully.” That is also healing.
A woman caring for her husband through a long illness once said, “The day the priest came, I thought the sacrament was for my husband. Later I realized that I also needed grace to continue caring for him.” This is an important truth: illness affects not only the patient but the entire family. The sacrament consoles the sick person, but the presence of the Church also reminds the family that they too are held in prayer.
St John Paul II spoke of sick people as having a special mission in the Church. He repeatedly reminded them that their suffering and prayer could become an offering of love for the good of others.
Lastly, it provides an opportunity for the forgiveness of sins even when the sick person is too ill to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
The early Church Fathers recognized this sacrament’s role in the life of the Church. Around A.D. 250, Origen referred to the practice of bringing the sick person to the priests and connected it with the teaching of St James. The Church's understanding of Anointing has therefore been rooted in apostolic practice from the earliest centuries.
Around the fourth century, the Sacramentary associated with Bishop Serapion contains prayers asking God to send healing through the sacred oil and to bring remission of sins. Such ancient testimony shows that Christians from the earliest centuries understood anointing as involving both bodily and spiritual care.
St James himself had already connected sickness, prayer, anointing, healing and forgiveness: “The prayer of faith will save the sick person, and the Lord will raise them up; and if they have committed sins, they will be forgiven.” (James 5:15).
The story of the Good Thief gives us one of the most beautiful examples of God's mercy at the very end of life. The thief could not go anywhere. He could not perform good works. He could not repair the damage he had done. He simply turned to Jesus and said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:42-43).
What a wonderful Gospel of hope! The last word does not belong to our past. The last word belongs to the mercy of Christ.
Therefore, when a sick person receives the Anointing, we should not think only about physical healing. We should also pray: “Lord, heal whatever needs healing in me. Heal my body if that is Your will. Heal my memories. Heal my fears. Heal my relationships. Heal my sins. Heal my heart. And prepare me to meet You whenever You call me.”
The Anointing of the Sick, uses human objects and actions as symbols to point to something beyond themselves—God's grace.
Oil has been recognized from ancient times for its properties of healing and cleansing. The Good Samaritan poured oil and wine on the wounds of the injured man (Luke 10:34). Oil was also associated with consecration and setting someone apart for God's service. In the sacrament, the blessed oil becomes the sacramental sign through which the Church asks Christ to bring healing, strength and grace.
The sign of the cross reminds Catholics that salvation comes through the Cross of Jesus Christ. The cross tells us that suffering is not the final chapter. Good Friday is followed by Easter Sunday. The wounded Christ becomes the risen Christ. The cross becomes the doorway to resurrection.
The forehead is one of the most visible parts of the body. It reminds us that our faith should shape the way we think and live. We are called to belong to Christ openly and courageously.
The hands are associated with human activity. We work with our hands, serve with our hands, care with our hands and bless with our hands. When the priest anoints the hands of the sick person, it can remind us to place everything we have done—and everything we can no longer do—into God's hands.
Perhaps this is particularly meaningful for an elderly person who says, “Father, I cannot do what I used to do.” The sacrament gently reminds that person: “Your value does not depend on how much you can accomplish.”
A person may no longer be able to cook, drive, work, travel or even walk without assistance, but he or she can still pray. A bedridden grandmother may become a great apostle of prayer. A sick man may offer his suffering for his children. A dying person may teach an entire family how to forgive. Someone who feels useless may discover that his greatest ministry is simply to remain close to Jesus.
The laying on of hands by the priest is a powerful sign of the Church's prayer. The priest does not come merely as a visitor. He comes representing Christ and the praying Church. The Catechism describes the laying on of hands, prayer and anointing as essential elements of the sacramental celebration.
And so, dear brothers and sisters, let us remove from our minds the old fear: “If the priest comes with the oil, I must be dying.”
No. If the priest comes with the oil, Christ is coming to strengthen you.
If the priest comes with the oil, the Church is coming to pray with you.
If the priest comes with the oil, God is reminding you that your illness has not made you forgotten.
If the priest comes with the oil, Jesus is saying, “I am with you.”
Sometimes He may heal the body. Sometimes He heals the soul. Sometimes He heals relationships. Sometimes He gives courage to endure. Sometimes He gives peace when there is no human explanation for peace. And sometimes, when earthly life is coming to its end, He prepares His beloved child to come home.
The Anointing of the Sick is therefore not a sacrament of despair. It is a sacrament of hope.
It tells the sick person: “You are not alone.”
It tells the family: “Do not be afraid.”
It tells the Church: “Stand beside those who suffer.”
And it tells every one of us: “Your life, your suffering, your weakness and even your death can be placed into the hands of Jesus Christ.”
St Paul gives us the final assurance: “Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39).
And when the priest anoints the sick person and prays over him or her, it is Christ Himself who says:
“Do not be afraid.
I am with you.
And when your earthly journey is complete, I will take you home.”
-Satish Selvarance