Christ’s compassion for His people, especially the sick, are shown in this sacrament.
“Are you among the sick? They should send for the church elders, who will pray for them and rub olive oil on them in the name of the Lord. This prayer made in faith will heal the sick; the Lord will restore them to health, and the sins they have committed will be forgiven.”
What is the Anointing of the Sick?
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.
As soon as anyone of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, they should receive this sacrament.
We have people request an Anointing of the Sick before surgery in which the person will be put under full anesthesia or hospital stay.
When the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is given, the hoped-for effect is that, if it is 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 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. Other effects are union with our Lord Jesus Christ, and preparation for the final journey.
Schedule the Sacrament of Anointing of the sick
If this is an after-hours emergency, please call the parish office at 210-681-8330 and hit the prompts for the sick call line.