Word to the Wise
Saturday, May 24, 2008 - Translation of St. Dominic (refers to moving his bones from one burial spot to another prior to his canonization.)
[James 5:13-20 and Mark 10:13-16]Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the Church, and they should pray over him and anoint 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. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven.
Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the Church, and they should pray over him and anoint 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. If he has committed any sins, he will be forgiven. A major part of my ministry here at St. Catharine's is to the Sansbury Care Center. This is a fully certified nursing care facility whose residents are, with a few exceptions, elderly and infirm Dominican sisters. Once a month I celebrate a "communal anointing service" in which all the sisters who wish to receive the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick may do so. At the beginning of the service, the passage from the Letter of James, quoted above, is read. Catholics of my generation or older remember the former name of this sacrament as EXTREME UNCTION! It was meant to be conferred only when a person was in danger of death! When the priest showed up, everyone knew the end was near! The Second Vatican Council expanded the understanding to include anyone who is seriously ill - more than the common cold, in other words. In general, anyone sick enough to be in the hospital or of advanced age or suffering from some chronic condition (physical or psychological) that has a considerable impact on their ability to live a normal life should be eligible. The title of the sacrament, after all, is "anointing of the sick!" I try to emphasize at these services the accompaniment aspect. The celebration of the sacrament is one in which the healing ministry of Christ is extended and the Body of Christ accompanies the ill in their journey of suffering. I continually experience the comfort this sacrament brings to recipients. I urge all my congregation not to be shy about asking for this sacrament. It was a difficult part of my ministry in a Hispanic parish in San Antonio because culturally this sacrament was seen among the Hispanic community there as the very last thing to be done! I was often "racing death" to get to the person in danger. Please do not wait till the last minute! Do not fall prey to the notion that asking for this sacrament is some kind of "death wish." It is meant for the living, not for the "about to die." After all, they are still "among the living," too! AMEN
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