Well, I don't know about you, but there are few things I really remember being taught about when it comes to the Sacrament of Anointing the Sick. It's not one of the Sacraments of Initiation, it doesn't happen all that often, and it used to be called extreme unction, which is really an entirely different thing. Plus, I was taught that it included reconciliation and Eucharist, so really it was just adding on to 2 other sacraments. Basically, it was a sacrament that was confused with itself, not having a fully separate identity in my head. Sure, really sick people could use it, but they're "saved" anyways, and if we're true believers and give everything up to God, including this person's future of getting better or going to their heavenly home, it's not like the sacrament really affected anything. It was a good idea, but no biggie. Boy, was I wrong! I mean, sure, most of my preconceptions were based in truth, but I was totally forgetting why sacraments are Sacraments - they are (outward) signs that convey God's grace, a spiritual (inward) grace. Anointing of the Sick is a beautiful sacrament, full of encouraging words for the community (including the sick person, their family and friends, and the whole communion of believers) and calls to the Spirit. It's filled with physical touch, too, with laying of the hands (which is found in all 7 sacraments), oil, and even sometimes a sprinkling rite. Sure, it's encouraged to be celebrated within Mass, and Reconciliation is encouraged before the Mass, but it is a beautiful sacrament all on its own. However, I did have some questions, confusions, and clarifications that arose over my course of reading the Pastoral Care of the Sick in The Rites, Volume One:
First of all, the idea of anointing, communion, and confession I think seems to come from "Continuous Rite of Penance, Anointing, and Viaticum," Viaticum being (most likely) the last communion of a person's life - it's filled with beautiful words of comfort, strength, and peace. However, the 3 do not have to be one thing. Normally (aka not in extreme cases), a sick person would have Reconciliation just like anyone else would, and then they would be anointed - the 2 sacraments would be 2 separate rites. Here, however, it's combined into one. My guess is this is really more like the old extreme unction. Nowadays, it is not encouraged to wait to be anointed until you're on your death bed - serious illness or injury does not mean there's no hope for recovery. And if the sickness worsens, it's encouraged to have another anointing. Don't limit how many outward signs of grace you receive too much! This doesn't mean you should be anointed for little things like colds or something, but anything that is really affecting both bodily and spiritual help is probably an acceptable thing to be anointed for.
Viaticum started to sound almost like an entirely different sacrament to me as I was reading. I mean, it says, "the sacrament of anointing of the sick should be celebrated at the beginning of serious illness. Viaticum, celebrated when death is close, will then be better understood as the last sacrament of Christian life." The thing is, though, that Viaticum is the Eucharist - it has a special liturgy that goes with it, whether or not it's within a Mass, but it is the sacrament of the Eucharist - it's not it's own thing like anointing is. And yes, you can have communion again after receiving Viaticum - there's a whole section on the Commendation of the Dying, which says the dying should be given communion very often, and you can't pinpoint when death will occur, so it's good to keep having the food that will help for "the passage through death to eternal life."
Now, I also got confused on why anointing of the dying is not emphasized at all - there's no rite for that. Don't the dying need the Holy Spirit just as much as the sick? Well, it's a bit different. They want the dying to already have been anointed (though there are provisions for extreme and special cases) when they were sick. There are "two complimentary aspects of this sacrament: through the sacrament of anointing the Church supports the sick in their struggle against illness and continues Christ's messianic work of healing. All who are united in the bond of a common baptism and a common faith are joined together in the body of Christ since what happens to one member affects all." The hope for healing is important with anointing. The dying have a very different focus, that on going to the eternal banquet in Heaven. Plus, anointing is based on James 5:13-15, which is focused on the sick. There is a different ministry to be served in the 2 cases - they cannot be treated the same way.
Now, the thing I struggled most with was the following idea: "We should always be prepared to fill up what is lacking in Christ's sufferings for the salvation of the world as we look forward to creation's being set free in teh glory of the children of God." My reaction was what's lacking? How could anything be lacking? But then I thought about how we are Christ's hands and feet on this world and how, in order to be saved, we can't just store up all the grace He's poured out on us inside ourselves, but we have to pour it out onto the world (a more eloquent way of saying faith and works - also a reference to James). We all have a role, a call to be witnesses to Christ, through the times when it's easy to praise Him and the times we suffer but still need to give it up for God. In order for others to be strengthened in their faith, or potentially even find their faith in salvation, we have to really embrace our role as the body of Christ. We aren't just the body of Christ at Church - if we are to be in full communion, we're always the body of Christ. Sure, Christ Himself suffered for all, which was totally enough, but it's not helpful if we don't fully believe it and therefore witness to it. The sick have a role in this just like anyone else - "the role of the sick in the Church is to be a reminder to others of the essential or higher things. By their witness the sick show that our mortal life must be redeemed through the mystery of Christ's death and resurrection." Of course! It all goes back to the paschal mystery. Our faith really is beautiful - but we have to live it out, no matter what point we're at, healthy or sick.
*all quotes taken from The Rites, Volume One in the Pastoral Care of the Sick part
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