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 and 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.
James 5:14
At St. Mary of The Falls, we have an Anointing Mass once per year, usually in mid-October. Here in the context of the Eucharist, all who are ill physically or spiritually, are invited to attend the Mass and celebrate the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick as a community.
If hospitalized, be sure to alert the intake persons that you are Catholic and the Pastoral Care Office will see that a chaplain stops by to see you in the hospital.
The Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick began as a ritual of healing. Over time, the emphasis shifted from healing sickness to the forgiveness of sins on the deathbed when such forgiveness would be the final preparation for heaven. The Second Vatican Council returned the original meaning to the sacrament by emphasizing that it is not only for those who are at the point of death but for anyone who is seriously ill, including mental or spiritual illness. It also helped move the anointing away from a private service and back toward a community-based celebration.
Today we are all aware that tensions, fear, and anxiety about the future affect not only our mind but our body as well. These illnesses can be serious. They can move us to ask for the healing touch of Christ in the Sacrament of Anointing. Persons with the disease of alcoholism or persons suffering from other addictions can be anointed. So can those who suffer from various mental disorders. The anxiety before exploratory surgery to determine if cancer is present is a situation in which Christ's power can be invoked in the sacrament. In these cases, the person does not have to wait until the illness is so grave that he or she is in the hospital to celebrate the sacrament. Sacraments, after all, are community celebrations. It is preferable to celebrate them in the context of family and parish even before going to the hospital.
Throughout the year, if you are faced with a severe illness or an impending serious surgery, you are encouraged to contact the parish office at 440- 235-2222 to arrange to receive the sacrament.