Anointing of the Sick This Saturday May 8, 2010

"Are any among you suffering? They should pray...Are any among you sick? They should call upon the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord." (James 5:13-14)

We will be inviting all members of our parish who feel they are in need, to receive the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick during our evening mass. This will be done at the 5:00pm celebration this Saturday May 8, 2010.

A little about the sacrament;
Perhaps one of the most misunderstood of all sacraments in the Catholic Church is that of the Anointing of the Sick. Often (mistakenly) called the 'Last rights', our most common mental image is that of a priest hovering over the bed of a person at death's door, mumbling strange Latin words we do not understand.

This is unfortunate because this is most certainly not a sacrament for the dead, but for the living, whereby we are able to experience the healing ministry of Christ within our own lives. Calling upon our Lord to strengthen us and to help us to endure the trials and afflictions that affect us all whether young or old. In addition, it gives us the chance to have our family of faith pray for us at those times when we most need their support.

Are you going into the hospital for planned (or unplanned) surgery? Are you struggling with a chronic health condition? Do you feel concerned about your health and do not feel as though you can wait until the next parish celebration?

In any of these situation, you can always call the parish office to arrange for a celebration of this sacrament in the home with family and friends or in your hospital room. This is also a good time to remind you that, upon being admitted to the hospital, you must indicate to admitting that you are Roman Catholic if you would like to have the Roman Catholic Chaplain visit you.

One last thing, as St. James acknowledges in his letter illness does not just affect the life of the individual or the family, but indeed, the whole community. If you or someone you know is ill and in need of spiritual support or even some company or hospice care, please contact the parish office. We have a number of individuals in the parish who visit with the sick and their families on a regular basis. With your permission, we would also like to include you or your loved ones in our Prayers of the Faithful shared during our weekend Masses.

If you would like more information about the sacred encounter with the Christ who heals us check out the following links;

Catholic Answers - Anointing of the Sick

Wikipedia Article - Anointing of the Sick

Peace and God Bless