In the Holy Scriptures:
"Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer ]offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him." James 5:14-15; NASB
Frequently Asked Questions
Who receives this sacrament and when?
The Anointing of the Sick "is not a a sacrament for those only who are the point of death. Hence, as soon as anyone of the faithful begins to be in danger of death from sickness or old age, the fitting time for him to receive this sacrament has certainly already arrived." (CCC 1514)
Each time a Christian falls seriously ill, he may receive the Anointing of the Sick, and also when, after he has received it, the illness worsens. (CCC 1529)
The special grace of the sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick has as its effects:
- the uniting of the sick person to the passion of Christ, for his own good and that
of the whole Church;
- the strengthening, peace, and courage to endure in a Christian manner the
sufferings of illness or old age;
- the forgiveness of sins, if the sick person was not able to obtain it through the
sacrament of Penance;
- the restoration of health, if it is conducive to the salvation of his soul;
- the preparation for passing over to eternal life.
(CCC 1532)