How do I receive this Sacrament?
If you or someone you know would like to receive Anointing of the Sick or the Last Rites, please call Deacon Carl at 614-937-5567
Who can receive Anointing of the Sick?
“Canon Law and the Ritual stipulate that the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is for those Catholics who, having received the age of reason, are in danger of death, whether as a result of illness or old age (c. 1004). Those who do not meet these criteria, such as infants, young children prior to the age of reason (7), and those who lack a serious illness that places them in danger of death, are not to receive the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick. This includes even those who, though undergoing elective surgery, are not seriously ill. The administration of anesthesia does not constitute a grave illness” (Diocesan Directive #2).
The Rite of Anointing also tells us there is no need to wait until a person is at the point of death to receive the Sacrament. A careful judgment about the serious nature of the illness is sufficient. The Sacrament may be repeated if the sick person recovers after the anointing but becomes ill once again, or if, during the same illness, the person’s condition becomes more serious. A person should be anointed before surgery when a dangerous illness is the reason for the intervention (cf. Rite of Anointing, Introduction, nos. 8-10).
What about the "Last Rites?"
For those who are about to depart from this life, the Church offers the person Penance, Anointing of the Sick, and the Eucharist as Viaticum (food for the journey) given at the end of life. These are “the sacraments that prepare for our heavenly homeland” (cf. CCC, no. 1525).
These rites are highly valued by Catholics as powerful aids to a good death. Since Holy Communion is the effective sign of Christ’s Paschal Mystery, it becomes for the recipient the opportunity to unite one’s own suffering and dying to that of Christ with the hope of life eternal with him. The special words proper to Viaticum are added: “May the Lord Jesus protect you and lead you to everlasting life. Amen.”
