Anointing of the Sick
In the Church’s Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, through the ministry of the priest, it is Jesus who touches the sick to heal them from sin – and sometimes even from physical ailment. His cures were signs of the arrival of the Kingdom of God. The core message of his healing tells us of his plan to conquer sin and death by his dying and rising.
The Rite of Anointing 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. When the Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick is given, the hoped-for effect is that, if it be God’s will, the person be physically healed of illness. But even if there is no physical healing, the primary effect of the Sacrament is a spiritual healing by which the sick person receives the Holy Spirit’s gift of peace and courage to deal with the difficulties that accompany serious illness or the frailty of old age. ~from the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults.
Prayer For Renewed Strength
O Lord, my God, Please give me the grace to maintain my hope in you through all of life’s changes and to taste and see your goodness. I praise you for the gifts you have showered on me for so many years. Help me find joy in a renewed strength of spirit. Please bless me with good health, and inspire me to be a good example to others. For you are Lord, forever and ever. Amen.
A Blessing Prayer for Those Who Are Sick
All praise and glory is yours, Lord our God, for you have called us to serve you in love. Bless N., so that he/she may bear this illness in union with your Son’s obedient suffering. Restore him/her to health, and lead him/her to glory. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Excerpts from the English translation of Pastoral Care of the Sick: Rites of Anointing and Viaticum © 1982, International Committee on
English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved
If you are going into the hospital for a major reason or for major surgery or in need due to an illness, you might wish to call the Parish Office for an appointment to receive the Sacrament of the Sick at the Parish Office at (772)461-8150 before you are admitted to the hospital.
