The Sacrament of the Sick
Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
~ James 5:14-15
Divine Mercy Parish
Mass for healing with the Anointing of the Sick
Saturday, February 8, 2025 at 11am
Reception to follow
All are Welcome!
A Communal Celebration of the Sacrament of the Sick takes place at Divine Mercy Parish annually near February 11 – the World Day of the Sick. This year Divine Mercy Parish will hold it’s annual Mass with the Sacrament of the Sick on Saturday, February 8 at 11am. We chose the Saturday in hopes that it will give family and friends an opportunity to join loved ones who may be in need of the Sacrament.
Who can receive the Sacrament of the Sick?
The Sacrament of the Sick is for anyone in need of strengthening in body and spirit due to infirmity. These include, but are not limited to the elderly, anyone with a serious ailment, those with chronic conditions anyone preparing for surgery, and those experiencing mental distress of any kind. In the Lord’s mercy, we are invited to healing and wholeness. Do not miss the opportunity to receive this beautiful sacrament. Bring family and friends in need of the sacrament and gather with us to pray for all those in need of God’s mercy and grace.
World Day of the Sick - February 11
From the earliest times in life of the Church, outreach to those suffering from illness was understood as an important element of Christian community. The Sacrament of the Sick is how God gives us spiritual strength to persevere through the challenges of severe illness or impending death. The Anointing of the Sick is a healing sacrament which unites our physical suffering with the pain and suffering experienced by Jesus during his earthly life. The graces of this sacrament bring peace and courage to overcome the difficulties that come our way.
St. Pope John Paul II designated February 11 (The Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes) as the World Day of the Sick, as a way for believers to offer prayers for those suffering from illness. Significant to healing is the support and prayers of the faith community as well as the reintegration of the sick person into the fullness of community. In both the Sacrament of the Sick and in the corporal act of mercy to visit the sick, we experience the intertwining of our human experience with the saving love of God.
In the Sacrament, there is a laying on of hand – an ancient gesture which symbolizes and confers the giving of the special grace of the Holy Spirit. In the sacrament, the anointing with the Oil of the Infirmed marks the individual out for the Holy Spirit’s special care. The elderly, the gravely ill and those facing surgery or other serious or chronic health challenges are encouraged to receive the sacrament.
The Connection between Salvation and Healing
Having recently come to the conclusion of the Christmas season it is fitting that we consider the great gift of salvation from the birth of our Savior. In fact, the first mention of Jesus in scripture appears in the Gospel of Matthew where an angel appears to Joseph and states, “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins,” (Matthew 1:21).
The Greek term used here for salvation is sozo, defined as “to save, deliver, protect, heal, preserve, be (make) whole.” This reveals that the salvation experience involves engaging in a salvation-healing journey throughout which divine healing is administered to sin-damaged individuals as they grow in relationship with the Trinity.
It Starts With Encounter
“Our God is a God of salvation” (Psalms 68:20) and His desire is that we would accept this great gift of entering a transformative relationship with Him. Every connection begins with an encounter. We meet someone and then become associated in relationship that develops through engagement. God invites us to seek Him, and He promises we will find Him (see Jeremiah 29:13, Hebrews 11:6). In fact, the birth of Jesus is evidence that God seeks us first.
It Grows in Relationship
Encounter doesn’t have to culminate in relationship. We have meetings throughout our lifetimes and only a handful develop into friendship. Yet, Jesus invites us to the bond of friendship and in that alliance, we gain more than we can even imagine. True relationship involves an exchange of self with another.
We give God our struggle, sin and heartache. In turn, He gives us hope, help, healing and wholeness along with gifts, ability and opportunity to serve with Him in sacred community. This salvation relationship is developed through conversation (prayer), repentance (renewing of the mind) and discovery (reading God’s word, fellowship in the Church, serving in love).
Its Ultimate Goal Is Heaven
God loves being in relationship with us through Jesus Christ and it is His good pleasure to bestow gifts and grace upon His children. However, the goal is not just a good life here. Ultimately, God has invited us to eternity with Him. The writer of Ecclesiastes states it well, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, He has put eternity into man’s heart,” (Ecclesiastes 3: 11).
In the heart of every person there is a yearning for more because we were made for it and in relationship with Jesus; we become prepared for it. As the Apostle Paul wrote to the Church at Philippi, “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself,” (Ecclesiastes 3:20-21).
Through the salvation-healing work of Jesus Christ, he saves us from our sin and for himself. This truly is the greatest gift.
Jesus the Healer
According to the Catechism salvation and healing are connected through the sacraments, which are actions of Christ that apply the fruits of salvation to all generations.
Referring to Jesus as the Physician, the Church teaches:
“Christ’s compassion toward the sick and his many healings of every kind of infirmity are a resplendent sign that “God has visited his people” and that the Kingdom of God is close at hand. Jesus has the power not only to heal, but also to forgive sins; he has come to heal the whole [person], soul and body; he is the physician the sick have need of. His preferential love for the sick has not ceased through the centuries to draw the very special attention of Christians toward all those who suffer in body and soul.” (Catechism of the Catholic Church #1503)
The sacred anointing of the sick was instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church. It is especially intended to strengthen those who are being tried by illness.
Are you in need of the Sacrament of the Sick but are unable to join us for the Mass with anointing on February 8? Do you know someone who could benefit from the sacrament? Please contact the Parish Office, 709-726-9924.