Chapter 5: Anointing of the Sick
THE SACRAMENTS – Source of our Life in Christ
1. Christ’s Ministry of Healing (pp. 132-135)
Anticipatory Set
 Read Mt 9:1-8
 Christ heals the paralytic’s body as a visible sign that he could heal
the man’s soul by forgiving his sins.
1. Christ’s Ministry of Healing (pp. 132-135)
BASIC QUESTIONS
 What was Christ’s ministry of healing?
 How has the Church continued Christ’s ministry of healing?
KEY IDEAS
 Christ healed people from physical infirmity out of compassion and to
show he was the Messiah.
 One of the major missions of the Church is the alleviation of human
suffering, which she has faithfully carried out over the centuries.
1. Christ’s Ministry of Healing (pp. 132-135)
How are the two Sacraments of Healing implicit in Christ’s healing of
the paralytic man (Mt 9:1-8)?
Christ forgave the man’s sins (Sacrament of Reconciliation) and healed him
of his sickness (Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick).
What are ways Christ showed his concern for the sick during his time
on earth?
He healed many who were ill, showed the meaning of suffering, gave his
Apostles the power to heal, and he instituted the Sacrament of the
Anointing of the Sick.
What was one of the most powerful signs that showed that Christ
passed his powers on to his Church after his Ascension?
The Apostles effected many physical healings.
1. Christ’s Ministry of Healing (pp. 132-135)
Guided Exercise
Have the students complete the following table to organize their knowledge of how
Christ helps us with the Sacraments during various stages of our life on earth.
1. Christ’s Ministry of Healing (pp. 132-135)
1. Christ’s Ministry of Healing (pp. 132-135)
What were the two reasons Christ performed miracles of physical
healing?
To show compassion toward those who suffered and to demonstrate that
he was the Messiah.
In what sense is Christ the Divine Physician?
Christ heals the whole man: the body through healing and the soul
through forgiveness of sins.
What does it mean that Christ “identifies himself ” with the sick
(CCC 1503)?
In his interpretation of the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats, Christ
says that what we do for the sick, we do for Christ.
1. Christ’s Ministry of Healing (pp. 132-135)
How has Christ’s concern for the sick been manifested in the life of his Church
through the centuries?
The Church considers the relief of human suffering as one of its primary missions. This is
attested to by thousands of Catholic hospitals and by religious congregations and saints who
have dedicated their lives to helping the sick.
Is helping the sick and suffering only the responsibility of Christians specially
called to it?
No. It is every Christian’s responsibility.
Is Anointing of the Sick only concerned with healing of the body?
No. It is concerned with both the body and the soul.
When is the Sacrament administered?
It can be administered whenever a person is afflicted with serious sickness, reaches old age,
or is facing death.
1. Christ’s Ministry of Healing (pp. 132-135)
Guided Exercise
There are thousands of contemporary Catholic efforts to help the sick
and suffering. Visit the following website to learn about the Sisters of
Hawthorne, who help destitute sufferers of incurable illnesses free of
cost.
http://www.hawthorne-dominicans.org/
1. Christ’s Ministry of Healing (pp. 132-135)
Who was Bernadette?
A young girl to whom Our Lady appeared in 1858.
What is the meaning of the healings of Lourdes and the name the “Lady”
told Bernadette?
With the healings and the name, “The Immaculate Conception,” Our Lady was
confirming the title which the Church had given the Virgin Mary just four years
earlier.
What does the title “Immaculate Conception” mean?
It means that Mary, the Mother of God, was preserved free from the stain of
Original Sin from the moment of her conception.
How many cures has the Church officially declared to be miraculous at
Lourdes?
At this time, sixty-seven.
1. Christ’s Ministry of Healing (pp. 132-135)
Closure
Write a paragraph summarizing Christ’s and his Church’s ministry of
healing.
1. Christ’s Ministry of Healing (pp. 132-135)
Homework Assignment
Reading:
 Pp. 136-138.
Questions:
 Questions: 1-2.
 Workbook: 1-11.
 Practical Exercise 2.
1. Christ’s Ministry of Healing (pp. 132-135)
Alternative Assessment
Class discussion on Practical Exercise 2, whether a terminally ill
person should be told if he or she is dying.
2. Christ’s Healing Touch in the New
Testament (pp. 136-138)
Anticipatory Set
Read John 9:1-39 as the class’s Opening Prayer. This is the account of
Jesus’ dramatic healing of the man blind from birth, with the
controversy it caused among some of the religious authorities in
Jerusalem.
2. Christ’s Healing Touch in the New
Testament (pp. 136-138)
BASIC QUESTIONS
 Why did Jesus choose to heal through physical touch?
 How do we know Christ instituted the Anointing of the Sick?
KEY IDEAS
 Jesus chose to heal through physical touch as a sacramental sign of
spiritual healing and of the arrival of the Kingdom of God.
 Jesus associated his Apostles with his healing ministry and instituted the
Anointing of the Sick as recorded in the Epistle of St. James.
2. Christ’s Healing Touch in the New
Testament (pp. 136-138)
What did Jesus ask from those who came seeking healing?
Faith in him.
What do the seven examples of physical healings Jesus performed
have in common (pp. 136-137)?
In each of them there is physical touch: either Jesus touches them or they
touch him.
What was Jesus’ ultimate concern for those he encountered?
Their eternal salvation.
Could Jesus have healed every person in Palestine―and even in the
world?
Yes.
2. Christ’s Healing Touch in the New
Testament (pp. 136-138)
Why didn’t Jesus heal everyone?
His mission was not to remove all suffering from the world. He did want
to give us the grace to accept suffering as a means of uniting ourselves
with his Redemption.
What was the eventual earthly fate of every person Jesus healed,
even Lazarus?
They all eventually died.
What was the meaning of Jesus’ healings beyond their physical
benefits to the person healed?
They announced that the Kingdom of God had come with healing and
victory over sin and death through Christ’s own Death on the Cross.
2. Christ’s Healing Touch in the New
Testament (pp. 136-138)
Guided Exercise
 Read the paragraph beginning, “From this small selection,”
thinking about the following question:
 How are Jesus’ healings sacramental?
2. Christ’s Healing Touch in the New
Testament (pp. 136-138)
Guided Exercise
Have the students complete the following table on the effects of Anointing
of the Sick.
2. Christ’s Healing Touch in the New
Testament (pp. 136-138)
2. Christ’s Healing Touch in the New
Testament (pp. 136-138)
How did Jesus associate his Apostles with his healing ministry
before the Resurrection?
Jesus instructed his Apostles to heal the sick, and they “anointed with oil
many that were sick and healed them” (Mk 6:12).
What did Christ promise the Apostles after the Resurrection?
He promised if they laid their hands on the sick, the sick would recover.
Where do we learn of how the early Church administered the
Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick?
In the Epistle of St. James.
2. Christ’s Healing Touch in the New
Testament (pp. 136-138)
How was the Sacrament administered?
The elders (presbyters in Greek, priests in English) were to pray over the sick
person and to anoint him or her with oil in the name of the Lord.
What are the effects of the Sacrament, according to St. James?
The person will be physically healed and his sins will be forgiven.
What is the matter of the Anointing of the Sick?
Oil of the Sick, which is olive oil blessed by the bishop during the Chrism
Mass on Holy Thursday.
2. Christ’s Healing Touch in the New
Testament (pp. 136-138)
Closure
Write a paragraph summarizing the presence of the Sacrament of
the Anointing of the Sick in the New Testament.
2. Christ’s Healing Touch in the New
Testament (pp. 136-138)
Homework Assignment
Reading:
 Pp. 139-141, through “WHEN SHOULD THE SACRAMENT BE
ADMINISTERED?”
Questions:
 Questions: 3-8.
 Workbook: 12-20.
 Practical Exercise 1.
2. Christ’s Healing Touch in the New
Testament (pp. 136-138)
 Alternative Assessment
How can you participate in Christ’s healing ministry when passing by
or visiting a hospital or medical clinic?
3. The Administration of the Sacrament
of Anointing of the Sick (pp. 139-141)
Anticipatory Set
Every Sacrament has matter, form and a minister. Review for a few
moments the matter, form, and minister of Baptism and the
Eucharist.
3. The Administration of the Sacrament
of Anointing of the Sick (pp. 139-141)
BASIC QUESTIONS
 What is the matter, form, and minister of the Anointing of the Sick?
 What are the effects of the Anointing of the Sick?
 Who should receive the Anointing of the Sick?
KEY IDEAS
 The matter of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is the Oil of
the Sick, the form is the words the minister prays for the recipient, and
the minister is a bishop or priest.
 The Sacrament prepares the recipient for death and eternal life and may
restore health if it is good for the person’s soul.
 The Sacrament should be administered to anyone approaching or in
danger of death, including one facing a serious operation or who has
sustained a serious injury, and it may be repeated.
3. The Administration of the Sacrament
of Anointing of the Sick (pp. 139-141)
Guided Exercise
Have the students visit the following website and do a search on the
word “oil” in the Old and New Testaments. This will allow them to
explore how important oil was in the ancient world and how it was used.
http://quod.lib.umich.edu/r/rsv/simple.html.
3. The Administration of the Sacrament
of Anointing of the Sick (pp. 139-141)
What are the essential elements in the celebration of the Anointing
of the Sick?
Laying on of hands by the priest, prayer, and an anointing with holy oil.
Why is it good to couple the Anointing of the Sick with the
Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist?
The recipient will receive graces.
How was oil used in the ancient world as a medicine?
Olive oil was used on wounds and on tired and aching muscles.
What can be used as the matter of Anointing of the Sick in case of
necessity?
Any vegetable oil blessed by a priest.
3. The Administration of the Sacrament
of Anointing of the Sick (pp. 139-141)
What is the form of the Anointing of the Sick?
The form is the prayer of the priest for ease of suffering, strength,
freedom from sin, salvation, resurrection from the dead, and restoration
of health to return to God’s service.
Why is it good to have members of the faithful, especially the
family, present at the Anointing of the Sick?
Because every Sacrament is ecclesial and communal in nature.
Who is the minister of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick?
Only a bishop or priest.
3. The Administration of the Sacrament
of Anointing of the Sick (pp. 139-141)
Guided Exercise
Think/Pair/Share on the following question:
 Why is it appropriate that a priest is the minister of the Sacrament of the
Anointing of the Sick?
3. The Administration of the Sacrament
of Anointing of the Sick (pp. 139-141)
THE EFFECTS OF THE ANOINTING OF THE SICK
Think/Pair/Share on the following question:
 Why is a Sacrament like the Anointing of the Sick necessary for those who
are facing death?
3. The Administration of the Sacrament
of Anointing of the Sick (pp. 139-141)
Closure
Write a paragraph summarizing the matter, form, and minister of
the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.
3. The Administration of the Sacrament
of Anointing of the Sick (pp. 139-141)
Homework Assignment
Reading:
 Pp. 141-144.
Questions:
 Questions: 9-22.
 Workbook: 21-33.
3. The Administration of the Sacrament
of Anointing of the Sick (pp. 139-141)
Alternative Assessment
Write a short summary detailing when the Sacrament of the
Anointing of the Sick should be administered.
4. The Meaning of Human Suffering (pp. 141-144)
Anticipatory Set
Read Luke 10:30-35, Jesus’ narration of the Parable of the Good
Samaritan.
4. The Meaning of Human Suffering (pp. 141-144)
BASIC QUESTIONS
 What is the meaning of human suffering?
 What should our attitude be toward those who suffer?
KEY IDEAS
 Human suffering is a mystery connected with sin. Christ suffered to
redeem us and has linked all suffering with redemption. One can find
joy in suffering.
 Christians are called to serve those in need, alleviating their suffering.
Those who serve the suffering serve Christ.
4. The Meaning of Human Suffering (pp. 141-144)
When should the Anointing of the Sick be administered?
When a baptized Catholic is facing death. Also, when one reaches old age
or is noticeably weakened in old age, or at any age when one is facing a
serious operation, or when one has a serious illness or injury.
Can this Sacrament be repeated?
Yes, if one recovers and then falls ill again, or if the initial condition
grows worse.
Under what circumstance does the Anointing of the Sick forgive
mortal sins?
When the person is unable to make a Confession, but has or had the
proper dispositions to make a good Confession.
4. The Meaning of Human Suffering (pp. 141-144)
Should a dead person be given the Anointing of the Sick?
No. The priest should pray for the soul of that person.
How did Christ accomplish our redemption?
Through his suffering.
What did Christ do to suffering?
He made all suffering potentially redemptive.
How did suffering and death enter the world, according to Genesis?
They entered as a result of Original Sin.
4. The Meaning of Human Suffering (pp. 141-144)
What is the connection between suffering and sin?
We know by experience that sin causes suffering but we should not
assume that any particular suffering is the result of anyone’s particular sin.
What does the Book of Job teach about suffering?
Even the most upright and just person can experience suffering in his or
her life.
4. The Meaning of Human Suffering (pp. 141-144)
Guided Exercise
Think/Pair/Share on the three paragraphs beginning, “Here we
have no greater inspiration” (p. 142) using the following question:
 What is the redemptive meaning of suffering that Christ taught?
4. The Meaning of Human Suffering (pp. 141-144)
Guided Exercise
Perform a paragraph shrink on the excerpt from Spe salvi (beginning,
“It is when we attempt”).
4. The Meaning of Human Suffering (pp. 141-144)
Guided Exercise
Have a class discussion on why it is difficult to help those who are
suffering.
4. The Meaning of Human Suffering (pp. 141-144)
Guided Exercise
Read the sidebar, “Bl. Mother Teresa of Calcutta” and then write
briefly on the one thing that most surprised you about the story of
Bl. Mother Teresa.
4. The Meaning of Human Suffering (pp. 141-144)
What meaning did Cardinal Bernardin find in Matthew 11:12-30?
When he was suffering from terminal cancer, he found rest in the “yoke”
of illness that Christ had sent him.
What are the three Sacraments that initiate life and the three
Sacraments that bring life to a close?
Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist initiate Christian life.
Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, and the Eucharist prepare us for
the next life.
4. The Meaning of Human Suffering (pp. 141-144)
Closure
Write a paragraph on the Christian meaning of suffering,
including the call to serve those in distressing circumstances.
4. The Meaning of Human Suffering (pp. 141-144)
Homework Assignment
Reading:
 Pp. 145.
Questions:
 Questions: 23-25.
 Workbook: 34-40.
 Practical Exercises 3 & 4.
4. The Meaning of Human Suffering (pp. 141-144)
Alternative Assessment
Work with a partner to consider the following scenario:
A parish priest is called to the hospital at the request of a family. Their father,
who up until that time seemed reasonably healthy, had lost consciousness in the
home. After arriving at the hospital and speaking with the family, who were
gathered around the hospital bed, the priest prepares to celebrate the Sacrament
of Anointing.
 Should the family leave the room while their father is receiving the Sacrament of Anointing?
 If their father later dies, does that mean that the Sacrament of the Anointing was
ineffective?
 What graces, seen and unseen, may result from the celebration of the Sacrament?
THE END