Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick

Sacrament of the Anointing
of the Sick
Scriptural Origins, Meaning and Effects, & Rite

Sr. Briege McKenna on the
Sacraments and Healing

Sr. McKenna Question
What was Sr. McKenna's main point during the
interview with Fr. Mitch Pacwa
Where there any surprises in what she talked
about

Part I: What is suffering all
about

Why Me
● The Old Testament
offers a very
important
explanation for why
people suffer--what
is it

Oh, yeah, Original Sin
● Original Sin results in
pain and suffering for
all humanity: Genesis
3:16-19
● "The desires of the
human heart are evil
from youth" (Gen 8:
22b) = since sin
continues, punishment
continues perpetually

Original Sin Continued
● "For God formed us to be imperishable; the
image of his own nature he made us. But by
the envy of the devil, death entered the
world, and they who are allied with him
experience it" (Wisdom 2:23-24)
● Bright side Mortality humbles all and
makes all humans equally vulnerable,
including the wicked powerful people of the
world (Isaiah 14:4b-21)

Law of Retribution: God's
Justice
● Ancient Hebrew theology understood any and all
suffering (including the inability to have children)
as a punishment for sins.
● Death, illness, "bad luck", famine, drought, natural
disasters, slavery, exile, barrenness, birth defects,
etc. You name it, sin caused it.
● If sinned caused it, the ancients believed you
deserved your troubles somehow. God caused the
trouble to strike you, but you earned it. Your
disobedience resembles that of Satan, and so you
become his ally, not God's.

Law of Retribution, Examples
● The Great Flood (Genesis 7)
● Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
(Genesis 19)
● Miriam's Leprosy (Numbers 12)
● Death of David's first child with Bathsheba
(2 Sam 12:15-25)--note the conception of
Solomon = happily-ever-after
● The Prophets interpret the Exile as a
punishment for not following the Torah
faithfully (eg. Jeremiah 25)

Theodicy: Why do Good People
Suffer
● But if suffering was for sinfulness, why do the evil
thrive and the good languish (Psalm 10)
● In theological terms, this problem is talked about
as "theodicy".
● Theodicy is addressed directly in the books of
Job and Tobit--Can anyone recount one of these
stories How do they end
● What about Jesus' story Does it make sense to
claim that good people should be spared suffering
if God Incarnate had to suffer

Further Theories about
Suffering
● Suffering tests and teaches the righteous. "But the
Lord chastises those who are close to him in order
to admonish them" (Judith 8:27).
● Suffering is also the consequence of the free will
exercised by others who are evil. (Cain murdering
Abel) = You cannot have free will without the
possibility of people abusing it---but God will
punish the evil and reward the good, if not in this
life, in the one to come.
● Suffering for God is a holy act (think of the
suffering prophets or the Maccabean Martyrs)

Suffering has Meaning

Jesus & Suffering
"Love your enemies...For he
(God the Father) makes his
sun rise on the bad and the
good, and causes rain to fall
on the just and the unjust..."
(Matt 5:44-45). Suffering
does not always =
punishment, since even
Jesus admits the good
suffer and the evil thrive
sometimes.

Jesus and Suffering
The Man Born Blind (John
9)
● The disciples ask why the
man was born blind.
Jesus denies that it was a
punishment for sin.
● This man's illness had a
higher purpose. In this
case, providing an
opportunity for a display
of God's love and power.

Poor Man Lazarus
In the parable about the
Rich Man and Lazarus,
the sufferings endured
patiently by Lazarus the
beggar lead to his going
to heaven. The rich man
who never suffered goes
to hell, because he did
not help Lazarus. (Luke
16:19-31)

The Cross & Imitating Christ
"And whoever does not
take up his or her cross
and follow me is not
worthy of me" (Matthew
10:38)
"No one has greater love
than this, to lay down
one's life for one's
friends" (John 15:13)

Mater Dolorosa
● St. Simeon says to the
Bl. Virgin: "And you
yourself a sword will
pierce" (Luke 2:35).
● Mary endured acute
suffering related to
her son's ministry and
Passion.
● Sorrow for others
shows our unity with
and our love for them.

Suffering Apostles: Preaching
Mission and Martyrdom
"Therefore, that I might not
become too elated, a thorn
in the flesh was given to me,
an angel of Satan, to beat
me...Three times I begged
the Lord about this, that it
might leave me, but he said
to me, 'My grace is sufficient
for you, for power is made
perfect in weakness'"
(1 Cor 12:7b-9b)

Part II: A Sacrament for Healing

Anointing of the Sick
Although we may suffer as a consequence of
God's justice in relation to our sinfulness, God
has instituted a sacrament to share his healing
and his mercy: the Sacrament of the Anointing
of the Sick.
The sacrament is rooted in Jesus' own ministry
of healing, and that of the Apostles
commissioned by him to continue his healing
work.

Fr. Drwyer discusses
Anointing of the Sick

Apostolic Tradition:
Letter of St. James
"Is anyone among you
suffering He should pray...
Is anyone among you sick
He should summon the
presbyters of the church,
and they should pray over
him and anoint him with oil
in the name of the Lord"
(James 4:13a,14)