The Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick

“When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralysed and in terrible suffering.” Jesus said to him, “I will go and heal him.” 

  - Matthew 8: 5-6

The second sacrament of healing is the Anointing of the Sick. Anointing of the Sick imparts a special grace to the person who is ill, or close to dying due to advanced age. This grace has many effects: it brings into communion the sick/aged person with the suffering Christ, it brings an interior peace, it strengthens the sick/aged person’s resolve to be faithful to our Lord, and it assists one to be courageous in the face of one’s suffering/death. Also, this sacrament confers on the sick/aged person the forgiveness of sins if it is not possible to obtain pardon through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Often one’s health is restored after receiving this sacrament. However, the main purpose of the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick is to prepare one’s soul for eternal life with God.

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The following link takes you to a document on cross-cultural spiritual care for the dying.