Noah and Leo (my sons) are starting to love the Disney classics, proven by how many times they want to watch the same movie repeatedly. One of those is Lion King; as a millennial, that was a childhood classic we grew up with. However, watching the same film more than 20 years later, you notice things you previously missed, which is the depth of some of these classics.
The movie opens with a popular song which speaks about new life as little Simba is born and the path of life that will lead us back to our resting place (we can insert heaven in there).
"It's the circle of life
And it moves us all
Through despair and hope
Through faith and love
'Til we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the circle
The circle of life"
(Circle of Life, Lion King)
So far, the previous six blogs have addressed misconceptions about the first six sacraments: baptism, confession, Holy Communion, confirmation, marriage and holy orders. The last of the seven sacraments is the anointing of the sick and the topic of this blog.
We know this sacrament was instituted and passed on by our Lord, "Is anyone among you sick? Let him call in the presbyters of the Church and let them pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord" (James 5:14-15). People were so desperate for healing that Our Lord had people flock to Him to merely touch the tassel of his garment, and they were healed.
Sometimes, sickness can be viewed as punishment for the person as if they were doing their time for bad choices. However, what if we saw sickness as a means to pray for the deepest intentions of our hearts and others by offering that pain to God. In fact, "... the prophets intuited that sickness could also have a redemptive value for our sins and those of others ... and lived out in presence of God from whom people implored healing." (CC, 313)
Our Lord coming to earth and redeeming us all on the cross meant victory over sin, suffering, and death. We must realise that the cross does not mean suffering and death are somehow gone. We all still need to pass through the door of death, but what Our Lord did on the cross and later rising from the dead guarantees that we have a home to go to on the other side of that door of death and that our suffering now has redemptive value. When we speak of offering up our pain and suffering, it is because we can unite it to Our Lord's pain and suffering, making it a "means of purification and of salvation for us and others" (CC, 314).
We can receive this sacrament when in danger of death due to sickness or old age and, if possible, should first begin with the sacrament of confession. The priest then anoints the forehead and hands of the sick person. He prays over the person, asking for the special grace of this sacrament from the Holy Spirit. The sacrament prepares the ill or dying person for returning home to Our Father in Heaven. The sacrament gives comfort, peace, courage and forgiveness of sins if the sick person is gravely ill and can't make a confession and if God wills, in some cases, the restoration of physical health (CC, 319).
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| Fr Chris anointing my Granny (with my Mom), 17 Feb 2022 |
Last year, in February, my Granny, after a fall, broke her hip. On top of struggling with dementia for several years, she had grown frail. The priest (Fr. Chris) came to give her the final sacrament of the anointing of the sick to prepare her for the journey back home to God. She could no longer reason and make a confession, so the anointing provided the forgiveness of sin in that case. As much as she was at her lowest moment, the anointing lifted her spirit. She surprisingly thanked the priest as if she knew the work of grace and the Holy Spirit was within her. Within a few days, she passed peacefully on the couch after lunch, and the struggle on earth was now complete.
The anointing of the sick is a great gift we can give to our loved ones in Christ. Generally, those receiving the sacrament are very ill or possibly on their deathbed and need us to request it on their behalf. We believe in this sacrament because, like all the other sacraments, Our Lord instituted it. We are hopeful because those who have gone before us await us in heaven, where they are much closer to God. Even Mufasa in The Lion King expresses this after saving Simba from Scar's first trap and telling his son. "Simba, let me tell you something my father told me. Look at the stars. The great kings of the past look down on us from those stars... So whenever you feel alone, just remember that those kings will always be there to guide you. And so will I." (Lion King)
We have a special Queen in heaven, Mary, Our Mother, who has left us 15 promises to hope for if we are devoted to praying the rosary. My Granny prayed the rosary every day, and one promise says whoever shall have a true devotion to the rosary shall not die without the Sacraments of the Church. She passed only after receiving the sacrament of the anointing of the sick. There are many other promises, and only our death will show us their fulfilment. Still, we have complete confidence they will be fulfilled. All those who are faithful to recite the rosary shall have during their life and at their death the light of God and the abundance of His graces. Our Mother shall deliver from Purgatory those devoted to the rosary. Finally, Our Mother will obtain from her Divine Son that all the rosary advocates shall have the entire celestial court for intercessors during their life and at the hour of death.
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