15th Sunday of Ordinary Time, B July 11th, 2021
Fr. Albert St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette
Repentance, Exorcisms, and Healings; three characteristics of the Apostle’s ministry seen in this passage. To this day, they remain a core part of the Church’s mission. The Church exists to proclaim the Kingdom of Heaven. Indeed, the Church is the kingdom of Christ already present in mystery. That’s what St. Paul is talking about in that really complicated second reading. There is a mystical reality that’s something deeper than bureaucracy, buildings, and bishops. The Church is Christ’s body and the presence of God’s kingdom.
Manifesting that kingdom, making it apparent to us, and drawing others into that kingdom is an ongoing thing. Repentance, exorcisms, and healing are central to that. Jesus himself gives the authority to do this to the Apostles, who are the first bishops. He does it here, he does it with Peter individually later on, and he does it again for all of them after he rises from the dead.
The Church’s teachings on the truth and on sin are all about drawing people to repentance, to freedom from sin and error. Demons are real and exorcisms do still happen – the Church’s authority to do this shows that leading people away from sin also means rescuing them from the authority of the devil and his demons. Finally, the kingdom of God and the Church are not just about fighting evil and error, but about raising up human beings to be what they are meant to be. This requires healing of the whole person, body, mind, and soul. That healing will only be complete after the resurrection when we get new, glorified bodies, but it starts here. It either starts in this life or it doesn’t happen.
And one way that it starts is with the sacraments. Go to confession: It brings real healing and is a continual process because we all have to keep working at overcoming sin. But I want us to focus today on the sacrament described right here. People accuse the Church of making up the sacraments, but it says right here that the Apostles anointed people with oil to bring them healing. That is the Anointing of the Sick. It used to be called “Extreme Unction,” but unction is just an older, fancier word for anointing and extreme is a reference to being near death.
In the past 15 months, I’ve anointed more people than the previous 4 years combined. But that number is far smaller than it should have been. So many people do not ask for this sacrament or they wait too long and the chance is missed. They do not seem to understand what Anointing of the Sick is. Still others ask for it for the wrong reasons or have the wrong expectations. Pray for those who missed this great gift and then strive to not make the same mistake.
Like all Sacraments, we look to the Church’s teaching and rules to understand what it is and how it’s done. The anointing of the sick is what it sounds like. A priest uses oil to anoint a sick person. What does this do? There are four effects to this sacrament.
First, it gives grace to the sick person. This grace helps them to endure their suffering and to unite that suffering to Christ on the cross. This means that their suffering can actually make them holier because it is united to Christ. This is the most important effect.
Secondly, it prepares a person for their final journey to heaven. Everyone who dies has to make a final act of faith and resist the temptation to despair and only grace makes this possible. In the face of death, it is natural to wonder if God is real and if our life was wasted. This sacrament helps to keep faith and make it to our heavenly home.
Third, it brings healing to the soul. In particular, the anointing of the sick can forgive sins and help heal some of the spiritual wounds caused by our sins. This does not replace confession – if someone refuses to confess their mortal sins, anointing of the sick will not work. But, it does forgive venial sins and help the person to resist temptation in the midst of their trial. If a person wanted to go to confession, but fell unconscious first, it will forgive mortal sins too.
Fourth and finally, it brings physical healing if that healing is good for the soul. Yes, physical healing. I’ve seen it happen. Most priests have. It’s not always super obvious and dramatic, but it’s not uncommon for people in ICU to start improving shortly after being anointed. Of course the soul is primary and if it’s their time, it’s their time. That’s why the other effects are listed first.
Still, I want to clear something up. Anointing of the Sick is not the “Last Rites.” It is part of the Last Rites, but you can be anointed without receiving Last Rites. Last Rites includes anointing of the sick, viaticum – which is communion for the dying – and the Apostolic pardon. This leads into the most important thing I want you to remember today: who can receive anointing of the sick. Basically, who counts as “sick?” Fortunately, the Church answers that question. It is for “any member of the faithful who, having reached the use of reason, begins to be in danger by reason of infirmity or old age.” Age of reason means infants don’t need it – they get a blessing. There’s a key phrase there “begins to be in danger.” Begins to be. Do not, do not wait until someone is actively dying to call me.
The ritual clarifies a little more who can receive anointing: anyone whose health is seriously impaired. Doesn’t have to be “near death,” just serious. As soon as you get a serious diagnosis, call a priest. Don’t call for a cold or headache or minor infection. But Cancer? Call. At-risk and recently caught the flu or Covid or other major virus? Call. A diagnosed mental condition that could lead to suicide? Call. A serious heart condition? Call. An elderly person who has recently become noticeably weaker? Call. If you have a serious condition that requires surgery, then call. That doesn’t include joint replacements or cosmetic surgery, but any serious condition that might be life-threatening. We don’t anoint because of surgery, but because of the condition itself. If someone is anointed, gets better, and then gets sick again, they can be anointed again. The point is to help them while they’re sick, not just at the end.
This is just one facet of the Church’s great mission to manifest the kingdom of God, but it is an important one. Don’t be a hypochondriac about it, but please don’t deprive yourself or your loved ones of the chance to experience the Kingdom of God and his Kindness.